Highway Patrolman
| Caliber | 357 S&W Magnum |
| Barrel length | 4", 6" |
| Overall length | 9.25" (4" barrel) |
| Weight (unloaded) | 41.75 oz. |
| Capacity | 6 |
| Grips | checkered walnut |
| Front sight | blade |
| Rear sight | fully adjustable |
Model 29
| Caliber | 44 S&W Magnum |
| Barrel length | 4", 6", 6.5", 8-3/8" |
| Overall length | 11.4" (6" barrel) |
| Weight (unloaded) | 47 oz. |
| Capacity | 6 |
| Grips | Magna walnut |
| Front sight | blade with insert |
| Rear sight | fully adjustable |
Performance Center Model 625
| Caliber | 45 ACP |
| Barrel length | 5" |
| Overall length | 10.5" |
| Weight (unloaded) | 42 oz. |
| Capacity | 6 |
| GripsHogue Laminate Combat | t |
| Front sight | gold bead |
| Rear sight | fully adjustable |
Model 327 TRR8
| Caliber | 357 Magnum |
| Barrel length | 5" |
| Overall length | 10.5" |
| Weight (unloaded) | 35.2 oz. |
| Capacity | 8 |
| Grips | Hogue rubber |
| Front sight | interchangeable brass bead |
| Rear sight | fully adjustable |
Model 329NG Night Guard
| Caliber | 44 Magnum |
| Barrel length | 2.5" |
| Overall length | 7.75" |
| Weight (unloaded) | 29.7 oz. |
| Capacity | 6 |
| Grips | Pachmayr |
| Front sight | interchangeable brass bead |
| Rear sight | V notch |
While firing large caliber revolvers from a rest can be a trying process, our quartet of big Smiths proved controllable and accurate. As luck would have it, all four printed more or less to point of aim, even the fixed-sight Triple Lock. Neither of us was surprised when honors went to the finely made Performance Center Model 625, which put six rounds of Speer hardball into a pleasing 1-5/8-inch group. Somewhat surprisingly, the runner-up was the heaviest recoiling of our test guns, the Model 29, with a beautifully centered 1-3/4-inch group. Even thought it had the shortest barrel, the Highway Patrolman was no slouch with a half dozen .357s in 2-1/8 inches, while the greybeard of the bunch, the Triple Lock, showed it could still do what was needed to be done with six Fiocchi .455s in 2-3/8 inches.
Butch then set up a series of D-1 target at ten yards and we performed the following drills with each revolver. As we did not have holsters suitable (i.e., big enough) for our test guns, each drill began with the shooter holding the revolver at the low ready position (45 degree angle to the ground). The test protocol was as follows:
1. Six rounds, slow aimed fire.
2. Three sets of rapid fire, double taps.
3. Six rounds as fast as we could obtain a flash sight picture.
We were gratified to find that all four of the N-frames performed these tasks with aplomb. In fact, except for a few hits in the outer scoring zones caused by the Triple Lock’s rather minuscule sights, all four of our targets had nicely centered groups in their respective X and 10 rings. Except for the differences in felt recoil the performances of these revolvers - each of which was produced in a different era, fired a different cartridge and was designed for a different purpose - were more or less equal. Each displayed strong and weak features: the Triple Lock had an excellent DA trigger pull but its grips and sights were too small for fast shooting; the M29 was, once again, pleasingly accurate but its recoil was stiff; the Highway Patrolman was the handiest of the four although muzzle blast from the .357 cartridge was heavy; finally, while the M625 proved the most accurate, Butch and I both felt that replacing its smooth wooden grips with a set of modern, finger groove, synthetic grips would enhance handling even further.
In conclusion, I believe I’m safe in saying that the job description of the large frame, heavy caliber revolver has not changed all that much, if at all, in the last century. For this reason, a S&W N-frame wheelgun is sort of an ageless entity. In fact, it might be fair to say that a present-day law enforcement officer, soldier or outdoorsman would be equally well served with an 80-something year old S&W .44 Triple Lock as he or she would be with a modern M627 revolver.
Note: I would like to thank the following persons and organizations for supplying revolvers, ammunition, photos and much needed information used in the preparation for this article: Roy Jinks, Ken Jorgensen, Lois Chase, Vincent Scarlata, Butch Simpson, Bonnie Young, Daniel Hecht, Smith & Wesson, Inc., Fiocchi USA, PMC and Blount, Inc.
Select Bibliography
Boothroyd, Geoffrey. The Handgun. New York: Bonanza Books, Inc., 1967.
Canfield, Bruce. U.S. Infantry Weapons of World War II. Lincoln, RI: Andrew Mowbray Publishers, 1996.
Canfield, Bruce. U.S. Infantry Weapons of the First World War. Lincoln, RI: Andrew Mowbray Publishers, 2000.
Ezell, Edward Clinton. Handguns of the World. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1981.