Tag Archives: J-frame

Boyko’s No. 29

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In 1950, Chief Edward Boyko of the Passaic, New Jersey PD entered a “name that gun” contest at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Colorado and submitted “Chief’s Special” as a suggestion for the hard-hitting new Model J revolver.

Smith & Wesson announced the winner in the December 1950 issue of The Police Chief, the IACP journal, and named Boyko as its author. The prize? A specimen of the new gun, complete with factory engraving.

Serial No. 29, it was an early “Pre-36” with a small grip and trigger guard of the I-frame, features that were later changed to make the revolver more comfortable to shoot with full-house loads. It also had a standard latch (later guns had a flat latch) and half-moon front sight, a configuration that only the earliest Chiefs Specials shipped with.

Plus, Chief Boyko’s was factory engraved.

Um, like this:

Yup, read more about the long-lost Boyko Chiefs Special in my column at Guns.com.

My ‘Less than two-pound’ EDC for summer carry

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Here we have a S&W Model 642 Airweight in a leather Bianchi #6 waistband holster loaded with five rounds of 130-grain Federal HST +P that altogether weighs 19.6-ounces. Sure, accuracy past 15 yards is not as tight as a full-sized handgun with a nice long sight radius, but I can still keep it center mass out to 25– and with a little practice so can anyone. As there are only five rounds in the cylinder, I carry a pair of Bianchi Speed Strips with another 10 rounds loaded and ready inside a repurposed Altoids tin for an additional 5.9-ounces. Why the tin? It is actually lighter than any speed strip wallet I have come across and holds the reloads securely and rattle-free. On the downside, if someone catches a glimpse and wants an Altoid they are SOL.

The light is a Streamlight Microstream which is just 1.2-ounces with the battery and the wallet is a Magpul Daka minimalist which, even when loaded with the same stuff as the regular leather pocket rider, only weighs 1.8-ounces. Finally, for those moments when something sharp is needed, a Leatherman Skeletool KBx multi tool joins the crowd for a downright skinny 1.4-ounces and haves the benefit of a bottle opener, which is handy for those craft beer emergencies. All up weight for a gun, light, holster, 15 rounds of ammo, knife, and wallet is 29.9-ounces.

More details in my column at Tac-44, here