what would Dirty Harry pull

SFPD sidearms, SOP, Glock, North CA...

If a new "Harry Callahan" character would be selected, I honestly think he'd be required by SFPD policy to carry a PD approved or issue weapon. ;)
I'm not sure what the Bay area cops use in 2012 but the Glocks and M&Ps are very popular.
Like many areas, LE officers carry one type or brand more than others. SIGs are used by about 60% of the police officers where I live. Some badge holders like 1911s, ;). 92Fs or M9s are rare now.
Years ago, I'd read a gun press item that the .44magnum was only authorized by 3 or 4 major PDs(Detroit MI, Houston TX, Chicago IL).
Today, with law-suits & training standards the law enforcement .44mag revolver is the same as the "gum-ball" type emergency light(AKA: Kojak light, ;) ).

ClydeFrog
 
Plotline: Harry comes out of retirement to help his grandson (SFPD detective) find a copycat Zodiac Killer. Harry dusts off the Model 29. Grandson starts out w/ his SFPD duty weapon, then later switches to dual 329 Night Guards when he's suspended from the force for not being PC enough....
 
Harry, long since retired, stands in a clear, shallow river in northern California, wearing waders, fly fishing. A bear ambles out towards him. Harry pulls out the old model 29 and takes aim with "that look" in his eye. Bear runs off. Harry smiles, reholsters.
Behind Harry on the bank, is a San Fran PD top brass (Harry's nephew), looking for advice / help on a new terror threat in the city. Harry refuses, saying he is 80 and tired. Nephew pleads to no avail, then leaves.
Later, after watching the news covering another terror attack (and having flashbacks to his female partner who was killed in the early 70's by terrorists), he changes his mind. Harry, as he cleans his model 29 .44 Magnum, calls his nephew in southern California...
 
Different movie, great lines " You gonna pull those pistols or whislte dixie"?

and who could forget "Dyin' aint much of a livin' boy"


"Outlaw Jose Wales"

Has nothin' to do with Harry Callahan, but it still a great flick.

By the way, what was Clint using in that movie?

Ike:cool:
 
Rubber Duck said:
"Outlaw Jose Wales"

Has nothin' to do with Harry Callahan, but it still a great flick.

By the way, what was Clint using in that movie?

Ike
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The 44 Magnum of its day. 1847 Colt Walkers. It was not surpassed in muzzle energy in production revolvers until the introduction of the .357 Magnum. Josie Wales carried two of these four and a half pound 9-inch barrelled behemoths. He also carried a pair of 1860 Colt Army revolvers. He could fire off 24 rounds without reloading.

If I remember correctly, he also kept a few extra cylinders loaded for quick reloads (like speed loaders) without having to deal with loose powder, balls and primers.

More or less a battleship on a horse, he was.

Lost Sheep
 
I know the topic doesn't really have to do with this but...

Also, he talked about the 44 special ammo at at the practice range, not at the competition. The four rogue rookies (although we don't quite know that yet) walk up and of them asks him what he shoots in his revolver. Harry responds "It's a light special load. Helps with the recoil." or something like that. I kinda wondered if that was just his range ammo
--frumious
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I always wondered when people brought up that he says he shoots 44special and not 44 mag. I always assumed he meant for practice and competition, but while on duty carried the mag, "the most powerful handgun in the world," as it would seem from every other scene. Just makes sense that way, same as many people practice with 38s and carry 357s nowadays.

Anyways, Back on topic; I think the Judge/Governor would be likely, as well as the S&W 500 or some really nasty semi-auto like the DE or a 10mm of some sort ala the 44 auto-mag he carried that one time. The more I think about it the more likely it seems he might switch to a semi-auto with a revolver as back-up instead of the other way around, although that deteriorates the quality of the character somewhat in my mind.
 
If the movie were made today, and had to be a revolver, as you stipulate, it would have to be the 500 S&W magnum in order for him to say, This is the ____the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow year head clean off. Now, it wouldn't make any sense since it would be extremely hard to handle and ridiculously overpentrative.
 
They don't have to do the same thing over again.

He could shoot the 29 dry or give it up in a hostage offering after which he pulls a model 60 out of his ankle holster and proceeds to drop all the bad guys.

Then he could say "Sometimes a man's got to overcome his limitations."
 
I always wondered when people brought up that he says he shoots 44special and not 44 mag. I always assumed he meant for practice and competition, but while on duty carried the mag, "the most powerful handgun in the world," as it would seem from every other scene. Just makes sense that way, same as many people practice with 38s and carry 357s nowadays.
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I read that line was a scripting error. I don't know who said it but I saw it somewhere on the Internet so it must be true. :)
 
alot of movie buffs consider "bloodwork' to be the 5th film in the harry franchise, and youll remember he played the guy who was happy with 8 shots of 38 in a sw 8 shot 357 revolver.
 
Magnum Force; Callahan's reasons, .44spl...

As a teen, I started to read & learn more about firearms/ballistics.
When I watched Magnum Force; www.imdb.com , I could understand the logic of Harry Callahan using .44spl wad-cutters or hollowpoints.
It would mean less recoil & blast in the 6" barrel 29 .44magnum. Dirty Harry may have known too that a .44 magnum bullet may have to much punch in a urban area but that he'd want more push than a regular police type .38spl load of the era(early 1970s).
For many years, firearm instructors & gun press writers said the best carry rounds in .44spl were the Winchester Silvertip 175gr JHP and the 200gr Starfire(PMC/Black Hills) JHP.
ClydeFrog
 
ClydeFrog said:
<edited>
For many years, firearm instructors & gun press writers said the best carry rounds in .44spl were the Winchester Silvertip 175gr JHP and the 200gr Starfire(PMC/Black Hills) JHP.
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W-W .44 Silvertip is 200 grains, and PMC never made Starfire for .44 Special, only .44 Mag in 240gr. Starfire ammunition had a bad reputation for not expanding as designed when heavy clothing was encountered, similar to Hydra-Shok. Both bullet designs were invented by Tom Burczynski, and used good marketing strategy and hyperbole from the fictional M&S Stopping Power books to achieve their popularity
 
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