brought back happy memories. .The gun that you showed was probably made mostly by Kerry Freeman, Bill's Head Gunsmith. I was the Controller of the G&B Davis Corporation, d.b.a. The Davis Company, from Aug. 1984 until Oct. 1987. The company was a combiination of the George F Cake Co. of Berkeley, CA., , suppliers and wholesalers of Police and Law Enforcement Equipment, and the Bill Davis Service Center of Sacramento, CA., which ran a gunsmithing factory. We also had retail stores in Sacramento, Berkeley, Seattle and San Diego, and owned SpeedFeed and ElektroLok. The police wholesale business moved to Hayward, and was run by Gil Davis, while the Gunsmithing part of the business was run by Bill Davis. Bill was a cheerful, pleasant character. His office was filled with more trophies than I've seen anywhere. He was a delight to work for. In his early days he was a police officer in Sacramento, then he moved the California Highway Patrol, where he eventually ran the training school at the Police Academy. As a gunsmith there was none to touch him. He had a staff of about eight extremely talented gunsmiths, picked from the best. The Head Gunsmith was Kerry Freeman. Their main work was in repair and maintenance of firearms for the local law enforcement agencies, but what set them apart from other gunsmiths was their custom work. They would build special editions, engraved with city logos, or commemorate editions. They were tuned specially and in beautiful oak presentation boxes. A lot of them carried personal inscriptions for men who were retiring from the force. Apart from the special editions, they also designed and built custom firearms, and, in that, they reminded me a lot of the Red Jacket company, whicht became so famous from the television series. In fact the owner of the Red Jacket Co. reminds me a lot of Bill Davis. Apart from firearms, Bill was a great inventor. I remember when, after repairing so many shotgun stocks from officers using them for anything from clubs to tire irons, he got the idea of a plastic stock, which was unbreakable and would last the life of the gun and then some. With a hollow cavity inside the stock he could carry extra rounds of ammunition, instead of having the rounds rolling around under the dashboard of the police car. He was looking for a name for it, and I suggested "Six in the Butt", with a cartoon of a police officer holding his butt and yelling. I thought that an advert like that would make the stock the talk of the police industry. But eventually he settled on Speed Feed, and floated it as a separate company. He also looked for a way to make the storage of shotguns safer inside a patrol car. Officers had the nasty reputation of accidentally shooting out their tires from time to time, so he came up with an electronic locking device, which would lock the shotgun in an upright position, with the lock worked by a solenoid so that you couldn't remove the shotgun without the ignition turned on. It meant that officers could run out of their cars chasing a suspect without having to worry that someone would steal their shotgun while they were away from the car. He called it the ElectroLok, and it's now become a standard item on patrol cars all over the country. He set up a small workshop in Sacramento and bought a plastic injection moulding machine to make the Speedfeed stocks. Unfortunately, the machine turned out ten years supply of stocks in the first month, and then became idle, so we sold the machine to a plastics company on the agreement that they would produce stocks for us whenever needed. In 1987 they split the company into several smaller companies, and sold the Police Equipment Supply part, which has previously been the George F Cake Co., to the Pacific Armory, while Bill continued with just his gunsmithing shop in Sacramento. I haven't seen Bill for many years now. If he's still around he would be in his nineties.
afbrookes-Thank you so much for those in depth comments - can't beat actually being there - like Elmer Keith said "Hell, I Was There". When I was competing in PPC, the Bill Davis revolvers were easily seen. Your accounts fill in so many gaps from all that I have read about Bill and his company. Never knew about Kerry Freeman, but so many have expressed regrets that good craftsmen like Bill and Kerry are so hard to find today...Appreciate the fine comment, now plain for anyone who wishes more information on Bill Davis, his company and his work... Best Regards...
mztiff1010 - Thank you for posting that...Bill's in his golden years and his craftsmanship and leadership of his gunsmithing staff is still golden to those lucky enough to have work from his shop to use and admire... Best Regards to you!! - FC
Hi I used to shoot PPC and PP1 in the UK with a Bill Davis revolver. It was not a full custom, but a fully tuned S&W and I added an aftermarket barrel weight to keep the costs down!! This all stopped in the UK when pistol ownership was banned in 1996. Thanks very much for the history lesson on Bill I always wondered about his background.
@@geoffdobbin9512 I didn't mention, by the way, that I'm a Brummy from Birmingham, England. Not really relevant, but since you're from the UK I thought you might like to know.
A British custom gun maker Richard Wilson supposedly learnt this skill from Bill Davis and continues to make these in the UK- his model Matchmaster 5 is almost the same as the one you’ve shared. PPC 1500 is still quite popular in Europe. Thanks for making an excellent video on this exceptional revolver.
