"Dirty Harry" Magnum Force

[TheFrontRange]

My father let me watch 1971’s “Dirty Harry” back when the local TV station would run a movie after the late news. Circa 1980-ish or so. I was arguably too young but, man, was I ever hooked!

My favorites of the series are the original and 1973’s “Magnum Force.” I can’t pick a favorite between the two. As a kid, I would hold a tape recorder up to the TV speaker and record as much as I could of the movies and play them back repeatedly. I have much of the dialogue (and sound effects) down to this day haha…

So smitten was I with the concept of the Model 29 that I asked-for and was eventually gifted for either a birthday or Christmas a Crosman Model 38T .177-caliber pellet revolver. This had the 6-inch barrel and was virtually identical size-wise to a K-frame Model 19. For me, it was “my 29” haha. My father - the same guy who got me hooked on all this to begin with - helped me rig up a shoulder holster out of a Crosman belt holster, an old leather belt, and work-boot laces LOL - crude but effective and when I slipped on a windbreaker over this pellet gun, I was Inspector 71 himself in my mind LOL.

While I had a buddy who, in adulthood, acquired more than one 29, my own tastes have ventured down the road of the fabled Model 27. I do have a “Dirty Harry” shoulder holster on-order for a five-inch 27…more to come once that lands.

 

[Gordon]

In 1969 I was already a gun " expert" according to a few field grade officers that had me identify weird foreign weapons found .So one day a major called me in to look at a .44 magnum he was " given" by an industry company rep for " tunnel rat" use and evaluation and wanted to know what I thought of it. It was a silenced weapon, and classified and loaded with heavy bird shot and had a special Rutledge choked barrel about 5" long.It appeared a completely unmarked modified S&W model 29 and the trick was in the long cases had no visible bullet but rather a telescoping payload that went into barrel a bit and sprung back with the gases slowly released thru the folds of the case like baffles. Very weird , never saw it fired as the ammo was numbered and extremely expensive.I told them the small bit of bird shot was not that impressive..
Now fast forward to 1973 and I was a ranch foreman in Big Sur CA. For Clint Eastwood's pal Richard Mack. One day I was down around the Trout raceways on the ranch and up walk Clint with my boss who introduced me.I had holstered across my chest a Remington XP 100 .221 fireball with a Bushnell Phantom scope on it. My boss erroneously told Clint I carried a " .220 Swift pistol" to keep the critters at bay. Clint said" Jeez, I thought Dirty Harry carried a big gun" .They left chuckling.
From 1978 thru the 1990 s I Hunted Hogs in Monterey county with a 29-2 8 3/8" in a Original Jackass holster.
Those are my fun stories.

 

[CajunBass]

So smitten was I with the concept of the Model 29 that I asked-for and was eventually gifted for either a birthday or Christmas a Crosman Model 38T .177-caliber pellet revolver. This had the 6-inch barrel and was virtually identical size-wise to a K-frame Model 19. For me, it was “my 29” haha. My father - the same guy who got me hooked on all this to begin with - helped me rig up a shoulder holster out of a Crosman belt holster, an old leather belt, and work-boot laces LOL - crude but effective and when I slipped on a windbreaker over this pellet gun, I was Inspector 71 himself in my mind LOL.

I had one of those Crossman 38T's, but mine had a 4" barrel. I carried it in the rod locker of my bass boat for years for plinking at whatever type floating junk came along on the river, when the fishing was slow. It finally blew a gasket (literally) and I was too dumb to know you could just replace the gasket.

Anyway, these day's I've got a couple of Uramax "Model 29" replica's, chambered in .177 cal BB/CO2, and licened by Smith and Wesson. They work just like the real thing. Cylinder swings out, BB's are loaded into a "cartridge" that is then loaded into the cylinder as normal. A CO2 cartridge is loaded into the grip, as as on the old 38T. The sights are adjustable. The construction, with the exception of the plastic grips is all metal. It's not Smith and Wesson steel of course, but they have a pretty good heft to them. About $125.00 or so.

