Nephew stopped by ......

[Jack Stanley]

He recently finished police school near Grayling and while still looking for work decided he "needed" a S&W M&P chamered for the .40 cal. Since the lad didn't have a holster for it I got him one and it looks like getting him a carton of ammo was a good idea too . When he showed he only had a box and a half of ammo .... What are they teaching those boys ? :roll:

His training focused on auto pistols mostly the one revolver was someones chief special with a two inch barrel . He said he didn't much like it and for a trainee I can understand why I like a bit more sight radius myself . While he and his dad were busy making loaded ammo into spent casings . I went back to the house and got the model twenty-nine and a thirty caliber can of cast loads for it .
The bullets were the Lee "cowboy bullet " somewhere near two hundred grains or so . I forget the powder charge but I remember the velocity was near nine-fifty from the six inch barrel . The lad , and my brother were surprised to make hits on steel plates at twenty yards ...... double action no less , single action almost seemed like cheating after awhile . Nephew had to admit there was a whole world of difference in the two revolvers , maybe next time I oughta introduce hime to a "duty revolver" instead of the tuned six inch gun huh? Somehow , I'm thinking I should let him use a four inch 686 instead if the four inch twenty-nine [smilie=1:

We had a great time and the weather cooperated by not snowing on us , what a great day .

Jack

[Catshooter]

A four inch 686 might be nice for him to try. Bottom-feeders do own the police market these days. Pity too. Sounds like a day of good memories, good on you.


Cat

[skeet1]

I have carried a gun for 31 years and I long to carry a 686 again but the department wont allow it. It has to be a double action auto loader 9MM or larger. I have fond memories for carrying a revolver. None of the young guys today know what it is like to qualify at 50 yards like we used to and I believe that none of them would be able to with their auto loaders. I once carried a Model 28 Highway Patrolman that had been reworked into a .44 Special with the cylinder bored out and with a new .44 Special barrel. It was finished off in nickel. I sure wish I had that gun back.

Skeet1

[Jack Stanley]

The model 28 sounds like it was a very neat revolver to use . I got to use a model 28 once except even thought the frame was stamped 28 it had a barrel from a model 1955 target and a .45 ACP cylinder . Very fun to use .

I got to poking around the dungeon and found the load card for the .44 ammo . It used a 205 grain cowboy bullet and alox sized at .433" and 6.9 grains of Bullseye . The load works well in the twenty-nines and the 336-44 magnum rifle as well .

I've been trying to make up a batch of .38 service loads that work well in revolver or carbine . When I finish up , I'll have to get the lad over here to try out a real police gun huh?

Jack

[beagle]

That's a great quest. I have a Marlin .357 M1894C and two Ruger Blackhawks. I keep a .50 cal ammo can always full of hot .38 Special loads (See my article on Hot .38 Special Loads on castpics).

I have found that the RCBS 38-158-CM hollowpointed makes a great round for a rifle/pistol combo and I burn thousands of these a year. OF course, you don't have to use HPs but that's a personal preference and it serves me well as a farm gun./beagle


The model 28 sounds like it was a very neat revolver to use . I got to use a model 28 once except even thought the frame was stamped 28 it had a barrel from a model 1955 target and a .45 ACP cylinder . Very fun to use .

I got to poking around the dungeon and found the load card for the .44 ammo . It used a 205 grain cowboy bullet and alox sized at .433" and 6.9 grains of Bullseye . The load works well in the twenty-nines and the 336-44 magnum rifle as well .

I've been trying to make up a batch of .38 service loads that work well in revolver or carbine . When I finish up , I'll have to get the lad over here to try out a real police gun huh?

Jack

[9.3X62AL]

My agency never disallowed the 38 Special or 357 Magnum revolvers, and while most of the revos carried by our personnel were/are back-ups and off-duty compacts, a few of us kept a Python or 686 on board. I was one such museum piece, with a 4" 686 that went along on rural engagements where long shots were a more likely circumstance than in town--often joined by a rifle.

I don't bemoan the adoption of the autopistol in the mid-1980s, not at all. The only real downside I see is the excreble and under-loaded FBI-blessed 147 grain JHP 9mm Parabellum loads. Lose those, find some JHP 125 grainers at 1250 FPS, and I would have no regrets. The 40 S&W is great, and the 45 ACP needs no cheerleading from this quarter. But while lauding the stutterguns, don't get the idea that the 38 Special and especially the 357 Magnum are obsolete and ready for retirement. Not hardly.

[JMax]

I started as a deputy in CO carrying a 586, loved it. Got a new Sheriff and we started switching to 1911 pattern pistols but had a 1 week training class. At the time I was an active IPSC shooter and was already a firearms instructor. I was one of the last to give up my revolver over the bottom feeders though as I carried a S&W 13 off duty for years until it was replaced by a Colt Officer Model 45. Ad yes we had to shoot 50 yards with the revolvers but that was quickly dropped when the autos became standard equipment. My oldest son is a police officer back east and he only knows autos, what a shame.

[Bret4207]

I started with a Smith 681. Great gun, my second was more accurate than my first and accounted for a few varmints of the furred and feathered variety. I almost killed a guy with that gun. I learned waiting another split second has it's good points and he learned that when the Trooper says "FREEZE!!!" he means it. I think he also learned to carry a spare set of undershorts. I know I did...

[Jack Stanley]

I think the last revolver I bought was a 686 four inch shortly after they came out on the market . I really have been neglecting handguns since I got back to the rifle I enjoy . I did warm up the six inch model twenty-nine with the help of my oldest brother and my nephew . A few hundred rounds later and we all had smiles on our faces .
Still the long barrel wouldn't really be called a "duty" gun now would it ? However , the shorter 686 would land right in the middle of "duty" doncha think ? Maybe the four inch twenty-nine could ..... might be a stretch though [smilie=1:But then "duty gun" would be different for a patrol car in west Texas than a foot trooper in Baltimore . That's why I like getting the lad exposed to the use of many different types . I would like to see him get into reloading when he finds work , I'm reasonably sure his department isn't going to do much for him .

I got to thinking , it might not be such a far stretch of thought for a patrol car to have an officer with a .357 holstered and a carbine for the same ammo in the trunk :coffee:

Jack