Just stumbled across this video and it brought fond memories. I bought a Bill Davis PPC 'Couger' back in 1981. It was a Ruger Security Six with a Colt Python barrel. In talking with Bill he said he had a slight preference in using the Ruger S6 frame over a Smith Model 10. That gun shot so well, and won me many local shoots, that I had Bill make another one for carry with a 4" barrel instead of the customary 6". Still have it but haven't shot it but once in the past 20 years.
I remember when PPC was "THE THING." I had friends that shot PPC using S&W Mod 15's that were modified to the hilt, like this one. They used to send them somewhere in Florida to get them customized, but I'm not sure where, exactly. Those triggers were as smooth as silk - not one hitch or sticking point. I'd love to have one of those revolvers now; I appreciate them. I shoot speed steel with a Glock 34, but I still love those wheel guns. Nothing like 'em. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five Star video!
I am one of the few people who have watched this video that actually has shot one of these. Grew up shooting one actually, my old man was a cop here in Maine in the early 80's he got into PPC and other compititon handgun events and acquired his Bill Davis custom gun. It is a treat to shoot and it was a bigger treat to watch him shoot it and put all six rounds almost into the same hole. Cool vid dude.
Great video, my friend! I'm a huge fan of PPC revolvers like this and others from Dan Wesson and CT Brian. Very few people have them and even fewer do videos with them, which is a shame since this style of revolver is just about as cool as it gets.
I had the privilege of working for Mr. Davis in 1981. He had the gift of being one of the best pistol shots of his time. In California there was a group called "The Governors Twenty". Selection was made based on the top 20 shooters scores throughout the PPC season. When Bill was competing the question was, who would be the other 19. Those were awesome guns. Bill was one of the finest men I ever met. Sadly he passed in early 2017.
SgtBooker44 - And I understand that his wife still carries on a lot of the communications - there are a lot of Bill Davis guns out there...Thanks for posting this... FC
MrAwsomeshot-Thanks for posting your experiences with the Bill Davis revolvers. Your dad did some great shooting with it. I never scored enough 10s or Xs to hit it big in PPC, but I did manage a couple of first place trophies in some smaller matches. It was a fun time when there were other divisions such as Distinguished using snubbies. Good shootin' to ya… Maine - the home of Col. Lawrence Chamberlain whose actions at the Little Round Top prevented defeat at Gettysberg...
Dan - I have never weighed it all these years, because I don't want to know. After shooting the Davis, everything else seems light as a feather. Those sights were perfect for PPC. The thing is a blast from the past.
I had a model 10 S&W set up for PPC with a bull barrel and a ribbed site ontop, bobbed hammer with trigger job and ball detent lock up and that thing was so much fun to shoot.
Elijah Smith - It's a shame that PPC has lost some popularity...PPC is still Bullseye shooting from positions and barricades. All the run and gun type shoots, plus Bianchi Cup and steel have gained in spectator appeal. No TV coverage on PPC either. But it was great fun for us shooters...Thanks for posting comment, and that S & W 10 of yours was PPC for sure..!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya..!! FC
PPC is alive and well. I have been competing since 1998. Just shot the Mid South Regional in Memphis, TN this past week and headed to Charleston, SC in two weeks. The National Police Championship has been moved from Jackson, MS to Albuquerque, NM and will be in September as always.
TehBr0-Thanks for posting...We love to hear from the shooting friends in Australia...and not many here in the States knows that Service Pistol (PPC) is popular where you are... It's good to know, and nothing wrong with revolvers - they are making a comeback here in interest. Revolvers are still the simplest reliability there is, and they are the original long stroke double action for safety against accidental discharge. Best Regards to ya...
Anbulce-Bill Davis revolvers show up on occasion at gun shows. Or a gun shop can help locate one for you. As for other guns like the Davis, the sport of Bianchi Cup includes some principles of PPC (like the Barricade stage). There are Bianchi Cup revolvers made by other gunsmiths that look very much like Davis revolvers. Some of these may reach the used gun market as well. Again, a gun shop may help. Thanks for the post and best regards...
TheOnlyHellGod-Like you say, PPC revolvers are not well distributed and I always get interest and questions when I go to the range with it, even amongst range staff. I found my old ammo board and should do a video on that in use at the range someday…we're lucky that our sport and industry of shooting is so interesting and rich in subject matter…Have a great day..
Axbent-That's great to hear - PPC should be popular - it is Bullseye shooting into a more practical format. If you are a good PPC shooter - you are a good shooter ready for any pistol use. My take is that it died out because of all the "run and gun" type of competitions that came along with more spectator and TV appeal. That's why Camp Perry won't sell on TV - highest difficulty challenge but spectators go to sleep and no prize money...Thanks for your posts -
mike messier - Thanks for your question - Yes, that was Bill Davis design. Another shooter at the range has a blued Bill Davis, and he uses it to test the accuracy of factory ammo at 50 yards. Just pop the front sight knob to 50 and good to go.
Service Pistol match, which is heavily based on the PPC course of fire, is shot at nearly every pistol club in Australia. Revolvers like this are still common here.
