1st Time J Frame owner with ?s

[ban_four]

Hi All,

I have always liked older S&Ws but only had one until Saturday. I found and bought a no dash Mod 36 with a 3 inch barrel. Serial is 509,xxx. Diamond grips do have a serial that matches. So what do I have here? What 38 can I shoot safely through it?

Thanks,
Mitch

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71514827@N00/8507424784/




http://www.flickr.com/photos/71514827@N00/8507432914/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71514827@N00/8506324831/

[MrSmithers]

Going by the S&W book, if there is no "j" before the numbers, or somewhere in the middle of them, it should be a mid to late '60's. I would say maybe a '66 to '67ish. Diamond grips ended in '68. As far as the correct ammo, I'll leave that to someone else.

[old bear]

You should be able to shoot any 38 special ammo through it. You may not want to though, as many find 38 special +P ammo, is hard on the shooter in a J frame revolver.

I shoot standard 38 special ammo in my M-60, most of the time. For S/D I load it with what is called the F.B.I. load or the Federal +P+ 147 Gr. ammo. If I have to shoot my M-60 for real the recoil or possible damage will be not be high on my worry list.

[Old cop]

Shoot regular pressure @ the range and carry +P for EDC. If you have to use your gun for SD wondering if +P did any damage will not be high on your list of concerns.

[packrat2]

I shoot wad cutters in my S&W j frame, easy on the gun and fun to shoot...

[JP@AK]

Ban_Four
The only .38 Special rounds I think you should definitely not shoot in your Chiefs Special would be handloads that equal the old .38/44 loads that Elmer Keith used when developing the .357 Magnum, back in the early 1930s. Those would be pretty hard on your little J frame revolver!
On the J frames and on older (prewar) Hand Ejectors I try to keep most of the ammunition used in them on the mild side. I do carry a Model 36, just a couple years older than yours, on a daily basis for personal defense. When in the holster, it is loaded with Federal HydraShock ammunition, which is rated +P. For range use, I normally shoot a mid-range concoction of my own construction using 158 grain cast bullets pushed by 3.5 grains of Red Dot. It is quite mild. The small J frame will handle most anything, but there is no reason to punish it with heavy loads on a regular basis.
That's my two Zlotys (Polish coins) worth.
I hope it helps.
Jack

[outlaw1954grizzlydog]

how to determine what kind of frame i have ???

[kaaskop49]

Chiefs of that period were normally carried with the 158gr RN 'service load.' Back then, that was pretty much all there was in standard velocity, except wadcutters and the 200gr load. From a solid rest, you may be very surprised how accurate that Chief/service load combo is, more so with the 3" bbl.
Chiefs are very strong guns, but I agree with the poster on not using the old hi-speed .38-.44 factory loads; heck, I'm looking for them for my Heavy Duty. Other posters can tell you what more modern loads to use for serious social work. I would have a qualified gunsmith inspect it to make sure all is in order. If you don't change out the factory grips (keep them!), remember to keep your pinky finger under the butt to keep the gun from recoiling downwards in your hand.
I'm not an expert, but I have been using J-frames for decades. Hope this helps.

[JP@AK]

Hello Outlaw (whose handle is too long to type)

Welcome to the Forum.

S&W has made several different hand ejector frame sizes over the years, all the way from the very tiny M frame (1902-1921), to the I frame (1896-c.1961), the J frame (c. 1952-present), the K frame (1899-present), the L frame (1980-present) and the N frame (1908-present). There are also hybrids.
The easiest way to tell which frame you have is to identify the model of your gun. That will enable us (eventually you) to identify which frame it was built on. Keep in mind that before 1957-58, S&W revolvers had only model names, not model numbers.
But generally the three common frames (up until 1980) were the I/J (small), the K (medium) and the N (large).
I hope this helps.
Jack

[ogilvyspecial]

Originally Posted by MrSmithers

Going by the S&W book, if there is no "j" before the numbers, or somewhere in the middle of them, it should be a mid to late '60's. I would say maybe a '66 to '67ish. Diamond grips ended in '68. As far as the correct ammo, I'll leave that to someone else.

That sounds about right.

My M38 shipped, according to Roy,
in August of '68 and has serial no. 65233X

[JP@AK]

Originally Posted by MrSmithers

I would say maybe a '66 to '67ish. Diamond grips ended in '68.

Yes. Looking at this again, I noticed something else that helps put brackets around the shipping date. The cylinder release is of the contoured variety. The changeover from the third style flat latch to this type happened in 1966. So, the stocks would give us a pre-1968 date and the latch a post-1965 date. So 1966-67 has to be right. That also fits with my reading of the available serial data.
Jack

[M3Stuart]

Welcome to the forum! You are on your way to learning everything there is to know about S&Ws.

I don't have a 60's model 36 anymore - though I've owned a few of them. When I had them I shot 158gr std velocity handloads in whatever quantities my hand could stand.

My 2" guns were as accurate as I was and your 3" should be very accurate out to, say, 50' with a little practice.

Hang in there, you're going to have a lot of fun with it.

[photoman]

Very nice gun! If you decide to use it for self defense, give the Hornady 110 FTX standard pressure load a try. I've found them to be extremely accurate.

38 Special Critical Defense Ballistic Gel Test - YouTube

[rock doc]

Originally Posted by outlaw1954grizzlydog

how to determine what kind of frame i have ???

This may help too:

Smith & Wesson model changes

Open the cylinder and look at the model number on the yoke.

[Water-Man]

A very good carry load for your gun is the Cor-Bon DPX 110gr.+P Barnes.

Tolerable recoil, good penetration and expansion.