Does anyone know anything about a S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman with a 3 1/2" barrel?

A shop, that's about 2 hours away from me, has one for sale that I might be interested in. The only thing is that I am having trouble finding any information on one with this barrel length.

Did they come from the factory with 3 1/2" barrels? If so, what years were they made? Any idea on what the price would be on one?

Thanks for any info.

As far as I know m28's did not come with a 3.5 inch barrel. If it is a 28, top rib should be smooth. If checkered, might be a mis stamped M27. I would hazard a guess that the barrel measurement was taken from end of barrel to where barrel attaches to frame, as opposed to proper way to measure, which is from end of barrel to the cylinder.

I agree it was probably measured wrong. 28's came with 4 or 6 inch barrels. It could be a 27 barrel on a 28 or a 27.

Years ago I went to a local gunshop and found a model 28 that had a 3 1/2" model 27 barrel on it.
I left the shop, then a short time later thought about how that would be an excellant shooter carry gun.

Of coure,when I went back it had been sold
Might have measured wrong but that model 28 may be the same as the one I saw.
If the price is right I would buy it!

Barrel replaced, barrel sawn off, barrel mismeasured, model misidentified.
Oh, yeah, Unique Special Order HP.

Ask the dealer to send you pictures.
It might be a great shooter with a replacement barrel, but dollar value is less.

A 3 1/2" barreled N frame would be an awesome shooter. I'm not a collector, so I wouldn't care if it came from the factory that way or not. Provided it's quality work and not bubba'd, and the price is right, I'd say go for it!

During the Seventies and Eighties I was a die-hard S&W revolver guy. Bought and sometimes sold around 35 revolvers. I have never heard of a M28 with a 3 1/2" barrel. Concur with the above posters on the matter.

I owned a M28 6" back then, was a fine shooter. Managed 50 yard shots on woodchucks with full .357 Mag 125 JHP's. IIRC, the M27 did have a run of 3 1/2" guns.

M28:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._%26_Wesson_Model_28
M27:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._%26_Wesson_Model_27

The 28 was a cheaper version of the 27 that catered to police duty holster carry. For cops that either could not afford a 27 or did not want to risk damaging a 27 on the street.
Never saw a 28 with a 3-inch barrel.

The 27 was offered with that barrel length. It's plausible that a 28 had a 27 3 1/2 inch barrel used as a replacement.

I'd think you'd have to be badassery to carry that revolver. The Highway Patrolman is no lightweight and I disliked carrying it.

smithbc
It has already all been said. . . . The Model 28 was only offered from the Factory in 4" and 6" barrel lengths

So the revolver in question is either mis-measured, re-barreled, cut down or is actually a model 27


The Model 27 is what first brought me to Smith & Wesson revolvers. That was more than 40 years ago. A 6" in nickel Model 27 is the first NEW firearm I ever purchased. The 3 1/2" Model 27 has become a favorite of mine over the years. I own several in both 6 shot and 8 shot variations. I actually have a love for the entire 27/327/627 family of revolvers

My oldest 3 1/2" is actually a Model 357 Magnum. This revolver was manufactured in 1954. The 357 Magnums manufactured from 1950 through 1957/58 are often refereed to as Pre 27s. Mine has Ivory grips with a black Tyler T-grip adapter.




Another of the cool ones is this nickel plated Model 27 that was an issue gun of the Austin Police Department. I know the nickel is looking pretty ratty, especially on the cylinder. However, I am not going to re-finish it. The APD parted with these back in 1996. This one was manufactured in 1980, I added the fancy box




These days the 3 1/2" that I most often shoot and sometimes carry is my blue 8 shot Model 27 which is pictured here just below a 6 shot version that is unfired since leaving the Factory.




Hopefully you will see in these photos some of the beauty of this barrel length that makes it a favorite of mine.

If you have a chance at buying a 3 1/2" even if it is a re-barreled Model 28 I would advise you to jump on it, that of course presumes that the price is reasonable.

If you press the seller for more information or extra pictures you might just tip him/her off that they have something more valuable than a plain old Model 28. I would just go there, look at it and be prepared to make a cash offer

A while back, I purchased a 28 that was advertised as a 4-inch model but, from the pics, I felt almost certain it had been cut back to 3-1/2 inches.

Received it and confirmed that it was indeed sporting a 3-1/2-inch barrel from a 27 based on the checkering along the top. Whomever did the work on the gun even included the rear sight from a 27. It was a marvelous gun, though I wasn’t thrilled with the big Patridge-style blade front sight. In retrospect, I wish I’d kept it, though I did later pick up a 3-1/2-inch 27 that gets carried and shot a lot these days.

All that said, I’d definitely check that gun out that you’re seeing and likely buy it! An “almost-snubby” N-frame is, IMO, a very good thing!

I carried a 6" M28 when I first got on the job and had a M28 in 4". Unless a special run they never offered a 3.5".

The M28 was a favorite for aslterations. The most populat being a rechambering to 44 Special. Barrel swaps were common.

Many mismeasure which unless the barrel is removered is commonplace.

Question regarding the M27 3 1/2" and 4" variations. Anybody know why S&W offered BOTH". a half inch difference ain't much. Anything to do with the FBI?

The 27 was offered with 3.5, 4, 5, 6. 6.5 and 8 inch barrels. You most likely could special order something else if so inclined.

quote:

Originally posted by Nipper:
Question regarding the M27 3 1/2" and 4" variations. Anybody know why S&W offered BOTH". a half inch difference ain't much. Anything to do with the FBI?

Just for visual reference

Here are a couple of 27s (pre-27s actually) with 3.5" barrels:


Here are a couple of 4" Highway Patrolmen (a pre-28 and a 28-2) with a 4" 27-2:


not a whole lot of difference in barrel length. You measure from the cylinder face to the end of the barrel. Some people mistakenly only measure to the frame.

TheFrontRange, where did the holster from? I noticed the Gunsite symbol, are these still being made?

quote:

Originally posted by Marlin Fan:
TheFrontRange, where did the holster from? I noticed the Gunsite symbol, are these still being made?

Hey, indeed they are!

That is a Summer Classic IWB from Barranti Leather. The holster and the other leather items (Barranti Spare speedloader pouch and 6-Pack Triple Deuce 2x2x2 pouch) came from them. I may be mistaken, but I think you can have just about any item of theirs emblazoned with the Gunsite raven!

https://barrantileather.com/

My most recent orders from them were taking about 4 weeks to come in.