I was on the Hanford Nuclear Site's Patrol pistol team in the early 80's. I used a Bill Davis gun on a Model 10 frame for PPC competition in WA. The pistol was capable of better accuracy than I could give it. Wonderful pistol. Went to DOE national competition at Pinellas, FL in 1984 Silky smooth action. I must have put 10,000 rounds of factory 148 gr HBWCs through it. It finally went out of time, and spat lead. Accuracy went to sh*t. Sold it to our armorer for a song. He fixed it, and went on to beat my brains out on the range with it. Live and learn. Should'a kept it.
William Scott Thanks for your comments and the trip down memory lane...I remember PPC was pretty popular back in the 80s. There was a store that specialized in PPC where I bought my Davis revolver, and for the 3+ seasons that I shot PPC competitions, I used to buy these 1000 round cartons of commercially loaded WC ammo 3 cases to start each season. Beautiful ammo loaded in Winchester brass - never really bothered to note what company loaded that ammo - the store must have had some kind of contract to load that ammo for them. I used that ammo exclusively in matches and shot my WC reloads for practice at the range. I bought commercially swaged hollow base WCs from this store called Moulton's also in 1000 round boxes - they were lubed with some kind of grease based lube instead of the black graphite lube that Remington used. Those were good bullets. Can't find those any longer and both those stores are long out of business. Had to have the little rubber bumper behind the trigger replaced each year. My Davis gun now has a squashed bumper, but it's OK. I'm just shooting it for fun these days...Best Regards
What else you were describing is a loading block. Some plastic ones were sold commercially by companies like Safariland. Lead wadcutters were used for accuracy and the softer bullet being easier on the barrels. Because of the number of rounds a competitor would go through with the guns, jacketed bullets would too soon wear out the expensive barrel. That is what you would look for if you bought one of these used: barrel wear
nomikes - You sure said it - we shot those wadcutters by the thousands. And even then, the best shooters shot those wadcutters by the tens even hundreds of thousands. They worked closely with their gunsmiths who wanted the exposure of their lines at the same time. The shooters who were the best practically lived at the range. Today's best shooters get their ammo comped by the big ammo companies - all they need is a phone call away. But many of these shooters have private ranges of their own where they can just mosey out and shoot everything they need to work on until they have their moves and techniques honed to very fine performance. Takes innate athleticism, vision and competitive drive along with access to practice and training to make the best shooters today. In the early days of IPSC, all the guns and gear were being developed. Trying to keep up was very expensive, Back in 1980, my 3 custom comp guns cost me $3500 each - With 12X inflation - in today's dollars, that's $42,000 plus on top of that was all the gear (every new holster that came along, mag pouches, belts etc) and ammo. Most of us couldn't keep up with the expenditures, especially since we either lacked the speed or accuracy or the available time to break into being sponsored. But what we did do was pave the way for a lot of the features on factory guns today. Best to ya, Steve
I have a chance to buy a PPC ready smith and wesson but there are no competitions around upstate NY I know of. I love the 38 special round and shoot a lot out of my model 36. Think I will buy the model 15 Smith and Wessons for now at least. Keep the videos coming.
Karl Pettigrew-The PPC revolvers are highly specialized for PPC competitions. Their only utility outside of that are for target shooting and training (if you offhand a PPC revolver, anything else you hold will feel like a feather). No way would you carry that gun in the field. Plus they really do best with wadcutter ammo. So your choice of getting the 15 Smith is really a good one - owning a classic Smith and Wesson will always be a good idea…Good shootin' to ya...
nice it sure looks heavy , i seen you shooting it yesterday and was going to ask you how much it weighs , and i never got back to ya i like those sights very simple .thanks .
Kyle Chilton Thanks for posting on your restrictions in the UK. Here in the states, we take our gun rights for granted, but, as you know, it takes constant vigilance to keep that...Best to ya
fc45lc - Since they shoot Wad Cutters, do you remember a typical load for this baby in 38 Special? Thanks for sharing. There's one of these for sale. It's a little unusual, because its a Model 10, that was Hard Chromed coated. At first glance, it looks like stainless. Hammer was bobbed as you mentioned. Thanks again. :-)
Is that basket weave holster a custom item? I have a belt almost identical to your rig, but I've yet to find a drop/swivel holster that will house my Clark Custom bull barrel. Safariland makes a kydex like one, but I'm a sucker for beautiful leather styles such as this.
awadatashii- The holster is specially made for Davis revolvers - sold by the Davis shop. This holster does not work well for non-Davis revolvers. They are used in PPC matches…Best to ya...
xpallodoc-Thanks for your short and enthusiastic comment. Who knows? Interest in PPC shooting may return. But if not, some of the PPC precepts continue on in Bianchi Cup. Have a great day
I want to get into PPC shooting. I've never even shot a hand gun. Only rifles and shotguns and not much of that either. I don't really know where to start so I'm looking into it now. Thanks for your video.
xpallodoc Congratulations that you want to get into PPC - we used to rub elbows with a lot of cops back in the pre 1980s when revolvers ruled. We don't hear about people wanting to do PPC today - there are scant few matches being held. A great gun for PPC today would be the Ruger GP-100 or the S&W 686. You can still find some YT videos on PPC, though. Good luck on your PPC shooting...Best to ya...
