Can anyone shed some light on this S&W M36-2 ?

I bought it off a friend back in the late 1980's; it was like-new at the time..only had a box or two of ammo put through it. I've carried it off-and-on for the last 20+ years. I think he told me the matte black finish and bobbed hammer was a short-run factory option, but don't remember so well these days. I guess I'm interested in finding out more about the revolver as we got a call from his wife last night, and he passed away. Many of my old friends seem to be slipping away...I've reached that age.

Any information on the bobbed hammer 36-2 would be appreciated. I've done a search and can't find much.



- Regards

..on page 209: 36-2 (1988): New yoke system tapered barrel. Can't find any mention of the bobbed hammer though.

I'm sorry. I don't have any information to offer you. However, I do have some questions/requests that may help someone else provide you an answer.

Is your revolver double action only (DAO), or are you able to cock the hammer and fire in single action mode?

Can you provide a picture of the hammer where the spur would normally be? The profile appears similar to factory DAO hammers I've seen in the past. I would be curious to see if color of that surface matches the rest of the case colored hammer, if it looks cold blued (solid) or if it is in the white.

.

S&W used to sell factory bobbed hammers as parts or an option.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore...ist_Retail.pdf

.

It's DAO...I should have mentioned that originally. The color of the "bobbed" surface is case colored and matches the rest of hammer.



I vaguely remember reading or hearing somewhere that S&W did a "run" of about 1200 of these back in 1988....but now-a-days most everything is vague.

- regards

This is pure speculation on my part, but the fact that the hammer is DAO would lead me to believe that your revolver might have been a part of a contract overrun of a police dept. The police dept might have requested that configuration.

In 2005 and 2008, S&W released some Model 37's that were in the exact configuration of your Model 36 (factory DAO hammer, matt finish). The rumor with the Model 37's was that they were contract overruns from an order for some Japanese police agency. One of these Model 37's is being offered for sale down in the Classifieds section right now if you wanted to compare it to your Model 36.

It sounds like this revolver has a great deal of sentimental value to you. You might want to consider writing S&W to get its history. I think the cost now is $50 for S&W to research a firearm for you.

....I've got one of the "Japanese" bobbed M37's. I bought it several years ago to use as a "Summer Carry". Both are similar in that they are DAO, have bobbed hammers, and "sport" matte black finishes.

Thank you for your suggestion !

- regards

During 1981 I purchased a new 5 rd. S&W revolver for off duty use. I asked the salesman at the police supply store if he had anything in stainless for less than $100. He brought out a nice little SS snub with a hammer the likes of which I had never seen.

It had no spur and the hammer lay flush with the frame. No shroud just a small rectangular spot with a few horizontal grooves. This just barely protruded above the frame.

I immediately thought that those serrations would allow for single action use. How wrong I was. No one could draw that hammer back using only their thumb nail. Well heck I didn't intend to fire it in single action.

During a time that few SS revolvers were available I considered that gun to be quite a jewel. The weight was 20 oz. a good weight for recoil control. The only problem was the tiny wooden grips that were obsolete even back then.

I have never seen another revolver like it. It may have been a model 36, or whatever the less expensive model was at the time, perhaps a limited edition. Does anyone know this model ?

Just guessing, maybe it was a Model 60-2.

I believe the Model 60-2 was a special run of Model 60's with bobbed hammers done for the NYPD. However, I don't know the years they were produced and I don't have a copy of the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson (SCSW) handy.

As I recall from the SCSW, all the Model 60-2's were recalled as NYPD experienced some type of problem with them which resulted in them being removed from the authorized carry list.

speedingbullet: Let me first say welcome to the Forum and I'm very sorry to hear about your friend.

I recently bought a 3" Model 36-3 that is a 1989 Special Edition factory DAO gun (product code 101522 with 1988 serial number). Yours sound like the 2" Special Edition (product code 101520).The SCSW mentions both limited runs.

__________________
Centennial Every Day

In the early 90's our PD armorer called and asked if I still had any Model 60's to which I replied "always a couple". He had just gotten back from a Smith armorer's school and had picked up half a dozen SS bobbed DA hammers for J frames. He fit both my 60's with the hammers. My daughter now has one and I still have the other. It makes a neat little winter coat pocket gun.

"Royal Barnes" - I was considering adding a factory bobbed SS hammers to my model 60 also.

Did you have the armorer also convert your model 60 to DAO? I was going to ***-u-me that I should convert my model 60 to DAO, since I don't see how I would be able to safely cock the hammer to fire it single-action anyway after the bobbed hammer is installed.

If a gunsmith/armorer converts the weapon to DAO can it be converted back easily? Thanks.

That hammer looks like the spur was just cut off and the area smoothed a bit. UNLESS It is obvious that it has the case harden colors, I would speculate it was not a factory alteration. I cut the spur on my 37 and just polished the area. Some will put cold blue over that spot---as it appears with the one in the picture. As for trying to operate it in single action mode with serations cut in the top of the hammer---the idea is to start the hammer with your trigger, then thumb it (if you must)and cock it. Do not be clutsy with this maneuver.

I am not an expert, but I believe it is a one-way conversion. Either the hammer or the sear will need to be modified and it can't be modified back. You need to remove metal.

Also keep in mind that if you are going to bobbed the hammer, it would be extremely difficult to use in single action any way.

Your best course of action is to buy a damaged J-frame hammer off the Internet someplace and have a gunsmith convert it for you. Or, an even better idea is to just find a Model 640 (no dash) in .38 spl. Then you would have your Model 60 which is DA/SA and your Model 640 which is DAO.