With an 8 3/8" barrel...(that is not a vent rib...just a trick of the light).



and with a 3 1/2" barrel. I actually think of this one as a Model 27 myself in spite of the M29 on the frame. The triggers on both actually aren't bad.


Now, to be honest, I've never fired them. I've got a bunch of CO2 cylinders, and a bucket of BB's, but just haven't gotten around to shooting them. I got them mostly for grins and giggles back during the Covid lockdown. I need to do something about that.

So if anyone wants a cheap "Dirty Harry Gun"....here's an option.

 

[Pat Riot]

All my Dad’s friends bought model 29s after Dirty Harry and Magnum Force. My Dad’s friend Virgil bought a model 57 with the 6” barrel. For a short time my Dad had one but it wasn’t for long. He was a terrible shot with it. I never got to shoot it or any of my dad’s friend’s Dirty Harry model 29s until I was a senior in high school. A very memorable experience indeed.
My Dad’s friend Virgil did let me shoot his .41 Magnum when I was 12. Only a couple of rounds, but lots of fun.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Couldn't sleep the other night and was scrolling through the channels came across that old Clint Eastwood movie Magnum Force with Dirty Harry.
In that memorable scene on the practice range with the young motorcycle cops Harry is talking about his gun and what he loads. if I got the line right I think he said he uses a .44 special light load.
What exactly was he loading in that S&W 44 Magnum Mod. 29?

When I researched this I found that it was merely a flubbed line.

He delivered the line several times in different ways, like normal. Some good, some bad. They kept one he had messed up. The line was supposed to be "light Magnums", not "light Specials".

 

[DR505]

I was at a Virginia Beach gun show back in '87 and a vendor had an actual pallet full of Model 29's. They were all 6" and 8 3/8" Model 29-3s, rather than the -2 variant of movie fame, but each was only $200. I only bought one but wish I had the capital for more. Back then $200 was quite a bit to me when I was making about $24,000 a year. I still have the revolver:

 

[cid71]

So smitten was I with the concept of the Model 29 that I asked-for and was eventually gifted for either a birthday or Christmas a Crosman Model 38T .177-caliber pellet revolver. This had the 6-inch barrel and was virtually identical size-wise to a K-frame Model 19. For me, it was “my 29” haha. My father - the same guy who got me hooked on all this to begin with - helped me rig up a shoulder holster out of a Crosman belt holster, an old leather belt, and work-boot laces LOL - crude but effective and when I slipped on a windbreaker over this pellet gun, I was Inspector 71 himself in my mind LOL.

I could have written that exact post based on my own childhood, a Crosman 38T, and a jerry-rigged shoulder holster.

 

[bigpower491]

"EVERY TIME YOU PULL THAT GUN OUT CALLAHAN, MY PAPER WORK BACKS UP FOR 2 MONTHS!!"

Lt.McKay

 

[hk940]

A story about a mod 29, It was buck season in PA about 35 yrs. ago and my partner were out at a local bar in NYS. I was playing pool and leaned leaned over for a long across table shot when one of my speed loaders fell out of my top pocket onto the table.( I had a 6 1/2" 29 in a shoulder holster under my shirt) I looked at him and casually picked up the loader made the shot. and took a sip of my drink.

 

[WisBorn]

A story about a mod 29, It was buck season in PA about 35 yrs. ago and my partner were out at a local bar in NYS. I was playing pool and leaned leaned over for a long across table shot when one of my speed loaders fell out of my top pocket onto the table.( I had a 6 1/2" 29 in a shoulder holster under my shirt) I looked at him and casually picked up the loader made the shot. and took a sip of my drink.

Lesson learned; don't try to hustle the guy with a speed loader of big bullets falling out of his pocket

 

[TheFrontRange]

I could have written that exact post based on my own childhood, a Crosman 38T, and a jerry-rigged shoulder holster.

Nice! Brothers from another mother haha!

 

[Gordon]

Don't forget " Dirty Harry" used a pre 64 Winchester model 70 African iron sighted .458 Magnum as his go to for the roof top Zodiac killer. I wonder if that is why I love fooling around with mine !?