You were told to shoot soft cast wadcutters because of their accuracy and to never shoot jacketedrounds. The reason not to shoot jacketed roundswas, with the amount of practice/use necessary, they would to quickly wear the barrel. If you buy one of these used inquire as to the amount of use and type of ammunition used and examine the barrel carefully
not that my dad would ever sell his davis, cuz he loves it but what are they going for at gun shows? It is a model 10 build. It is the smoothest revolver I have ever shot.
aftbrookes- I have a Bill Davis gun built in I believe the early 1980's- Stamped on the barrel is " Airwolf" Do you know where I could find out any info on it ?
galland530- Congrats on your Bill Davis revolver - No, I am not acquianted with the Airwolf. But it doesn't surprise me, Bill Davis and his crew did a lot of highly specialized revolver work back in the day. Sorry not much help… Best Regards
FortuneCookie45LC Hi- Thanks for getting back to me. I used the revolver in many many PPC matches. The Bluing is pretty worn but other than that it still puts shot in the X-Ring from a Ransom Rest. I'm thinking about getting it re-finished but not sure who to use. I'd hate for it to get lost or damaged.
galland530 Well, we certainly burned a lot of wadcutter ammo through our Davis revolvers, didn't we? I think that's one of the things Jeff Cooper objected to - the use of light target ammo in a practical match - reason he invoked the Power Factor in IPSC and the more "practical" scoring targets. A lot of us transitioned from PPC into action shooting - the appeal of running around and gunning... Best to ya... If you have good gunsmiths in your area, they don't make it a habit of losing guns...But a blued gun with honest wear on it doesn't have to be refinished.
Man, I'd love to own that revolver. Its a fine gun with a wonderful aesthetic! Does anyone know of other revolvers that may have a similar look that might be easier to find? Because I've unfortunately had no luck in finding one of these.
OLD REB - I don’t think that holster is being made any longer as Bill Davis passed away several years ago. You may need to take your custom revolver to a leather craftsman Making a holster to fit should be right up their alley. Best to ya, FC Steve
FortuneCookie45LC Thank you! My 14-3 is not near as sophisticated. Double action only, trigger smooth fitted with a stop ( no evidence of a replaceable rubber bumper ) hammer spur removed, Bo-Mar wing sight rib on a 1" bull barrel. When I bought it, the grips were S&W finger groove wooden combat grips that were popular 30 years ago.
Alex Halstead - Used Bill Davis revolvers show up every now and then, but these are not guns you see every day. I'm hanging onto mine though, just like some really cherish Bob Chow 1911s. Best to ya, FC
Dev Cole - I'm assuming that you want to get into PPC competition. The sport of PPC has diminished tremendously, but it is still being done. You can find Davis customs occasionally on the used gun market...I just did a search on gunbroker - no Davis custom revolvers available. However, you could go to a gunsmith with any K frame or L frame S & W revolver and ask to have one built... high quality match barrel - add the underweight and slab it. Tune it, and slick it up so the double action is really smooth. If it shoots into 1 1/2" at 50 yards with factory match wadcutter ammo, you've got a Davis custom revolver..!! Best to ya, FC
Had one just like that and competed many times in PPI PP2 and 1500 and even some times won that was until they restricted the use of hands here in the U.K.
brought back happy memories. .The gun that you showed was probably made mostly by Kerry Freeman, Bill's Head Gunsmith.
I was the Controller of the G&B Davis Corporation, d.b.a. The Davis Company, from Aug. 1984 until Oct. 1987. The company was a combiination of the George F Cake Co. of Berkeley, CA., , suppliers and wholesalers of Police and Law Enforcement Equipment, and the Bill Davis Service Center of Sacramento, CA., which ran a gunsmithing factory. We also had retail stores in Sacramento, Berkeley, Seattle and San Diego, and owned SpeedFeed and ElektroLok.
The police wholesale business moved to Hayward, and was run by Gil Davis, while the Gunsmithing part of the business was run by Bill Davis.
Bill was a cheerful, pleasant character. His office was filled with more trophies than I've seen anywhere. He was a delight to work for. In his early days he was a police officer in Sacramento, then he moved the California Highway Patrol, where he eventually ran the training school at the Police Academy. As a gunsmith there was none to touch him. He had a staff of about eight extremely talented gunsmiths, picked from the best. The Head Gunsmith was Kerry Freeman. Their main work was in repair and maintenance of firearms for the local law enforcement agencies, but what set them apart from other gunsmiths was their custom work. They would build special editions, engraved with city logos, or commemorate editions. They were tuned specially and in beautiful oak presentation boxes. A lot of them carried personal inscriptions for men who were retiring from the force. Apart from the special editions, they also designed and built custom firearms, and, in that, they reminded me a lot of the Red Jacket company, whicht became so famous from the television series. In fact the owner of the Red Jacket Co. reminds me a lot of Bill Davis.
