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First Shots: S&W Model 64-3 w/4" HB

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  • Jul 14, 2008
    62
    1
    Southwest
    Hello. Like so many within the shooting community, I find myself afflicted with "galloping gunorrhea", a condition in which resistance to buying certain firearms fades to nothing and one's backbone becomes mush. The ability to utter even a faint, "No", becomes almost impossible...especially if the price is right.

    The disease's symptoms are similar but it is triggered by different firearms, depending upon the shooter. For some, it might be brought on by certain Garands for sale, or FAL's, side x side shotguns or a myriad of handguns.
    For me, intense flare-ups occur when I see certain specific handguns such as 9mm FN/Browning Hi Powers, certain 1911-pattern pistols and many pre-lock S&W revolvers. I am as fond of the S&W Model 10/64 family of K-frame .38 Specials as I am Hi Power pistols.

    My most recent attack of galloping gunorrhea resulted in my buying a very clean S&W Model 64-3 with a 4" heavy barrel. It had been carried a little and had a few shiny "rub marks" on the barrel and cylinder from rubbing against a holster. The right-side service grip panel showed a few dings, but not bad; the set can be cleaned up and refinished. The left-side panel was fine. This is typical of a handgun carried on a person's right side.

    The seller advised that the serial number indicated 1981 manufacture.

    SWM64-3004.jpg

    Here is the Model 64 as I bought it. The double-action was quite smooth and measured 12.5-lbs. Single-action dropped the hammer at S&W's usually crisp 4-lbs with practically no over-travel. Side plate screws didn't appear to have been removed or at least had been removed with a proper screwdriver...if at all. The bore was pristine and no nicks or flaws were visible at the barrel crown. Both cylinder lock-up and timing were fine whether the trigger was pressed slowly or not.

    I have removed the magnas and will refinish them in the near future. In the meantime, I stuck a set of Pachmayr "Grippers" on the revolver. I also "cleaned up" the extremely minor surface flaws using Flitz and cleaning patches.

    SWM64-3Four-InchRangeReport006.jpg

    Here is the revolver in its current condition and as it was for today's short range session.

    I didn't have a lot of time today so I only shot a couple of loads through the gun, both being commercial reloads from Georgia Arms. The first load was their lightly-loaded 125-gr. LFP "Cowboy" load and the second was a 158-gr. PSWC ("Plated Semiwadcutter") that in reality is a plated flat point. I will wring the gun out more in later sessions but despite my lack of time today, I fear it is at least a minor sin not to fire a new acquisition, particularly a favorite even if it has rained for days and you've been busy with other projects.

    All shooting today was done double-action and using a two-hand hold in a standing position. Distance was only 12 yards. There was no effort at speed. I just wanted to see if the revolver was functioning properly and check POA vs. POI.

    SWM64-3Four-InchRangeReport004.jpg

    I don't recall how many cylinders-full either load were fired at their respective targets. For this light load, POA was the center of the bullseye. I estimate that a total of about 150 shots were fired total through the gun today but not all at the targets shown in this post.

    SWM64-3Four-InchRangeReport002.jpg

    Not quite a six-o'clock hold, I aimed slightly below the center of the bull when shooting the standard power 158-gr. plated bullet load.

    SWM64-3Four-InchRangeReport011.jpg

    Around the crown, fouling appeared uniform and no obvious flaws or nicks were observed.

    In short, I was not surprised with either the 100% reliability or the gun's ability to group. POA is matching up nicely to POI, at least at this distance and based on past experience, will be fine at about any "normal" handgun distance.

    Though a couple of more shooting sessions will be required to be absolutely sure, I strongly believe that this revolver will be a boringly reliable, tight-grouping K-frame .38 Special but in these cases, boring can be good.

    Best.
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    Sal1911a1

    New Member
    Sep 7, 2009
    12
    1
    El Paso
    Thank you

    Thank You Mr. Camp

    I'm a sucker for model 10/64 as well
    I have a few of each, and a few NY-1 from my PD days in the late 80's in NYC,

    Lord knows I was a constant customer at the equipment section.

    If I could turn back time I would have purchased a few more.
    Just recently I was able to purchase some NY-1 from friends, so all is not lost

    Thanks for a great review.
     
    Jul 14, 2008
    62
    1
    Southwest
    Hello and thanks for the responses.