 

[bigpower491]

Don't forget " Dirty Harry" used a pre 64 Winchester model 70 African iron sighted .458 Magnum as his go to for the roof top Zodiac killer. I wonder if that is why I love fooling around with mine !?

The commissioner Inspecting it in the office

458 magnum.....you can stop sn elephant with this thing...

 

[Brubz]

This thread got me fired up so I watched DH on BluRay tonight. Every time I see it I pick up something I missed before. Like the movie theater marquee that said Play Misty For Me. And how hard it is to count shots at the end with them both firing
at the same time.

 

[CajunBass]

This thread got me fired up so I watched DH on BluRay tonight. Every time I see it I pick up something I missed before. Like the movie theater marquee that said Play Misty For Me. And how hard it is to count shots at the end with them both firing
at the same time.

I'm not sure when I first noticed the "Play Misty for Me" on the Marquee the first time, but I'm sure I had seen the movie (Dirty Harry) a dozen times or so at that point. I got a chuckle out of it. "Play Misty" is one of my favorite Eastwood movies.

 

[Palladan44]

The commissioner Inspecting it in the office

458 magnum.....you can stop sn elephant with this thing...

It's a shame he never connected with it......except for some electrical boxes, lighting if I remember right....

 

[Brubz]

It's a shame he never connected with it......except for some electrical boxes, lighting if I remember right....

That was a pretty tough shot all in all

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I grew up in the North Bay Area and that gravel pit where the final scenes of Dirty Harry play out was right off the highway on the way to "The City". It was North of Sausalito though...

 

[THEWELSHM]

Before I read this thread, they have a New Mode 29 at my local. $999

very tempted

Happiness is a purchase away mate Thewelshm

 

[Mark_Mark]

Happiness is a purchase away mate Thewelshm

There is so many happiness and only $1,500 allowance a month

 

[shoebox1.1]

Watching the dead pool as we speak! Watched the others recently. This finishes up the series. No one like Clint!

 

[Pat Riot]

I watched Dirty Harry last week. Tomorrow the weather’s going to be crappy. I think I will Watch Magnum Force tomorrow.

 

[TheFrontRange]

I watched Dirty Harry last week. Tomorrow the weather’s going to be crappy. I think I will Watch Magnum Force tomorrow.

Of particular note to the nerdy such as myself re: “Magnum Force” - numerous characters appear to be in some sort of unofficial gum-chewing contest. Ricca’s driver during the first traffic stop, Harry himself at the scene when he and Early are discussing Harry’s recent partners’ respective fates and making lunch plans for the airport, etc. They are working that gum like there’s prize money on the line.

It’s just something dumb that always cracks me up.

 

[Charlie98]

I do have a “Dirty Harry” shoulder holster on-order for a five-inch 27…more to come once that lands.

When I bought my first S&W 57 with a 6" barrel, I also ordered an "Original Dirty Harry" shoulder holster from Cathey Enterprises, in Brownwood, TX... the original licensee for the holster, I believe. It was quite a holster...


This was with my 6.5" 657 Classic Hunter...





(sorry for the blurry photo...)




Funny story about the holster... I bought it directly, via snail mail, from Cathey Ent. for about $200. I later sold that holster on eBay for something like $600 to a guy in West Virginia. There was a 2-way battle, bidding the price on it up until the very last second for it. I asked the buyer if he intended to use it, or was he just a Dirty Harry fanboi... and he said, no, he was planning on using it to carry his revolver during the winter. Go figure....

 

[Pat Riot]

When I bought my first S&W 57 with a 6" barrel, I also ordered an "Original Dirty Harry" shoulder holster from Cathey Enterprises, in Brownwood, TX... the original licensee for the holster, I believe. It was quite a holster...

I found their website but prices are from 2016. $360 for the holster on that site not including ammo / speedloader pouch. You still made out on that auction.

http://wildgunsleather.com/

EDIT: After reading reviews of this company I will not be contacting them for any of their products. I got pretty excited about this holster, but I will look elsewhere. It seems that they have lots of complaints against them.