Category: Revolver History

The Day the Arkansas State Police Fought a Gun Battle with a Remnant of the Barrow Gang

Renowned Texas Ranger, Frank Hamer, and five other officers stopped the Barrows—permanently–on a country road outside Gibsland, Louisiana on May 23, 1934.  Three years later, in 1937, one of the country’s great state police organizations was reorganized as the Arkansas State Police (ASP).

So, if the Barrows were killed in a shooting by Hamer and his fellow officers in 1934, how did the newborn ASP get into a gunfight with a remnant of the Barrow Gang, many years later? Continue reading “The Day the Arkansas State Police Fought a Gun Battle with a Remnant of the Barrow Gang”

The Day America’s Love Affair with Criminals Ended . . .

. . . (at least in that era), Thanks to a Horrific Assault on Law and Order.

If you have studied the history of criminal justice in America, you may have noticed a pendulum effect where public approval of criminals and criminality appears to move from one extreme to the other.

Continue reading “The Day America’s Love Affair with Criminals Ended . . .”

The Day a Crime Spree Ended in Hardy, Arkansas . . .

. . . Thanks To Two Brave Men, With a Rock and a .44 Special

The Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce (DJCC) is an organization of young professionals who are engaged in networking and community involvement. They have supported the city through numerous events and activities, since 1918.

One of the Chamber’s activities is especially dear to law enforcement and the law-abiding citizens they serve, because it memorializes the February 7, 1951 line-of-duty death of Dallas Police Department Officer Willis Wood “Johnny” Sides, who was slain just 21 days after graduating from the police academy, as fifth in his class. Continue reading “The Day a Crime Spree Ended in Hardy, Arkansas . . .”

All About The .38 Special +P and .38 Special +P+

The most common question about revolver ammunition right now is, “where can I find some?” The demand-induced shortage which began in 2020 is still very much with us, and finding some ammunition—of any sort, as long as it’s the right caliber—is foremost on the buyer’s mind.

However, when we’re not in the middle of an ammunition crisis, RevolverGuys can be more particular about choosing bullet weights, styles, brands and velocities.  As they ponder the available choices out there, one of the most common questions that arises concerns the “+P” and “+P+” flavors of .38 Special ammunition. RevolverGuys—particularly new ones–will commonly ask, “can I shoot .38 Special +P (or +P+) ammo in my gun?”

Continue reading “All About The .38 Special +P and .38 Special +P+”