A beautiful gun, but be sparing with the .357s. In the 80s the Secret Service discovered that a steady diet of full-house Magnums in their 19s and 66s would shoot the guns out of time, score (take metal out of) the top strap above the forcing cone, and do some other bad things I don’t remember. That discovery led to two things: The development of the .38 Special +P+ round (called the Q-load, the Treasury load, or the T-load), and the development of the L-frame Smith, which cured all the problems the K-frames had with Magnum loads.
Of course, the Secret Service shot their guns an awful lot (and the 66s had more problems than the 19s), and K-frames are a lot more pleasant to shoot with .38+Ps (and +P+s) than they are with Magnums.
I’m looking for slow-caliber .357 loads, or just .38+Ps for the fun-session. I already had a hot .357-ish caliber carbine but sold it to buy the Ed brown Kobra, it was my ’43 National Postal Meter M1 Carbine – essentially a similar load ballistics-wise but with fewer load/weight choices.
The above reservations aside, the K-frame Smiths were the easiest-carrying full-size revolvers made. They’re just the right size and weight to carry all day (I did it for a lot of years), they can handle a spare diet of .357 Magnums for four-legged predators and game, and they’re just plain pretty and fun. You got yourself a winner.
It would be fun to find out if the gun was originally shipped to a PD or an individual. Maybe Smith can help you out there.
Gots me a (similar) Ruger Security Six that is in about the same condition, mainly because I carried it tucked into the back of my belt for about fifteen years and thousands of miles on the Harley. A great gun that will never be gotten rid of. Nothing beats a good quality revolver for just having.
Not Clauswitz 
A beautiful gun, but be sparing with the .357s. In the 80s the Secret Service discovered that a steady diet of full-house Magnums in their 19s and 66s would shoot the guns out of time, score (take metal out of) the top strap above the forcing cone, and do some other bad things I don’t remember. That discovery led to two things: The development of the .38 Special +P+ round (called the Q-load, the Treasury load, or the T-load), and the development of the L-frame Smith, which cured all the problems the K-frames had with Magnum loads.
Of course, the Secret Service shot their guns an awful lot (and the 66s had more problems than the 19s), and K-frames are a lot more pleasant to shoot with .38+Ps (and +P+s) than they are with Magnums.
LikeLike
I’m looking for slow-caliber .357 loads, or just .38+Ps for the fun-session. I already had a hot .357-ish caliber carbine but sold it to buy the Ed brown Kobra, it was my ’43 National Postal Meter M1 Carbine – essentially a similar load ballistics-wise but with fewer load/weight choices.
LikeLike
The above reservations aside, the K-frame Smiths were the easiest-carrying full-size revolvers made. They’re just the right size and weight to carry all day (I did it for a lot of years), they can handle a spare diet of .357 Magnums for four-legged predators and game, and they’re just plain pretty and fun. You got yourself a winner.
It would be fun to find out if the gun was originally shipped to a PD or an individual. Maybe Smith can help you out there.
LikeLike
Reportedly the Officer bought it himself upon entering the Police Academy in 1970. He must be a local guy, or retired to up-here.
LikeLike
Ahhhh…..5 shots of 357 goodness!
LikeLike
Sixx!
LikeLike
Man, I must need my glasses checked!
LikeLike
I don’t think I could even load this thing without my glasses!
LikeLike
I meant to say “slots on the screws” (plural, as in “typos suck”).
LikeLike
Duty wear — gives it character. Now, if the slots on the screw were all rounded-out, THAT would be ugly….
LikeLike
Still looks good, and I’ll bet it shoots pretty good too! 🙂
LikeLike
Gots me a (similar) Ruger Security Six that is in about the same condition, mainly because I carried it tucked into the back of my belt for about fifteen years and thousands of miles on the Harley. A great gun that will never be gotten rid of. Nothing beats a good quality revolver for just having.
LikeLike