Apart from firearms, Bill was a great inventor. I remember when, after repairing so many shotgun stocks from officers using them for anything from clubs to tire irons, he got the idea of a plastic stock, which was unbreakable and would last the life of the gun and then some. With a hollow cavity inside the stock he could carry extra rounds of ammunition, instead of having the rounds rolling around under the dashboard of the police car. He was looking for a name for it, and I suggested "Six in the Butt", with a cartoon of a police officer holding his butt and yelling. I thought that an advert like that would make the stock the talk of the police industry. But eventually he settled on Speed Feed, and floated it as a separate company.
He also looked for a way to make the storage of shotguns safer inside a patrol car. Officers had the nasty reputation of accidentally shooting out their tires from time to time, so he came up with an electronic locking device, which would lock the shotgun in an upright position, with the lock worked by a solenoid so that you couldn't remove the shotgun without the ignition turned on. It meant that officers could run out of their cars chasing a suspect without having to worry that someone would steal their shotgun while they were away from the car. He called it the ElectroLok, and it's now become a standard item on patrol cars all over the country.
He set up a small workshop in Sacramento and bought a plastic injection moulding machine to make the Speedfeed stocks. Unfortunately, the machine turned out ten years supply of stocks in the first month, and then became idle, so we sold the machine to a plastics company on the agreement that they would produce stocks for us whenever needed.
In 1987 they split the company into several smaller companies, and sold the Police Equipment Supply part, which has previously been the George F Cake Co., to the Pacific Armory, while Bill continued with just his gunsmithing shop in Sacramento.
I haven't seen Bill for many years now. If he's still around he would be in his nineties.
afbrookes-Thank you so much for those in depth comments - can't beat actually being there - like Elmer Keith said "Hell, I Was There". When I was competing in PPC, the Bill Davis revolvers were easily seen. Your accounts fill in so many gaps from all that I have read about Bill and his company. Never knew about Kerry Freeman, but so many have expressed regrets that good craftsmen like Bill and Kerry are so hard to find today...Appreciate the fine comment, now plain for anyone who wishes more information on Bill Davis, his company and his work... Best Regards...
Bill is still alive and kicking, his on S&W fourm from time to time of a name of PPCSHOOTER.
mztiff1010 - Thank you for posting that...Bill's in his golden years and his craftsmanship and leadership of his gunsmithing staff is still golden to those lucky enough to have work from his shop to use and admire... Best Regards to you!! - FC
Hi I used to shoot PPC and PP1 in the UK with a Bill Davis revolver. It was not a full custom, but a fully tuned S&W and I added an aftermarket barrel weight to keep the costs down!! This all stopped in the UK when pistol ownership was banned in 1996. Thanks very much for the history lesson on Bill I always wondered about his background.
@@geoffdobbin9512 I didn't mention, by the way, that I'm a Brummy from Birmingham, England. Not really relevant, but since you're from the UK I thought you might like to know.
I use to shoot one of his handguns in the 80’s for PPC matches. Brought home a lot of trophies.
A British custom gun maker Richard Wilson supposedly learnt this skill from Bill Davis and continues to make these in the UK- his model Matchmaster 5 is almost the same as the one you’ve shared. PPC 1500 is still quite popular in Europe. Thanks for making an excellent video on this exceptional revolver.
Thanks for your video, I recently picked up a Bill Davis 38 PPC in2022 and can’t say enough good things about it, amazing gun!
Nothing short of beautiful.
Just stumbled across this video and it brought fond memories. I bought a Bill Davis PPC 'Couger' back in 1981. It was a Ruger Security Six with a Colt Python barrel. In talking with Bill he said he had a slight preference in using the Ruger S6 frame over a Smith Model 10.
That gun shot so well, and won me many local shoots, that I had Bill make another one for carry with a 4" barrel instead of the customary 6". Still have it but haven't shot it but once in the past 20 years.
Thank you for a fine review and description of PPC. I picked up a Bill Davis a while back, nice action. Looking forward to getting some time on it.
I remember when PPC was "THE THING." I had friends that shot PPC using S&W Mod 15's that were modified to the hilt, like this one. They used to send them somewhere in Florida to get them customized, but I'm not sure where, exactly. Those triggers were as smooth as silk - not one hitch or sticking point. I'd love to have one of those revolvers now; I appreciate them. I shoot speed steel with a Glock 34, but I still love those wheel guns. Nothing like 'em.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Five Star video!
I am one of the few people who have watched this video that actually has shot one of these. Grew up shooting one actually, my old man was a cop here in Maine in the early 80's he got into PPC and other compititon handgun events and acquired his Bill Davis custom gun. It is a treat to shoot and it was a bigger treat to watch him shoot it and put all six rounds almost into the same hole. Cool vid dude.
