I've recently got back into revolvers again after a long hiatus, which had led me to be more on the lookout lately when looking at my local stores and on Armslist

Was looking through Armslist I saw a posting for a S&W 640-1, the pictures weren't the greatest but the guy was willing to trade (which is a must for me cause I'm expecting my first kid so funds are tight). We exchanged emails back and forth, finally arranging a deal for a Glock 43 I had gotten on trade for the 640-1

I had looked up the price ranges in my area, they were selling around $450-600 in good condition. Worked out a straight trade with the gentleman and meet up earlier today

Once we met up, I got to looking over the revolver while he did the same with the Glock 43. The gentleman I got it from hadn't cleaned it in some time, had owned it for the past 5 years, and had the worse grips (at least in my humble opinion possible) Barami hip grips which I immediately took off to check the frame. They hadn't been off in some time for cleaning, so some surface rust and pitting had started around the edges. Also the left side of the trigger has bad putting on it

Normally once a deal is struck with someone, I stick to it unless something comes up but this was in alot rougher shape than was advertised and from pictures he had sent me before we met. We struck up a conversation, renegotiated the deal to were I was comfortable doing it and to compensate for the miscommunication.

I got it home and started cleaning it up. Trigger is very nice, I really enjoy the weight of the revolver. Got to thinking about it, made a call to my local gunsmith and asked about bead blasting it. To completely clean up the revolver, bead blast it, and install new spring will run me about $150. Just have to make up my mind about whether I want to go that route

It's pictured without the grips cause I didn't want to put them back on cause I disliked the Baramis so much. Do have a set of Altaman boot grips ordered for it

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Ah, that looks to be a pre-MIM 640-1. Clean it up, and enjoy. They are among S&W best.

Unfortunately, there are some shooters that think stainless steel S&Ws and Glocks don't rust but, stainless cleans up well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

What's the deal with that front sight? It looks to be missing or broken. No offense, but I think I would have walked away from that deal. It has clearly lived a rough life.

Nice grab...Perfect for carry!

it's tucked under the carpet fibers

I've started with alot worse and ending up making it look like a piece of fine jewelry. Anybody tells you differently is lazy or has no experience working with their hands. Maybe both.

I assume this is a shot at me. I meant no offense to the OP. I just hate to see someone get taken advantage of. Maybe he didn't, as he didn't disclose the details of the transaction. I do know that I just sold a 640-1 in mint condition, with original box, for $450. It took a couple of weeks to sell, listed on a local firearms message board. I work with my hands for a living, by the way.

What is the best way to clean this up? I'm reading different things, some recommending Scotch Brite (blue or grey) followed by flitz and others recommending wet/dry sand paper

Any will work, just depends on whether you want it shiny or not. If you are going to carry it, remember one thing, every time you clean it, remove the grips and wipe down the grip frame area with a oily or silicon rag and you will never have to worry about pitting.

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Support your Police, & NRA

I lucked into a couple of the Centerfire Police trade-in 640's. Carry a pre-mim like yours every day.

Make a great ccw.

Congrats.

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SWCA #2817

crazysarge16:

We have a thread on the 640-1 that was started by John Rippert, and there is a ton of information on these beautiful little gems, how to refurbish them, and all sorts of information about them. Here is the link... I think you will like reading about them: Police Trade-in 640s at Centerfire .

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Looks like an OK deal - not fantastic, but OK. Even better - pre MIM.

Please, don't use sand paper on it. Flitz should do the trick.

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Tony

I want it shiny, figure why spend money on something that ain't broke. Plus, got to reading about bead blasting, while it looks very nice there are disadvantages I didn't consider.

I plan on once I get done cleaning it up, I'll get some range time in, play around with what type of ammunition I want to carry in it (debating between 130gr Speer +P or 357), then place it in my carry rotation. Definitely enjoy it, have just been walking around the house with it in my pocket most of the day

Initially, the pictures of the revolver looked above OK. I was just stoked about getting another S&W in the collection, when I should have been asking for better pictures of the revolver before I drove 40 minutes to meet the gentleman.

