Tonight at a local gun show I picked up a Model 60 with a square butt and a 3 inch heavy barrel. The serial number is in the AEW13xx range. There is no dash in the yoke cut out. Is this an unusual configuration?

Thanks for the help

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

Tonight at a local gun show I picked up a Model 60 with a square butt and a 3 inch heavy barrel. The serial number is in the AEW13xx range. There is no dash in the yoke cut out. Is this an unusual configuration?

Thanks for the help

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

Looks like it was shipped in Nov 1984, can't find anything on the square butt. Did they mass produce the square butt, I don't remember seeing one myself.

According to the Standard Catalog of S&W, 3rd Edition the 60-1 (1972) iudicates a 3" heavy barrel with square butt. They made 171 of them in serial number range R56962-R57239.

Your serial number should be November 1984. Is the barrel pinned?

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BCCI Life Member #2068

I saw that same listing in the SCSW about 171 guns produced in that sn range. Mine is non pinned bbl and is in the AEW13xx serial number range. I have never really thought about it, but this is the first 3" barrel Model 60 I can remember seeing. Thanks for the help.

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Gary Grace
S&WCA #1837

Here is my 3in.mdl.60-3,ser.#BBE90xx.
Dick

Congratulations on finding a nice gun!

They were also made as a 60-3, like this one. They are not common, but not rare either. I have seen 8 to 10 on this board over the past few years. There was a thread a month or two ago that had several pictured in it.

Definately one of my favorite J-frames.

Nice find.

Are the ones pictured above "Heavy Barrel" models, or does heavy barrel mean the full underlug? I seen a 3" 60 in a previous thread that had the full underlug and I believe square butt.. Was a great lookin gun! Those model 60s are getting harder and harder to find.. (As are most old revolvers) Sweet guns! I've got one on my "wish" list at the moment..

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Mick

The heavy bbl. is seen here. The full-lug barrel type is like a miniature M-686.

I have owned both, and VERY much like both. These are perhaps the best small revolvers ever made. Ruger's SP-101 is probably more durable in really heavy use, but is less elegant, and the M-60-4, etc. lasts most owners quite well enough, even with Plus P ammo, for which the M-60-4 is factory-rated.

These guns are much easier to shoot really well than the snub form, and have added velocity and longer length extractor rods.

T-Star

Perhaps they forgot to stamp the -1 on yours?

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BCCI Life Member #2068

m-1911, I have one, AEV54XX, they didn't make many in 1984, but are great guns.

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Dick

This is the 60-4 with the full underlug bbl., I think these were all round butt.

vrichard-nice 60-3! How does it shoot with that Winchester high-base ammo?

John Jovino sold model 60s in square butts in the mid-80s with 2 in and 3 in. barrels. They sold in Shotgun News. I ordered a 3 in heavy barrel and later traded it to a model 25-2 in presentation box even up.

I recently managed to pick up one of the later Model 60-4 and I think it is close to an "Ideal" example of the "J" Frame guns. It is +P rated and has the 3 inch barrel and the Adjustable Sights. I don't think I've ever seen a better combination for the "J" Frame.

I bought one of the 60-4's when they first hit the market. I still have it and it's NOT for sale. It is the ideal "Trail Gun" for those that are not trying to repel Brontosaurs.

When I bird hunt with a shotgun, I often carry the 60-4 in a cross draw holster (to keep it from damaging my shotgun stock). It is quite handy for the occasional sitting rabbit or to capture a broken wing grouse without blowing it apart. Used with either target wad cutters or solid SWC it doesn't damage meat but is quite efficient.

The stainless configuration allows hunting in the rain without fear of damaging the finish. I would, personally, have preferred a 4" barrel but found that I could score much higher than I had anticipated on standard NRA Bullseye targets with this remarkable little revolver.

This has turned out to be a perfectly practical piece par excellence.

FWIW
Dale53

Amen on the 3" 60 being a great trail gun. Just took mine for a walk today, carry in a high ride on my strong side, doesn't take much to conceal, yet is handy. Light, powerful, and accurate (although a little slow to deploy really accurately).

The 3" barrel & square butt make for a very "shootable" gun. Mine is marked Mod. 60 with no dash number.


Bill

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Bill

! agree with the above 100%. I have had my 60-4 for about 15 years or so now and I have ALWAYS been amazed at the accuracy of this prefect balanced, equiped, solid shooter in my hands or my guests, only change I did was the grips to Pachmaur "Gripper" always my 1st carry in the field.

I believe you have one of the special run for John Jovino, a NY S&W Distributor, in November 1984. All of the ones I've seen are in the AEU, AEV and AEW s/n prefix. There are believed to have been 1,000 in this special run of 2" and 3" heavy barrel square butt Model 60s . . . the majority reported to be 3".

Based on my observations, the first example of a fixed sight, exposed ejector rod, square butt Model 60 was the 1978 shipment of 171 Model 60-1 with 3" pinned heavy barrels as reported in the SCSW 3rd.

The Jovino run in Nov 1984 (that yours is from) I believe was the second example but was marked simply Model 60 (not sure what happened to the dash 1) and the barrel was not pinned.

The third example apparently was the model 60-3, as exhibited here by vrichard and stiab, although I know very little about it. Would love to hear more for those able to add to the knowledge base.

Starting with the 60-4 they were equipped with target sights and full underlug barrel (with shrouded ejector rod) and are covered pretty well in the SCSW 3rd.

Russ

Sounds like you know the model 60 s well, my 60-4 is serial seq. BKZ44xx I wonder is this series real common or ? I remember reading in one of the mag. publications that this was a Special Edition-Limited production "trail gun" any idea how many they made? Thanks !

Thank you for that vote of confidence but my knowledge drops off dramatically staring with the 60-3. There are others out there far more knowledgeable than I am and hopefully they'll share so we can all learn.

Russ

I agree that the OP's gun is one of the Jon Jovino run from 1984 or so.

Neat little carry and/or field guns.

FN in MT

I have a 60-3 That has a heavy 3 inch barrel. It's factory brushed stainless RB with a bobed hammer and is DAO.
Came with Hogue rubber grips, all factory. It's special run(2000) made in 1989 (sn/ BDWxxxx) after the 3inch SB. I also have a 3'' 60-9 (121 made) and a 60-10. Love the 3 inch Smiths

dale53- that are not trying to repel Brontosaurs. I would like to see a Brontosaurs. I would want to use at least a .454 Casual on one. lol
Yes this is a response to an old post.

My 60-10 is one of my favorite guns........ while I have 2 4" 34 Kit guns...the 3" 60-10 .357 loaded generally loaded with .38s has become my go to "Kit-gun"!