Great video, my friend! I'm a huge fan of PPC revolvers like this and others from Dan Wesson and CT Brian. Very few people have them and even fewer do videos with them, which is a shame since this style of revolver is just about as cool as it gets.
I had the privilege of working for Mr. Davis in 1981. He had the gift of being one of the best pistol shots of his time. In California there was a group called "The Governors Twenty". Selection was made based on the top 20 shooters scores throughout the PPC season. When Bill was competing the question was, who would be the other 19. Those were awesome guns. Bill was one of the finest men I ever met. Sadly he passed in early 2017.
SgtBooker44 - And I understand that his wife still carries on a lot of the communications - there are a lot of Bill Davis guns out there...Thanks for posting this... FC
Sorry to hear that. He was a good guy. I enjoyed working for him.
I have a Bill Davis I got from an estate sale... thanks so much for this video!
MrAwsomeshot-Thanks for posting your experiences with the Bill Davis revolvers. Your dad did some great shooting with it. I never scored enough 10s or Xs to hit it big in PPC, but I did manage a couple of first place trophies in some smaller matches. It was a fun time when there were other divisions such as Distinguished using snubbies. Good shootin' to ya… Maine - the home of Col. Lawrence Chamberlain whose actions at the Little Round Top prevented defeat at Gettysberg...
Very cool. Love the front adjustable sight.
TheOnlyHellGod-And thank you so much for posting on the Hot Lead Zone…every comment just adds to the depth and breath of subject matter...
Dan - I have never weighed it all these years, because I don't want to know. After shooting the Davis, everything else seems light as a feather. Those sights were perfect for PPC. The thing is a blast from the past.
I had a model 10 S&W set up for PPC with a bull barrel and a ribbed site ontop, bobbed hammer with trigger job and ball detent lock up and that thing was so much fun to shoot.
Elijah Smith - It's a shame that PPC has lost some popularity...PPC is still Bullseye shooting from positions and barricades. All the run and gun type shoots, plus Bianchi Cup and steel have gained in spectator appeal. No TV coverage on PPC either. But it was great fun for us shooters...Thanks for posting comment, and that S & W 10 of yours was PPC for sure..!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya..!! FC
Interesting revolver, I've never seen anything like it. Thanks for sharing
Nice looking vintage Smith, bet it is a sweet shooter. Started my shooting competitions with PPC. I do not know of many PPC matches anymore.
PPC is alive and well. I have been competing since 1998. Just shot the Mid South Regional in Memphis, TN this past week and headed to Charleston, SC in two weeks. The National Police Championship has been moved from Jackson, MS to Albuquerque, NM and will be in September as always.
mdotn9 I have a bull barrel 14-3, maker unknown, and need a holster. Suggestions?
TehBr0-Thanks for posting...We love to hear from the shooting friends in Australia...and not many here in the States knows that Service Pistol (PPC) is popular where you are... It's good to know, and nothing wrong with revolvers - they are making a comeback here in interest. Revolvers are still the simplest reliability there is, and they are the original long stroke double action for safety against accidental discharge. Best Regards to ya...
Anbulce-Bill Davis revolvers show up on occasion at gun shows. Or a gun shop can help locate one for you. As for other guns like the Davis, the sport of Bianchi Cup includes some principles of PPC (like the Barricade stage). There are Bianchi Cup revolvers made by other gunsmiths that look very much like Davis revolvers. Some of these may reach the used gun market as well. Again, a gun shop may help. Thanks for the post and best regards...
What a beautiful Pistol !! Wish someone would build this style again , especially in a S&W 617 22lr , I would use it in my Bullseye league !!!
Check out Clark custom in Louisiana they make ppc revolvers.
TheOnlyHellGod-Like you say, PPC revolvers are not well distributed and I always get interest and questions when I go to the range with it, even amongst range staff. I found my old ammo board and should do a video on that in use at the range someday…we're lucky that our sport and industry of shooting is so interesting and rich in subject matter…Have a great day..
Axbent-That's great to hear - PPC should be popular - it is Bullseye shooting into a more practical format. If you are a good PPC shooter - you are a good shooter ready for any pistol use. My take is that it died out because of all the "run and gun" type of competitions that came along with more spectator and TV appeal. That's why Camp Perry won't sell on TV - highest difficulty challenge but spectators go to sleep and no prize money...Thanks for your posts -
mike messier - Thanks for your question - Yes, that was Bill Davis design. Another shooter at the range has a blued Bill Davis, and he uses it to test the accuracy of factory ammo at 50 yards. Just pop the front sight knob to 50 and good to go.
Service Pistol match, which is heavily based on the PPC course of fire, is shot at nearly every pistol club in Australia. Revolvers like this are still common here.
