hello everyone my grandfather gave me this smith &wesson model 61-2 was wondering if anyone hand some info on this handgun as far as spare parts 'lubrication points accuracy etc. any help would be great also it has a nickel plated finish thanks again

If you google the make you will get all kinds of info, and vid's on the gun. Thats if you don't get some help here. Looks like a neat little gun.

I have one of these, but haven't shot it much. I noticed the Numrich Gun Parts sells parts for this pistol. I have been trying to find an original magazine for it, but those are not easy to find. Reproduction ones are available, but I would rather have an original.

As for lubrication points, the usual spots are good (slide grooves etc. In case you didn't already know, to disassemble the pistol, push the buttion in from above the barrel and pull out the front sight. The slide should easily come off after that.

The -1 and -2 models had problems, FTF, barrel coming loose on -1 models, but the -3 models were supposed to be a good pistols.

The one I have has a blue finish. I have been looking for a nickel one for awhile, but have yet to locate one.

I hope this helps and enjoy.

I have owned several S&W 61 Escorts..They are historically significant as they were S&W's first attempt at a small frame 22 semi auto pistol
As mentioned, the original 61 no dash jammed constantly and would never fire a full mag without jamming or stovepiping.The 61-2 was marginally better and included a loaded chamber indicator on left side of frame, but still had a tendancy to jam repeatedly and was very ammo sensitive.With The 61-3,S&W finally got it about right..still not 100% reliable but compared to the 61 and 61-2, a vast improvement.If you are looking for a shooter, look for a 61-3 .I have an original 61-3 in original box(gray box with blue metal corners), with blue zippered pouch, unfired, nickel plated, and off white bakelite grips...very pretty little gun, but I think I'll keep it in NIB condition rather than fire it.The 61 was one of those guns that you either loved the looks or hated it..I am quite fond of the 61 and if i live long enough, due to their rarity, will certainly appreciate as an evolutionary semi auto in S&W's history.They were only produced for about 3 years from 1971-74.

Just acquired a 61-3 just like yours, with all the extras including an extra original magazine. I agree with everything you have said except for the "evolutionary" part. The action was actually copied from some of the very first European autos, and was kind of a dumb design in my opinion with the ejection port coming out over your hand, which of course, couldn't be helped with the upside down barrel. I have a Pieper Bayard Model 1908 with the exact same action. I know why Bayard used the design, to get around the early Browning patents. But, why in the world S&W would reach that far back into the past for an automatic design is a mystery to me. Still, it is a neat, collectible piece of S&W history. They were only made for 4 years and should become more collectible as time goes by.

I have had a number of Escorts. Right now, I have a -1, -2 and -3. The -3 is nickel like sixgunshorty's. They are really interesting little pistols but I have never owned one that could shoot 50 consecutive rounds of anything without a stoppage. Most wouldn't go 25 rounds, and I tried a lot of different loadings.

I am looking for one of these to purchase.
As I am a resident of California, it is my understanding I would need to purchase it (through a dealer) from a private party. I believe the current market value is around $400.00.
Please advise.
Sincerely
Whatsoever
Sacramento, CA

sixgunshorty, that is cool!

Paladin did an excellent write-up on these, you can find it in the Notable Thread Index:
Remember the "Escort"?

I have the manual for a model 61 in PDF format. If you want to email me, I'll send it to you.

__________________
NRA Cert. Pistol Instr.

Strange that the Gun God would give a Colt guy a totally reliable Model 61 (no dash and fairly early in the low 2,000s)! She is unpredictable! I find it a fun gun to shoot and very reliable.

While I do not claim to know much about these pistols, it is my understanding that the differences relate only to a magazine safety being added and the frame being forged in the later versions, rather than there being any changes that would affect feeding reliability. All versions use the same magazines so it seems that would not be a factor in reliability. Are there any actual changes intended to increase feeding reliability?

Sometimes an undeserved bad reputation can be self-fulfilling when the Gun God decides to throw some bad karma toward the unbelievers! Maybe that is what is happening to some of you and your Models 61!

If that offer still goes, ...

I just acquired one and sure enough it doesn't feed...

wish me luck !

