Excellent! Welcome to the Jovino club for both of us!

Glad you got a nice one for your 3" J frame collection.

Thanks for the info Kernel!

A birthday gun for me! In September 1984 I was turning 18 while going through Infantry OSUT (Basic Training and AIT combined) at FT Benning GA.

That's why the FATES wanted me to have it!

Happy birthday Jeepin'!

I should've known. I chewed the same dirt at the Beginning only three months previously. Interesting that two old grunts could be so interested in wheelguns. Most of our kind seem to be obsessed with the auto world.

Hey Kernel, can you date AEU90xx? I'm thinking it's from the November litter.

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Si vis pacem, para bellum

I'm not the Kernal but I do have AEU81XX and the box end label shows 4305 . . . that's the Julian date for November 1, 1984.

Russ

November 1, 1984.... I was a newly minted civilian of about one week, after serving a term of enlistment as an 19D in an attack helicopter squadron.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Its the old servicemember's convention around here!

Although I carried a 1911 along with the M-60 I humped all over the place which developed a love for old slabsides, and I got an M9 as a retirement gift - the first handgun I ever shot was a Smith Model 19 with a four inch barrel.

Shooting that revolver with .38 wadcutters was awesome to a teenager. Most police officers in Tucson while I was growing up carried Model 66's.

My parents really did not have much money, but for Christmas 1985 they sent me a like new in box 4" Model 19-3 (Dates to 1970) I still have that revolver and still enjoy the simple pleasure of shooting small groups slowly or sending soda cans flying with them. Almost like driving a classic car.

I did a moonlighting stint running a CNC machine and realized just how much machine work and hand fitting goes into revolvers.

Finally I just really like how sleek and elegant they look and feel.

Paint's, sorry for the thread drift - if its too much Ill delete this...

Not a problem. And while you guys were playing in the Georgia mud, I was running through the hills of Camp Pendleton doing my ITS training.

Would bring an old warrior back to life and make a great trail/carry gun. Let us know if you do it!

My father was a Navy Corpsman for the Marines. Nothing but respect for you guy's!

Thanks for the dating info and the added bonus of veteran fellowship. And thanks Linde and Kernel for the dates, I suspected as much. I was mostly curious. I had a choice of two, I only went on the newer as it appeared to be in slightly better condition, but one simply can't tell from pictures. Still happy about it.

I cut my teeth on a model 10 that my uncle had, with a snub nose barrel. Incidentally, he was a fighter pilot in WWII and Korea. He liked Model 10s from his experience as a Victory model totin' hotshot pilot for the AAC and Air Force. He passed that S&W fondness on to me. Both my grandfather's & father were dyed in the wool 1911 fans, having carried them in WWI and II, Korea and Vietnam. I inherited that fondness as well. I have the normal gang of autos, Colt, Glock, SIG and some others. But I really have more S&W revolvers than any other brand. In fact, I have four .45 ACP firing handguns (one that my granddad carried in WWII), but my favorite these days is a 22-4.

However, in recent years, I have really regained an interest in S&W revolvers. I've had quite a few over the years and am rebuilding a little collection. Until recently, I had no interest in J-frames. I got a really good deal on a 3" RB 36 last summer, and then got hooked. It was such a good deal, it takes a the sting out of what I just paid for that Jovino. I figured they won't get any cheaper like that great deal Jeepin' just got.

I'd like to thank the original OP, Paints-n-cows for this thread. I was looking for a 3" model 60, the newer models, but don't like some of the features of them. I couldn't seem to find a fixed sight, 3" anywhere and kept looking when I found this thread. It helped me know better what I was looking at.

I notice that the forum has lots of military veterans and LEO, another pretty good feature or bonus depending how one views it. I also have a great respect for the LEO world. Funny how a little known revolver can bring some S&W fans together. I worked with all branches during my service, always interesting to me the "small" world the military is. I worked pretty closely with 19Ds in my day, Kernel, but they were mostly the ground kind, and rode around in big loud armored vehicles, just like me. It is kind of an irony that after all these years that we are all still playing with M 60s

I'd like to hear more range reports and favored loads for those who have these 3" model 60s. Fortunately, I've had some good experience in terms of loads with my 36, another J that works well with a 3". I'll return to handloading here soon and I already have a suggested load from Jeepin'. And of course, more eye candy is always a bonus!