    SWM64-3003.jpg

    I polished out few more very minor minor surface flaws and have cleaned up and refinished the magna stocks that came with the gun. A quick review in Kuhnhausen's The S&W Revolver (A Shop Manual) and I fitted the sear on this spurless DAO hammer to the gun. A small amount of very fine and minimal polishing internally and a 16-lb rebound spring have made an already slick action a little nicer, but I am by no means capable of real action work. I just did a tiny bit of "cleaning"and "smoothing" here and there. I fired a couple of hundred rounds without incident yesterday but will need to do this again at least once more before I will actually trust this revolver enough to use it for anything potentially "serious". I'll probably load up a couple of hundred .38 handloads using CCI primers and if it they all "pop" flawlessly, I'll likely consider it good to go. I already know that the sights are "on" with my carry load of choice as well as the handloaded 158-gr. CSWC's I shoot fairly frequently.

    Model 10's and 64's are sort of like Hi Powers to me; I cannot resist them.

    Best.
     

    robertba12

    New Member
    Sep 24, 2009
    14
    1
    Montgomery
    I am new to stainless revolvers, I just adopted a used one yesterday, a S&W model 60. When you say you polished it, what did you use? The one I have needs some TLC.
     
    Jul 14, 2008
    62
    1
    Southwest
    Hello. When I polished the outside little scuff marks, I used Flitz and cleaning patches. On the inside, I used very fine stones in select areas and very was VERY conservative in their use.

    Best.
     

    robertba12

    New Member
    Sep 24, 2009
    14
    1
    Montgomery
    I just realized you had put this in the previous thread, sorry. Guess I got lost in the photos and did read close enough.

    Thanks, I will give it a try!
     

    F350-6

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    May 25, 2009
    4,237
    96
    Very nice. How do you like the DAO hammer? I understand it's purpose and that it will function fine, just curious if you "like" it.

    Myself, I'm a 1911 fan who happens to have a weak spot for Hi-Powers and doesn't mind a wheel gun. Since you seem to have similar taste, the DAO hammer seems out of place.
     
    Jul 14, 2008
    62
    1
    Southwest
    Hello. Yes, I like them pretty well especially if the gun is to be carried concealed although I must admit that I have never seen a revolver with a hammer spur hang up coming out of an OWB holster from under a shirt or jacket. I have not seen it from an IWB holster, either. I definitely have seen hangups with a snub coming from a pocket holster and I will not carry via a pocket holster unless the J-frame snub is spurless, ie, bobbed hammer, BodyGuard or Centennial. I am aware of the thumb-on-the-hammer method of preventing hanging up but I just prefer to get a proper grip and come out with it, which "spurless" allows. Others may feel differently and I respect their choice but such just is not my preference so I don't do it on pocket-carry snubs...but I'm wandering again...

    In my early years as a police officer I was fortunate to be taught DA-revolver shooting by some PPC shooters capable of competing at the national level and who had several times. Over the years under their guidance and training, I practically never used single-action, though I left the spur on my service revolver so that it could be secured in my uniform duty rig via strap or the then new thumbreaks. When I was in plainclothes, I learned the hard way that spurs and square butts on revolvers eventually wore holes in the lining of my sport jackets. So, I went to a round butt revolver with a bobbed hammer spur and holsters that secured the revolver via really nice fitting. You could easily pass the old IPSC "test" to see if they held the gun securely, ie: somersault with holstered gun and it remaining secure. I noticed that with the bobbed hammers, if I went for the revolver quickly and managed a grip that was a little too high, I could still fire the gun; my hand didn't retard the hammer's rearward motion as it did with the spur intact.

    Quite a few of my larger revolvers as well as K-frames have their original spur hammers and I feel no real need to bob their hammers; they do what I expect as they are.

    Even my bobbed-hammer K-frames have their original hammers packaged and labeled which goes with which gun so that they can be replaced quickly should that need ever present itself, though I doubt that it will. All of the bobbed hammers were fitted to specific revolvers.

    I guess I just like 'em that way because I'm just so used to them. Others will disagree and valid points can be made for their preferences in not trimming the hammer spur.

    I'm used to it and it just works for me. I think it offers a bit of a anti-snag safeguard but maybe that's more theoretical than likely. Who can say? I just prefer it.

    Best to you and yours.
     
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