Highway Patrolman Range Report

The Smith & Wesson Model 28 is in many ways the working class step child of the N frame Smith family. The whole reason for the Model 28's existence is the elegance and beauty of it's brother, the Model 27. The Model 27, introduced in 1948, is often called Smith & Wesson's Mona Lisa, a true masterpiece of polished and blued steel with ornate checkering. Police departments loved everything about the Model 27......except the price. Five and a half years later, Smith & Wesson released the Model 28. The Model 28 is everything the Model 27 is, without the costly polishing and expensive checkering.

I found a cherry Model 28-2 for a very reasonable price in a pawn shop. I own a mint Model 27-2, that shoots like a dream, but like those police departments, I just can't see banging a gun that pretty around. I bought the Model 28-2 without hesitation. This afternoon I took it out for a brief shooting.

I did not have any .357 magnum ammo, so I shot 130 grain .38 special Winchester White Box. The gun grouped consistently. The sights were a little off, but nothing that can not be adjusted out later. I could not really wring it out today due to other committments; I just stopped by my local indoor range to run a box of ammo through it. I was extremely pleased. The serial number of this gun is N77XX, which places it at 1969. For 36 years somebody somewhere has been missing out with this gun. It's a keeper!