Hazzuh lull?
Gun-buying lull. When no one was looking I braved the weather and snuck out to buy a 1978 Smith & Wesson Model .29-2. Gorgeous shape. With box. $850. Not bad a'tall.
magnum or special? what length barrel?
Magnum, 6" (5 7/8")
Dirty Razzy.
didn't Dirty Harry have a 12" barrel?
Well, in Milius' script, it was supposed to be 4" and nickle-plated. But when they made the movie, the 29 was out of production due to lack of demand, and they couldn't find any 4". So, depending on what story you believe, they either got two 6.5" models or a 6.5" and an 8.75". I believe the latter, because a friend of mine who's a filmmaker showed me how camera angles can make the 6.5" barrel look like a snub. So they used the long barrel for certain shots to preserve the illusion of size and menace.
But no, not a 12" barrel. Harry's gun might have been 12", but not the barrel of his pistol.