About 6 weeks ago, I bought an essentially NIB Model 396-1 from Geronimo Jim. At first, I considered keeping the gun for its collector value as it was only made from 2000-2004, but after test firing it, I decided to make it into a better carry gun (at least for me).
The original rubber “bantam” grips had been on for so long that when I tried to take them off, one of the extensions broke off; so that demanded a new set of grips. I had a couple of different sets of K/L RB grips in my grip drawer to choose from when I saw a set of Altamont boot grips for sale in the Classifieds section from zephyr.
Since I was going to make this my carry gun, I decided to remove the lock and replace it with a plug from JDinAZ (Original Precision). I had done this on two other L frames I own and liked the way it looked, and while I have read all of the articles/posts on the reliability of the lock, I enjoy the peace of mind that comes with its replacement. Since I had the side plate off, I gave everything a good cleaning. It’s surprising how much gunk is inside of a gun that has been stored in the case for 14 years.
I fired a variety of loads through the gun to register the sights including Hornady 165 grain Critical Defense and 180 grain XTP, PMC 180 grain JHP, Federal 200 grain LSWHP (it reminds me of the .38 Special LSWHP+P I carried as a police officer in the suburbs of Chicago in the 70’s and 80’s, only bigger), Blazer 200 grain JHP, and Winchester 240 grain LFN. The only round that really had noticeable recoil was the Blazer ammo; everything else was very manageable especially for so light a gun (18 ounces empty). S&W cautions that using bullet weights greater than 200 grains can cause bullet pull, however, I didn’t have any problem with the Winchester rounds.
With the high visibility fiber optic front sight, I found that I had to crank the rear sight up almost to its highest limit to get the rounds to impact where I wanted them. Since I intended to carry this gun both concealed and open, I was concerned about damage to the rear sight, so I ordered an Extreme Duty Fixed Rear Sight from Cylinder & Slide and a .149 inch S&W ramp front sight and pin from Brownell’s. The rear sight came in first, and after installing it, I found that all of the rounds were shooting almost 6 inches low at 15 yards due to the tall front sight. Once the new front sight arrived and I installed it, I was back on target. In particular, the two 180 grain loads hit perfectly to point of aim, so the Hornady 180 grain XTP has become my load of choice.
I ordered a holster from MD Whitefield (mdwhitefieldleather.com) based on recommendations on the forum. The 396 barrel is actually 3 1/8 inches and Matt’s Classic Holster for a 686 3 inch accommodates a barrel up to 3 1/4 inches (it took a couple of texts/phone calls to make sure everything would fit; Matt is a real craftsman who will work with you). Matt also made sure that there was enough clearance for the high visibility sight (before I decided to change it). As a bonus, I had the holster within two weeks from the day I ordered it.
I’m really pleased with how everything turned out. I have a light weight carry gun in a serious caliber, that hits where I aim, is comfortable to carry, and IMO, looks as good as it shoots.