Found this Bubba'd 36-1 target. Looks as though it's been blasted and the sight has been cut. It's tight and seems good mechanical. I just don't know if that finish is fixable

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You sure that’s not hard chromed?

No, not sure. That was my best guess

I'm with smithman -- the 36 is carbon steel, so that's not a bead blast alone, likely followed by either hard chrome, Cerakote or nickel.

Most finishes are fixable with time, money and the right expertise, but if it shoots and the price is right, who cares about the finish?

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Pickpocket

Double tap...

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Pickpocket

I'd suggest just shooting it. If that's hard chrome, I'm not sure it can be removed.

The more I think about it, it may be hard chrome. It sure seems like a tough coating and no chips on any edges. I'm gonna shoot it and see how it does, but will probably need a new front sight as this one has been cut down some. Is it the same as a 34/63.

It will shoot pretty high with that front sight blade. Someone must have wanted to do some long range shooting with it. I don't think it is in the range of rear sight adjustment to correct point of impact.

No, the .22/32 Mod 34/63 will be too short although much closer to original correct sight.

!975 vintage:

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Maybe glue a fiber-optic tube onto the front sight to raise it a bit.

What height sight should it have

PASS. You can see the bubba'd outside........Wonder what was done on the inside?

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S&W Accumulator

I would wrap that with tape and hide it in the restaurant up behind the water closet for Michael Corleone to shoot McClusky and Sollotzo the Turk

I would be worried about the insides being tampered with

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Any electro plating process can be removed by reverse electrolysis.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Mine in the post above looks about the same vintage, with same 3" length heavy barrel. Using calipers my sight is .575" from the top of the sight blade to top inside of the bore.

Another photo with a better view of what's left of the front sight would help a lot. If it had a sight base like mine, it appears to have been filed away or otherwise reduced in size!

Most Chief targets didn't have a front sight base and the sight blade looked like a shark fin:



But I believe yours may have started life as a rare Nickel model like this serial #J455856, 1976 production, code H13, with the shorter front sight ramp base and single pin, also available with even more rare Sq butt like yours:



Does it have an N on bottom of barrel?


The base ramp and sight blade are one piece held in place with one (or two pins like mine w/longer base), thru the side of the barrel rib. So what's left of your sight/base can be removed and a new S&W replacement sight can be reinstalled the same way. Pretty straight forward for a good gunsmith.

Or you can grind off whatever is left of the sight blade down flush to the top of the front sight base, grind in (with a cut off wheel in a Dremel tool if you have the skill with it) or have milled in a factory style 1/2 moon mortise (slot) and install a factory blued sight blade pinned in place thru the base like the one on this Model 60-4 stainless target:

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Looks to me like there is no sight blade at all just the ramp. I wouldn't let the hard chrome scare me off, if it passed a function test. It is the very best aftermarket finish there is.

Need better photos of the front sight to really see what is going on there.

Front sight is like the one on the model 60 with a base and the blade pinned to it. The blade has been filed down about 3/16'' it appears to me. I'll check for the N under the barrel, I don't have it with me at the moment.
Serial # j130xxx

Thanks for the info and the pics. Really helps.

Should be an easy fix. If S&W still has the sight they'll likely send it free which they often do for one small part. If not they recommend these guys for obsolete parts, which they probably buy from Smith:

S&W CS/Parts Dept
Telephone: 800-331-0852 (USA)
Mon-Fri 8:00AM-8:00PM Eastern Time
Live Chat here:
Contact Us | Smith & Wesson

‘Guns & Gun Parts’ (Recommended by S&W)
(413) 732-9938
983 Westfield St
West Springfield MA 01089-3813
EMAIL: [email protected]
Guns n Parts - New and Used Guns Bought and Sold. no parts list here.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Could the sight modification be to accommodate a 6 o’clock hold? Why not shoot it first and see how bad it is?


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Thanks and I'm going to shoot it tomorrow. See what it does.

Since when does adjusting sight automatically become bubbafying a piece? I see this a lot on the forums. The sights get adjusted for the shooter and the piece is bubba’d and who knows what they did to the internal parts.

But swapping springs is okay? Doesn’t make sense. At least not to me.

To highknob, please excuse my off tangent rant. Regarding the revolver. I like that finish. The front sight, well, shoot it and let it tell you why it was shortened. Might be set up for something besides 160 grain bullets.

Kevin

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Hondo44, I was wrong about the front sight. It is like the nickel gun, one piece and one pin. Sight cut down to about the bottom of where the red is on yours. Didn't see a N on the bottom of the barrel, but there is a spot on the bottom center of barrel where the back of the knurl ends on the ejector rod. Could have been an N. I'm shooting it today and see how that goes.

Shot today and it was really high. Couldn't get it to hit a notebook paper at 20 feet holding on the bottom of the paper. 125 yards 6 foot high. Mechanically sound and function fine. Just needs a new sight.

Nt sure what you were shooting but bullet weight does have an effect on POI. Something you might consider.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Shooting factory 158 grain and some 150 semi wad cutter close factory load.

I may be mis-remembering but I think heavier bullets impact higher and light ones lower in regard to point of aim. If you care to try lighter bullets, it might help. Personally, 150 is as light as I would go in a 36 caliber bullet.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

To highknob
Your first guess is correct! There were 213 3" HB mod36-1 targets made in 1975! All were in the 2J3xxx serial number block. Your serial number, J130xxx, makes it a bubba gunsmithing job. I can't see the front sight, which should be mounted on a ramp, clearly enough. This gun has no collector value so anything you do to it to make a good shooter will be fine. As you determined the front sight is WAY to low! The gun will shoot the next county over, no problem!(please don't ask me how I know)!
jcelect