I was on the Hanford Nuclear Site's Patrol pistol team in the early 80's. I used a Bill Davis gun on a Model 10 frame for PPC competition in WA. The pistol was capable of better accuracy than I could give it. Wonderful pistol. Went to DOE national competition at Pinellas, FL in 1984 Silky smooth action. I must have put 10,000 rounds of factory 148 gr HBWCs through it. It finally went out of time, and spat lead. Accuracy went to sh*t. Sold it to our armorer for a song. He fixed it, and went on to beat my brains out on the range with it. Live and learn. Should'a kept it.
William Scott Thanks for your comments and the trip down memory lane...I remember PPC was pretty popular back in the 80s. There was a store that specialized in PPC where I bought my Davis revolver, and for the 3+ seasons that I shot PPC competitions, I used to buy these 1000 round cartons of commercially loaded WC ammo 3 cases to start each season. Beautiful ammo loaded in Winchester brass - never really bothered to note what company loaded that ammo - the store must have had some kind of contract to load that ammo for them. I used that ammo exclusively in matches and shot my WC reloads for practice at the range. I bought commercially swaged hollow base WCs from this store called Moulton's also in 1000 round boxes - they were lubed with some kind of grease based lube instead of the black graphite lube that Remington used. Those were good bullets. Can't find those any longer and both those stores are long out of business. Had to have the little rubber bumper behind the trigger replaced each year. My Davis gun now has a squashed bumper, but it's OK. I'm just shooting it for fun these days...Best Regards
Is the lock in the underweight a lock that is relesed by pressing the cylinder opening knob like on a Triple lock or just a detent
?
Beautiful gun FortuneCookie.
What else you were describing is a loading block. Some plastic ones were sold commercially by companies like Safariland. Lead wadcutters were used for accuracy and the softer bullet being easier on the barrels. Because of the number of rounds a competitor would go through with the guns, jacketed bullets would too soon wear out the expensive barrel. That is what you would look for if you bought one of these used: barrel wear
nomikes - You sure said it - we shot those wadcutters by the thousands. And even then, the best shooters shot those wadcutters by the tens even hundreds of thousands. They worked closely with their gunsmiths who wanted the exposure of their lines at the same time. The shooters who were the best practically lived at the range. Today's best shooters get their ammo comped by the big ammo companies - all they need is a phone call away. But many of these shooters have private ranges of their own where they can just mosey out and shoot everything they need to work on until they have their moves and techniques honed to very fine performance. Takes innate athleticism, vision and competitive drive along with access to practice and training to make the best shooters today. In the early days of IPSC, all the guns and gear were being developed. Trying to keep up was very expensive, Back in 1980, my 3 custom comp guns cost me $3500 each - With 12X inflation - in today's dollars, that's $42,000 plus on top of that was all the gear (every new holster that came along, mag pouches, belts etc) and ammo. Most of us couldn't keep up with the expenditures, especially since we either lacked the speed or accuracy or the available time to break into being sponsored. But what we did do was pave the way for a lot of the features on factory guns today. Best to ya, Steve
I have a chance to buy a PPC ready smith and wesson but there are no competitions around upstate NY I know of. I love the 38 special round and shoot a lot out of my model 36. Think I will buy the model 15 Smith and Wessons for now at least. Keep the videos coming.
Karl Pettigrew-The PPC revolvers are highly specialized for PPC competitions. Their only utility outside of that are for target shooting and training (if you offhand a PPC revolver, anything else you hold will feel like a feather). No way would you carry that gun in the field. Plus they really do best with wadcutter ammo. So your choice of getting the 15 Smith is really a good one - owning a classic Smith and Wesson will always be a good idea…Good shootin' to ya...
nice it sure looks heavy , i seen you shooting it yesterday and was going to ask you how much it weighs , and i never got back to ya i like those sights very simple .thanks .
a very nice revolver, wish i could own onee but i live in the UK
Kyle Chilton Thanks for posting on your restrictions in the UK. Here in the states, we take our gun rights for granted, but, as you know, it takes constant vigilance to keep that...Best to ya
Such craftsmanship. I really like the adjustable front sight. Was front sight a Bill Davis design as well?
I got one. Yes I did. I cant find pricing anywhere or even any for sale. Money was 550 at auction today. Mod ten dash eight
fc45lc - Since they shoot Wad Cutters, do you remember a typical load for this baby in 38 Special? Thanks for sharing. There's one of these for sale. It's a little unusual, because its a Model 10, that was Hard Chromed coated. At first glance, it looks like stainless. Hammer was bobbed as you mentioned. Thanks again. :-)
3.0 bullseye
gunnwild1-and thank you for taking the time to post a comment.
Is that basket weave holster a custom item? I have a belt almost identical to your rig, but I've yet to find a drop/swivel holster that will house my Clark Custom bull barrel. Safariland makes a kydex like one, but I'm a sucker for beautiful leather styles such as this.
awadatashii- The holster is specially made for Davis revolvers - sold by the Davis shop. This holster does not work well for non-Davis revolvers. They are used in PPC matches…Best to ya...
how much does that beast weigh ???