First time I think I've ever had to renegotiate a deal once meeting completely. I was almost about to drive off without it until guy evened the deal out. Plus, I already had it in my head that I really wanted to get it so I was pleased when we did finally close on the deal

I need to go get some Flitz, all I've been using so far is mothers

I've had it in my pocket the majority of the time since I picked it up today around lunch time. It's definitely lighter than I thought it would have been. Hoping once I get it cleaned up, figure out which ammunition I want to carry in it, put it in my carry rotation

thanks!!! I actually browsed that post before I closed the deal on the revolver today. Know I'm intently reading it trying to find out which way would be the best to get this beauty back to tip top shape

Sarge,

I have four of these modern J frame .357 Centennial style guns. In the below picture, the bottom gun is the 640-1 like yours. I put Eagle "Secret Service" rosewood grips on it, and scrubbed out the internals and relubed it, and it is a wonderful gun. The others are from the top, the 340 PD, the M&P 340, and the 640-1 Pro Series. All are .357 magnums, and range in weight from just over 11 ounces empty (340 PD), to 23 ounces (640-1 Pro).:



I carry the Speer 135 gr Gold Cup Short Barrel .357 Magnum round. It is, in my opinion, one of the best for these short barreled magnums. Hard to get, and expensive, but what's your life worth?

Once you clean it up and get some decent grips on it, I'll bet you will fall in love with it!!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

640 is a great shooter. Love mine. It's my secondary at work and carry off duty in a Lobo Off Set belt clip at appendix. Shoots like a dream and can be deadly accurate when you learn it. Mine loves a 158SWC load and also shoots really well with Gold Dot short barrel 135gr HP.

I bought one of the Centerfire guns that was in very rough condition, cosmetically, lots worse than yours. Clerk at Centerfire used the term "road rash", if that gives you any idea about the condition. I used some 600 and 1500 wet sandpaper followed by some buffing compound and it looks way better than it started. Unfortunately I forgot to get before pictures. Yours should clean up very nicely.

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thanks, I ordered everything I need to clean it up today off Amazon cause my schedule has been too crazy to allow me to get to the store. Hopefully things will slow down later this week and I can work on it again

Les,
Not to hijack but those 4 J's are about as complete collection of 357 carry J's as Ive seen in one pic. Care to elaborate on your favorite?

Jack:

Hope the OP doesn't mind... The first one of that group that I bought was the M&P. I carried it daily for quite awhile. A great little gun, and I was happy to find one without the IL. One plus is that it has a tritium front sight.Shot it a fair amount, and was pretty happy with it. But in the back of my mind I had already decided that if a PD came up, I would get it, just to see what the extra 2 ounces less weight would be like.

I was up in SW PA, at the same store where I found the M&P, a year or so later, when I saw the PD. Bought it on the spot, and they already had my local WV FFL license on file, so they shipped it out, and a couple days later I had it. I can tell you...when you shoot a full house magnum (Remington 158 gr JSP) through it, it is really something!! I thought I had broken a bone in my hand, and I am not recoil sensitive. But my favorite loading for these little guys, as I mentioned above is the Speer gold dot 135 gr .357 magnum, and with that load, it is not at all that punishing, and the reports that I have read, plus shooting and killing a deer with the load and recovering the spent bullets have made me a believer in this particular round. Anyway, for a gun that is carried almost every day, and shot infrequently, it is the lightest load imaginable. Less than a pound, with ammo and Galco horsehide pocket holster!!

The 640-1 Pro Series I found for sale used at a local feed store that also sells firearms. It is twice the weight of the little scandium guns, at 23 ounces or so. It has tritium front and rear sights. Of all of these four, it has the best sights, and being a Pro Series, it had some extra attention paid at the factory. A wonderful little gun to shoot as well. When I went for my LEOSA quals this year, I first shot my old service gun, a .40 S&W Glock 23, and scored a 96%. I just happened to have this little 640 in the Jeep, but no magnum ammo, had not planned on shooting it at all. But I did have a box of 158 gr .38 specials, which I had never shot through this gun before. Since I had nothing to lose, having already qualified, I decided to give it a try. I shot a perfect 100%!!! For my older eyes, at least, those tritium sights are a real blessing!!! So I am really happy with this gun. A little heavy for pocket carry, but in a belt holster, about the same weight as a Detective Special, and on the right belt, you would not know it was there!!

The 640-1 at the bottom of the picture is similar to the one that the OP bought, except mine has MIM parts. It is a fine gun, and the major difference from my Pro Series is the lack of Tritium sights. For the price that we here on the forum paid for these guns when Centerfire Systems had them for sale, it has to be one of the great gun deals in recent memory. I keep mine as a bedside gun, but if it was the only gun I had, I would not feel undergunned!! I think that the OP did very well, and he will have fun with the minor cleanup that his is in need of.

