I have a model 36 blue with 3" barrel and square butt. Looking at the SCSW it says that the heavy barrel was standard on 3" guns as of 1975. My serial #J340XXX appears to be a 1976 production but the gun does not have a heavy barrel. Were all of the guns produced after 1975 fitted with a heavy barrel?

I don't know the answer to your question.

My list shows J357XXX shipping in February '75 and J320XXX shipping in June '75. The factory did not track "production" dates, but rather its records show the shipping dates. As usual the examples from my database prove you can't expect serial numbers to have shipped in any sort of consecutive sequence, and nothing is cast in stone (neither at the factory or in the SCSW).

Hope this helps.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

So theoretically, using your shipping dates, any of those guns or mine could have been produced in 1974.

I suppose you could make that assumption, but we'll likely never know for sure.

It took me no mean amount of time to wrap my mind around not knowing production dates and go with the shipping date as the available and accepted standard. Saves me lots of brain cells to simply accept that truth. Still searching for a revolver that shipped on my birthday -- a Monday back in June of '52.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Hi:
In the distant pass (1960s) I had a Model 36 3" with a standard (pencil) barrel. I don't recall if it was SB or RB ?
Jimmy

Getting back to the question of barrel, maybe I need some schooling. Were there many types of barrels just known by different names, pencil, standard, heavy and bull? Or did it depend on the model of gun. The attached two pics of my 36 and 65 are for reference. I would call my model 65 a bull barrel compared to the standard production 4" model 65 and the 36 a standard barrel not a heavy barrel or was this the heavy barrel compared to a thinner or pencil barrel?
We are never to old to learn.

Attached Images

	36-65 001.jpg (117.2 KB, 92 views)
	36-65 002.jpg (86.7 KB, 74 views)
	36-65 003.jpg (112.8 KB, 74 views)
	36-65 004.jpg (79.1 KB, 67 views)

I believe the 36-1 were all "bull" barrels. And the "pencil" barrel versions were stamped 36 no dash. Which is yours?

Both were available for years.

I remember someone posted side-by-side pictures of the two barrel styles. Hopefully that poster will see your question and re-post the pictures.

Here is my 36-1 bull barrel, sq butt version from about 1978. There were round butt versions also.

Attached Images

36-1 tile.jpg (42.9 KB, 427 views)

Standard or Pencil- same
Heavy or Bull- same

Mine is a 36 no dash. The angle of the barrel in your photo might be deceiving but doesn't look at different from mine. Every photo I have seen of a gun with a pencil barrel had a blade front sight. My 36 no dash has a ramp as does your 36-1. Any thoughts on the blade vs ramp front sight be the difference between a heavy barrel and a standard barrel?

I measured the diameter of my 36 no dash barrel at three different points and determined it is what I would call a tapered barrel. I measured next to frame = .61", center of barrel = .58", at muzzle = .53".

I would like to confirm with someone who has a 36-1 or heavy barrel the diameter dimensions are equal at all points on the barrel.

No. The model 36-1 (3" heavy barrel) was introduced in late 1966 but it did not replace the model 36 (2" & 3" tapered barrel). Unlike most engineering changes, the 36 and 36-1 were both produced from late 1966 until 1988.

Below are pictures contrasting the two barrel types . . . the 36 is in front or on the right . . . the 36-1 is in the rear or on the left. Note the long, gentle slope to the front sight on the 36 and the shorter slope to the 36-1. The contrast in barrel thickness from the business end is even more dramatic.

I tend to prefer the heavy barrel and square butt for natural point and aim as well as control . . . but they're both great revolvers. Enjoy,

Russ

edit: unable to post pictures . . . for a barrel comparison, see post #11 in this thread:
J Frame Serial Number Question

Thanks Linde, that answers my question.

From what I understand, the -1 was made at the same time as the no dash. They started the -1 in around 66-68 somewhere in there, and that way you could buy a 3 inch no dash with a tapered barrel or a -1 with heavy barrel all the way through the early 80's or so. Not sure when the -2 was made, but I don't know what the 3 inch barrel was like then. I always thought the -1 started in the 80's, but found out otherwise a while back. I don't like the heavy barrel on the 36. Now on a Model 10 I only like the heavy barrel, bit those 3ninch tapered 36's are beautiful. I also like 3 inch Model 31's. I'm pretty sure they all came in tapered barrel on the 31's. I also belive a -1 ONLY came with a 3 inch barrel too, no snubs or 4 inch "I believe." You got pictures?

On a side note, the Model 10's had a similar set up, every other dash number was a tapered barrel and heavy barrel. Somewhere there were 2 in a row though of the same thing. They were made at the same time as the other barrel option. Also, I'm pretty sure there were no snubs with a dash number that was a heavy barrel. A -5/-7 were both tapered and a -6/-8 were both heavy. I don't know all of them, but they did that so you had the option of which type of barrel you preferred at any given time.

Heavy and bull I'm pretty sure are the same thing. Standard and tapered are the same as well, and I "think" pencil may refer to any tapered barrel, but I only hear that phrase with K frame guns like a Model 10. I haven't heard anyone say a pencil barrel on a 36, but who knows. I'm sure anyone would know what you meant. Some people get too hung up on exact terminology even though they know what you mean. One member felt the need to tell me that Colt didn't have "magna" grips. Now, that was informative, but if I said a detective special with magna grips, I'm pretty sure most people would know exactly what I'm talking about. I still call them that anyhow, because it's easier than saying small, wooden panel grips.

Here's a list of dash numbers. I forget the year the Chief's Special started (1950?), but the Model 36 officially started in 1957 and some of these are made at the same time, including Lady Smith versions.


1967 36-1 3" heavy barrel
1967 Change to forked mainspring strut
1968 Delete diamond grip
1969 Begin "J" serial prefix
1975 Heavy barrel standard
1982 Eliminate pinned barrel
1988 36-2 New yoke retention system on tapered bbl
1988 36-3 New yoke system heavy bbl
1989 36-4 2" Ladysmith tapered bbl
1989 36-5 3" Ladysmith heavy bbl
1992 Disc. 3" on Ladysmith
1994 Laminate rosewood grips, extractor change
1989 36-6 Target version (special production), 3" full lug, ribbed bbl, wide smooth trigger
1990 36-7 New sight width on standard frame and bbl
1990 36-8 New sight width on heavy bbl
1991 Ltd edition with full lug and target sights
1992 2" and 3" heavy bbl in round butt only
1994 Uncle Mike's grips, change extractor
1995-6 Delete square butt, only 2" in production
1996 36-9 Magnum frame intro for .38+P, MIM hammer and trigger, change lockworks
2001 36-10 Internal key lock for Ladysmith
2001 add fired case to box
2007 Model 36 Classic starts

Not sure when the flat latch disappeared, maybe 1965ish?

Great info, thanks!

I apologize, I ramble.....a LOT.