So most people find rust under the grips of their revolvers when they take the grips off.

I was checking out my trusty 65-2 3" that I use as a trail gun here in CO. I took off the grips to check the strain screw and found this:

Cool. Nice surprise.

__________________
Guns + Dogs= Bliss

Pleasant surprise. If it could talk, I wonder what stories it could tell.

I thought the same thing when I saw this!

I did a search after I found the mark and the quick info available was that Massachusetts State Police officers at the time were required to always be armed, so they were issued a 4" 65 for duty and a 3" 65 for off duty and investigations.

I imagine that when the MSP decided to transition from the 65's they turned them in to S&W for credit or sold them, then a distributer spread the wealth around for the rest of us to enjoy.

This revolver was found in a Lakewood, CO pawn shop for the enormous sum of $375. I almost did not buy it because I already had a 3" 65-5 with Uncle mikes grips. I posted that story here:

Pawnshopping - New pix up!

I wish it could tell me about its duty - and how it ended up in that pawn shop.

As my local newspaper once put on their front page headline, an "unexpected surprise"!
Cool find.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Very cool- it's things like that that keep this hobby as interesting as it is

I have a 6" Model 1905 4th Change M&P that is marked MASS STATE POLICE on the backstrap. It was one of a 44 gun shipment on 6/12/34 and the marking was factory applied. I imagine that S&W and the Mass. State Police had a long relationship.

I would certainly think so, if only for reasons of proximity. But then, I would order service firearms from S&W if I worked on Jupiter!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. Lovely gun. Anybody know if there are J-frames on Jupiter?

"my trusty 65........ that I use as a trail gun......"

Wait a minute; how long have you owned that without taking the grips off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Picked it up in June 2013. You are correct, I should have taken them off during the initial in store inspection or as soon as I got it home.

No other rust on it and life has me insanely busy - but no excuse Drill SGT.

The 3" 13 got the grips off and completely checked.

My other 3" 65 got dunked in a Jeep water crossing and that one got the grips off and blown/cleaned out to prevent rust. This one has never been dropped in the dirt or been wet believe it or not.

No bad deed should go unpunished........... It's clear that that 3" Model 13 is "at risk" of rust and needs a better home!!!!!!!!!!

PM with shipping information will follow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAM-BAM..... now AKA "Drill SGT."

Oh ya......drop and give me 20!!!

I seem to recall the MSP didn't release many stamped guns to the public, so this one may have been from a former or retired officer.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I was thinking the exact same thing. Probably because of my OCD, but I fully disassemble, and clean, polish, inspect, then reassemble, every firearm that comes home. But then I clean my guns completely, inside and out, every time I shoot. Just gives me the willeys, every time a gun owner proudly boasts about how many thousands of rounds he's fired without cleaning.

Real nice Model 65, wish I had something to trade you for it. It'd be nice to bring it home.

Well, since you have two 65's with three inch barrels and I have zero, you should think about selling one of them to me so we'll each have one.

Best way to wear a revolver finish is scrubbing the devil out if it repeatedly after shooting. I clean revolvers ( ten minute quick duty ready cleaning) every 500 rounds or so and a through cleaning about once a year. I love blued revolvers and don't mind when the finish wears but no sense in acceleration of the process trying to get a gun sparkling clean.

Very nice - all my S&W police trade ins are semi-automatics.

I carefully clean them after each range session or being outside, but I dont worry too much about the black rings on the face of the cylinder - they are just going to come back. I clean the cylinder face, I just dont scrub the rings completely off.

You know I would share the wealth, but my 19 year old son has laid claim to one of them.

He will prob get the 65-5. Im keeping the pinned and recessed, state police goodness 65-2.

One of the other kids or grandkids can have it after I die.

That knock on your door tomorrow will be a Patrol Sargent looking for Cptain Freely's misplaced model 65. Actually the Captain had just a few too many and forgot to ask for it back from the bartender when the taxi showed up to drive him home. Took him 3 years to remember he'd left it with a bartender and still can't remember which bar in Boston it was. Yeah, the Captain isn't the sharpest pencil in the drawer but he did marry well.

Well, if you stumble across any other good deals while you're out and about you should let me know. Everything I stumble across around here is either overpriced or too beat up for my taste. Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places. (You and I are practically neighbors.)

Thank you!

I have two other police trade ins, a Victoria Australia Police 3" Model 10 and an Idaho State Police 4586.

So that's how it ended up in that pawn shop! He was out here in Denver for a conference and after he never came back for it, the bartender pawned it. That bartender has some 'splainen to do, because I have a recipt for it.

Willdo. PM me your contact info and what you are looking for.

My favorite fishin hole pawn shop in lake wood closed down but the deals are still out there. I just pulled a 2 1/2" Model 19 out of another Pawn Shop in Colorado Springs.

We should meet at Blucore or Bristlecone someday and do ssome shooting. I can at least let you send some .38's down range thru the 65 - my treat.

Thanks. I'll shoot you a PM in a bit.