By the way, I can carry any of these guns in the same holster, the Galco horsehide pocket holster that I think I mentioned earlier. I have used it now, almost every day for the last 5 years, still looks like new, and it will take the Colt Detective Special sized guns as well, even though they are 6 shot. I sometimes carry one of my Colts

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Les I don't mind your posting at all, always enjoy reading about how people obtain their firearms and about the differemt models. I'm still a relative noob when it.cokes to revolvers, but thankfully I have no problem doing plenty of reading and research to learn as much as I possible can (have to put that degree in history to some use!).

I'm currently reading the whole thread that Les sent me in regards to those lucky enough to get these for less than $400 from Centerfire. Only online vendor I've seen have them as of now was asking $415 plus shipping. Still, if I get this one cleaned up good enough I might want another.

My grips come in tomorrow hopefully, so I'll try to remember to take pictures. Planning on tearing this whole gun down to resolve the issues it has. Just need to clean my work bench off first

Kiesler has some 640 trade ins for $359

The Centerfire gun M640-1 I have been CC or my PPK clone all summer..
Only reason for the PPK is it is flatter in the front pocket...

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I have the Silverbacks on mine.

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SWCA #2817

They add $20 for shipping plus tax for a cost of $400.54 for me. I had pics sent and the best gun they had was pretty rough. They warned me they were down to the bottom of the barrel.

Had some free time, so have slowly been working on cleaning up the 340-1

Still need to do some more work on it, just taking my time and slowly working on it.

Got my new grips in, Altamont boot grips which I really like. Alot better than those trips that were on it when I got it.

Also had some down time the other day and went to my local gun store, checked out the new S&W 340 PD, make have to pick one of them up as well. But for now, will just work on paying off a 442 I have on layaway

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Sarge:

That's looking great already!! These are little tanks. Heavy for their size, but sleek and good looking as well as being slick on the draw, with no external hammer. Also, I like the single piece barrel and the older factory stamp on the frame. I think you have a very classy and classic gun that should be trouble free...and it doesn't have the IL, which many of us don't care for. Another virtue of this design is that without an external hammer, there is less opprutunity for lint and debris to get into the internal components.

All around a great little revolver.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I bought a 640-1 from Centerfire and I used 600 and 1000 grit paper on it. It cleaned up like new. I like SS shine more than bead blast flat dull look.

Thank you, I lucked out and found the grips here in the Classifieds, glad that I bought these cause I really love the fit and feel of them. Though I did have a friend give me a set of S&W wood J-frame grips but they are for a square frame.

Definitely love the design, still need to take the side cover off and clean the internals but I'm waiting for my supplies to come in before I tear it apart, plus need to clean off the work bench.

While at the LGS, the guy tried to talk me into buying one of the newer S&W 340s, told him I had an older prelock one and he immediately out the new one up. I still wanted to look at it, but he couldn't understand why anyone would own a newer one, I'd like to try shooting one. They also had a Model 10 and Model 64-3, could have put either on layaway but trying to slow down with a kid on the way.

Though there is a guy on Armslist with a Colt Cobra I'd like to get

I love my 640-1! Mine also wears Altamont boots although they are in Rosewood. The gun is mine EDC and shoots great. I think you'll love the 640.

The first five rounds in mine are Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr. .357's. The reloads I carry are the .38 special version!

Yes, spend the $150 and let your Smith bring it back to the reminiscence of it's former glory; Especially if it's in as good mechanical shape as it appears! I would have been peev'd too about the advertised shape but that's a negotiating tool at that precipice... And I love that barrel length as I've found it to balance out about perfect!

Edit: I see you've done a wonderful job getting the 640 restored! My brother did the same thing, same grips even to his 640. It was that pistol that got me into "J" frames in the first place. Nice job! Lastly, it does everyone some good to take the grips off a carry piece at least a couple times a year to clean the crud and rust to avoid pitting, etc. I noticed my 1911 commander that's mostly an HD pistol had a significant amount of rust beneath the grips and where it occasionally rides against my skin when carried. The south's humidity does that to even occasional carry pieces though!

Unfortunately not to us plain ol "joe citizen" LOL. That's ok, as the proud dad of a paramedic/Army flight medic I don't mind seeing leo/first responders and the like getting deals. Only fitting in my book. I've found another retailer that has some for around $420, need to see if they still have them in stock.