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Si vis pacem, para bellum

Ah, yes, the dreaded "Pig". So fun to clean. So light to carry. I too was a M60 gunner. And at times had to hump it and a PRC-77 to boot!

I tried to file a grievance with upper management, but you know, the paperwork must of got lost.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Wow! The 60 AND the prick 77? You are an animal Kernel!

LOL the veterans in the unit dumped the 60 on me the first day I showed up as a new cherry. It was a worn out mess.

Surprised em all when I sat with the armorer and we stripped the entire thing down, filled out pages of 2404's, ordered 2 barrels, all new parts for the feed tray, sear, and bolt as well as a new blank adapter and then that baby sang!

I remembered MOUT training in AIT getting pinned down by an MG, and made sure my 60 could bring the smoke! Spent hours of my own time studying the T&E, grazing, plunging, and dropping that cone of fire into the beaten zone. 1SG was so happy he had the armorer and I rebuild all the rest of the MG's in the Company, including the M2 HB's.

My scrawny *** humped that gun all over Europe for training and I loved my pig! They had to take the gun away from me when I made E5. Ah, those were the days.

Guys I love it that I asked about a jovino I bought way back early summer and included in your threads. Your new threads just make me more fond of my jovino 3 inch from sept 1984

I was a 19D in the Guard, but flew around in an OH-58. We carried M-60's but bungied to the bulkhead. Yes....They were an all day project to get clean after use.

I see that someone just bought one of the Jovinos on GB so there must be a new Jovino-ite out there now.

I think that was me. I got it today (it actually got to my FFL on Friday) and took it straight to the range. Interestingly, it really likes the same Winchester 130gr JHP Defend stuff that it's blued model 36 cousin does.

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Okay, somebody has to ask: what's a 19D and a PRC-77?

My service was in the AF and I didn't encounter those terms.

If you mean a machinegunner using a M-60, I can understand that. My son has a little experience along those lines. He liked the gun.

But I think his combat service involved only rifles and pistols. He's never mentioned using a MG in battle. He was mostly on some general's staff, leading small units out to do battle when he had time, looking for Saddam and his sons in particular. He was with 3rdID when they rolled into Baghdad.
He accounted for a considerable number of confirmed enemy dead. Later, he was a security contractor and saw intense action during ambushes.

I never fired a shot in anger. Just as well, as I didn't trust most of the ammo for my .38. Our unit armorer in Denver eventually went off base and bought some Hi-Velocity ammo.
It was probably .38-44 stuff, but we didn't fire enough of it to abuse our guns, a mix of Victory Models and Combat Masterpieces. Had a few Colt Commando and Official Police guns, too. Investigators carried Colt or S&W snubs. The Colts had hammer shrouds.

So, what's a 19D and a PRC-77? Inquiring minds want to know.

Texas,

A 19D is the speciality number for Cavalry Scout.

A AN/PRC 77 was a big heavy old school radio set with big, heavy batteries. Used from Viet Nam or before until the SINCGARS radio replaced it. It was usually placed into a Soldiers ruck (Pack), but could be carried on its own frame with straps. Google AN/PRC 77.

And if a PRC-77 was mounted in an M151, it was called an AN/GRC-160.

We had those on our TOW jeeps until they were replaced by the HMMMVs

PRC-77, universally pronounced "prick seventy-seven".

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

The funny thing is when I read PRC-77, that exactly how I pronounced it in my head.

I guess old habits (and training) die hard....lol

I like them too, easier to carry consealed than the 2'' models. Can't seem to run across the m60 that O P has.This blue one is NIB unfired that I've had 8-10 years or so, the stainless one is m60-4.

Is this gun a square butt frame, or are those round to square conversion grips? Looks a lot like a M60-4, but I thought those were are round butts.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

It's round butt, it shipped with rubber grips.

I have the same label but in the top left corner it has the number 542 and the s/n aew1188 . in the top corner is that the number made that year ?

Post the "Spec. Ord." number. That's the code for the date.

The 3-digit number in the top left corner was, I believe, used for inventory purposes way back when. It has no meaning in the present time.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~