So cool
xpallodoc-Thanks for your short and enthusiastic comment. Who knows? Interest in PPC shooting may return. But if not, some of the PPC precepts continue on in Bianchi Cup. Have a great day
I want to get into PPC shooting. I've never even shot a hand gun. Only rifles and shotguns and not much of that either. I don't really know where to start so I'm looking into it now. Thanks for your video.
xpallodoc Congratulations that you want to get into PPC - we used to rub elbows with a lot of cops back in the pre 1980s when revolvers ruled. We don't hear about people wanting to do PPC today - there are scant few matches being held. A great gun for PPC today would be the Ruger GP-100 or the S&W 686. You can still find some YT videos on PPC, though. Good luck on your PPC shooting...Best to ya...
Any chance of selling?
Why wadcutters though. I have some but not many. Also I did shoot it today. Love it. Thanks.
You were told to shoot soft cast wadcutters because of their accuracy and to never shoot jacketedrounds. The reason not to shoot jacketed roundswas, with the amount of practice/use necessary, they would to quickly wear the barrel. If you buy one of these used inquire as to the amount of use and type of ammunition used and examine the barrel carefully
@@nomikes4392 thank you. I am going to sell it I think. I bought a king cobra this week.
not that my dad would ever sell his davis, cuz he loves it but what are they going for at gun shows? It is a model 10 build. It is the smoothest revolver I have ever shot.
aftbrookes- I have a Bill Davis gun built in I believe the early 1980's- Stamped on the barrel is " Airwolf" Do you know where I could find out any info on it ?
galland530- Congrats on your Bill Davis revolver - No, I am not acquianted with the Airwolf. But it doesn't surprise me, Bill Davis and his crew did a lot of highly specialized revolver work back in the day. Sorry not much help… Best Regards
FortuneCookie45LC Hi- Thanks for getting back to me. I used the revolver in many many PPC matches. The Bluing is pretty worn but other than that it still puts shot in the X-Ring from a Ransom Rest. I'm thinking about getting it re-finished but not sure who to use. I'd hate for it to get lost or damaged.
galland530 Well, we certainly burned a lot of wadcutter ammo through our Davis revolvers, didn't we? I think that's one of the things Jeff Cooper objected to - the use of light target ammo in a practical match - reason he invoked the Power Factor in IPSC and the more "practical" scoring targets. A lot of us transitioned from PPC into action shooting - the appeal of running around and gunning... Best to ya... If you have good gunsmiths in your area, they don't make it a habit of losing guns...But a blued gun with honest wear on it doesn't have to be refinished.
Tennessee windage.... That's a new one.
Man, I'd love to own that revolver. Its a fine gun with a wonderful aesthetic! Does anyone know of other revolvers that may have a similar look that might be easier to find? Because I've unfortunately had no luck in finding one of these.
I have a no name bull barrel 14-3 and need a holster. What's the make and model?
OLD REB - I don’t think that holster is being made any longer as Bill Davis passed away several years ago. You may need to take your custom revolver to a leather craftsman Making a holster to fit should be right up their alley. Best to ya, FC Steve
FortuneCookie45LC Thank you! My 14-3 is not near as sophisticated. Double action only, trigger smooth fitted with a stop ( no evidence of a replaceable rubber bumper ) hammer spur removed, Bo-Mar wing sight rib on a 1" bull barrel. When I bought it, the grips were S&W finger groove wooden combat grips that were popular 30 years ago.
Where could I get one? I need one of these... Please direct me
Alex Halstead - Used Bill Davis revolvers show up every now and then, but these are not guns you see every day. I'm hanging onto mine though, just like some really cherish Bob Chow 1911s. Best to ya, FC
Sometimes the rubber stop was the end of a pencil eraser
what do I got to do to get a revolver like that?
Dev Cole - I'm assuming that you want to get into PPC competition. The sport of PPC has diminished tremendously, but it is still being done. You can find Davis customs occasionally on the used gun market...I just did a search on gunbroker - no Davis custom revolvers available. However, you could go to a gunsmith with any K frame or L frame S & W revolver and ask to have one built... high quality match barrel - add the underweight and slab it. Tune it, and slick it up so the double action is really smooth. If it shoots into 1 1/2" at 50 yards with factory match wadcutter ammo, you've got a Davis custom revolver..!! Best to ya, FC
PPC = practical police course
dtom8888-Dennis, you have a great day...
Model 64, the model 65 is/was .357
Such a great gun with terrible grip.
Like you fans
Had one just like that and competed many times in PPI PP2 and 1500 and even some times won that was until they restricted the use of hands here in the U.K.
***** Sounds like PPC was really popular. Sorry that that has gone by the wayside...anyone that wins a PPC match is a good shot. Best Regards to ya...