I believe someone on this board has said that an 8 inch barrel was used for certain scenes and photos, to acheive the visual effect they were wanting, but most of the time it is a 6 inch barrel.
I dont start rumors, just repeat them. Maybe someone else can confirm this?
I remember reading that Elmer Keith, after working his fingers to the bone to get the .44 Magnum off the blueprints and onto the market, was presented with serial number THREE. Bad move on S&W's part. They realized their mistake and gave him serial number ONE when the .41 Magnum was born.
Rumor has it that a .41 was used at the beginning as they couldn't locate a .44. Yes, the used a 6 1/2 and an 8 3/8s. They had to use the short tubed version for those scenes where he drags that sucker from under his jacket as NO ONE ( except us, of course ) would carry a 8 3/8s gun that-a-way ! dewey
This months American Rifleman has a blurb on page 64 entitled Real guns of 'Reel' Heroes. It says that a forthcoming National Firearms Museum exhibit will feature firearms and ephemera from both the silver and small screens. Including...............the S&W Model 29 used by Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry".
at the time that the original "dirty harry" movie came out the m-29 was so rare that they use a m-57 (.41mag) during the filming...it had the 6" barrel. (the m-29 came with the 6.5" and 8.375" barrel at the time).
they did use the longer barrel (8.375") for the promo (posters) shots