I call this my Adam 12 gun, due to it's use in that show's first three seasons. A Model 14-4 of mid-70's vintage.
Other than the aforementioned television show, my first encounter with the type came while I was in the Navy. A shipmate of mine had one, that his wife had acquired from her abusive ex-husband. After being hauled away by the police he never came back and she wound up with the gun. The first time he showed it to me, I marveled at the high luster blue finish and it's well balanced feel. It was a fine piece and I probably could have talked them out of it rather easily except for one thing, it was a .38 Special. At the time I had no interest in such a pea shooter. To gain my respect it had to start with a 4 or end with magnum, so I shook my inner head in disdain and handed it back.
Time has a way of changing perspective on many things and as I grew older my views changed. As I advanced into my middle years and began to experience the wear and tear of a high mileage life, I started to realize every shooting session didn't have to involve atomic mushroom clouds from the muzzle, with recoil strong enough to shake the pillars of heaven. I also started to gain an interest in old police guns. Because of this, my thoughts continually returned to that Model 14 I'd dismissed so long ago. I started to watch reruns of Adam 12 on late night television, a show I'd loved in my childhood but hadn't seen in years. I quickly decided I had to find one. Not long after I found this one at the big local gunshow, unfired and still in it's original box.
After the economic crash of 2008 a lot of guns were coming out of closets and sock drawers and I found several good deals offered by nervous individuals looking for quick cash. Unfortunately, this one's seller wasn't one of them. He wasn't selling grand dad's old gun, but was a knowledgeable dealer who knew what he had. He was firm on his price and wouldn't budge. It wasn't unreasonable and I'd seen fired examples going for nearly as much, so I didn't dither too long. You don't find these on the shelf very often in my area as those who have them tend to hold onto them, so I gave him his pound of flesh and left with my Malloy special.
Since the factory grips are rather collectable in themselves, I stored them in the box and put both away. The don't fit anyone's hand worth a damn anyway so I would have replaced them regardless. I chose to use a set of grips offered by the now defunct Grand Blue Grips, out of Bangkok. Made from sandalwood, the grips cover the backstrap and add size, something critical for me since K frame Smith & Wessons are a bit small for my large hands. I still have to take care when using the gun in single action mode, as the larger target hammer can often be impeded by the web of my hand, something that causes a short stroke to occur. Still, the pistol is a joy to shoot and with 148 grain hollow based wadcutters proves to be a laser beam.
For a couple of years I used it to good effect in bullseye competition. It was very satisfying to beat shooters with Aimpoint mounted semi-automatics with this old school shooter. However, one range qualification at work showed me my reloading skills were suffering due to spending so much time with the mechanics of a wheel gun, so I went back to a semi-auto for that use. I still love to shoot this one though and it's one I'd hate to part with. When I just want to relax and clear my mind, I grab the Adam 12, a box of wadcutters and head to the range. Life is just too short to get in a hurry.
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. Snarky and easily butt hurt. Favorite animal is the Cape Buffalo....likely indicative of a personality disorder.
Originally Posted by 45dotACP