Thanks for any help, but if you can't I understand.

old jim himself
oldjimh (at) CenturyTel (dot) net

Try this link for a pdf of the model 61 manual. It takes a long time to load.

http://stevespages.com/pdf/s&w_61.pdf

Bill

I had a 61 - don't remember which engineering change, but the serial # was B38303. It worked flawlessly with Remington HSHP, probably "golden bullets." That was with three different mags, as I recall. Strangely, it didn't work well with CCI. I guess that's a 22 for you.

I could never warm up to having the gun in my pocket ready to fire. Same problem with the Astra Firecat, perhaps an even safer gun. I do manage to tolerate Centennials and bobbed S&W revolvers, and, of course, all different kinds of belt guns.

Thanks for the link..... worked fine !

Well mine is a dash-3, S/N 65thousand+, and it lives up to the 61's bad reputation - has yet to fire more than 4 without a jam. They fail to feed - come just halfway out of clip at 45 deg angle.

Cleaned it thoroughly, examined for burrs, polished magazine lips.

It's almost like new - S&W couldn't have built anything this dysfunctional. Gotta be something i'm missing.

Recoil spring uncompressed length is 4.38 inches. Sound about right?

old jim himself

maybe i'm missing the obvious, but I've not seen this mentioned....

That guide tube has a lot of surface area, which could make for substantial friction. Too much oil or too thick oil would cause a lot of drag on the slide......

so I washed it in gasoline and oiled with some Mobil-1 5W20 from the car dipstick.

It just fired ten rounds flawlessly.

Has anyone ever experimented with lubricants?
Instruction manual says to use "...gun or watch oil" but I've always use good ol' "3 in One".

Some research to do here

will keep ya posted
any information appreciated !

Is there a petroleum engineer in the house?

What would be a good low viscosity, acid free oil ?
Transmission fluid?
REM-oil?


old jim

EDIT make that twenty rounds !

I had a -2 many, many years ago, NIB. It's one of the few guns I was ever glad to be rid of.

Thanks, but if it's all the same with you guys I think I'd prefer to be escorted by something I know will go bang on cue.

Cute little historical curiosity, though.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Indeed it has earned a reputation.

I guess a good design wouldn't be so picky about the lubricant.

On the Mobil-1 it seems quite tolerant, even shot some ancient 'Centurion" we had laying around for years . That stuff gives my pal's Ruger MKII indigestion.

If this lubrication thing works out i'll be in the market for a couple more Escorts. I drive a Ford Escort, so what the heck...

I bought one for posterity sake LNIB so I have never fired it. We have some nice pocket 22s from other brands as well as the 2213 which is a heck of a nice shooter. I heard of all the problems that came with them so I just decided to put it in the safe for "collector sake" ( not collector value) I think I paid $200 last year for it. I can't help professionally on the lube points. I would lube it like any semi auto.

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Well the little gun made a monkey out of me.

After oiling it with that synthetic engine oil it fired about 35 rounds without a single malfunction, so I put it up for the night.
Next morning it reverted back to jam about every third round.
It ejects fine , fails to feed . Round comes about halfway out of clip and jams pointing up.

I tried a couple other springs home-made from .026 wire. They gave different symptom, failed to strip a new round. I guess the slide didn't come all the way back.

So I put it aside to think on it a while. Ordered a new guide tube, probably will order one of those Wolff springs.

Has anyone ever heard what's wrong with this design?
It's just a machine and it seems too well made to work this badly.

Gotta be something simple. I'm still thinking friction someplace.

old jim

oldjim.
FWIW, somebody here said you needed to use a
more (powerful) faster ammo. My 61-3 wouldn't work for
beans with Rem bulk, but got right down to business with
CCI MiniMags. Noticed the same problem with a 1911-22.
I won't even bother with bulk 22 for my semi's anymore.
Hope this helps, as I may be all wrong in my assumptions.
TACC1

TACC1 oldjim.
FWIW, somebody here said you needed to use a
more (powerful) faster ammo. My 61-3 wouldn't work for
beans with Rem bulk, but got right down to business with
CCI MiniMags. Noticed the same problem with a 1911-22.
I won't even bother with bulk 22 for my semi's anymore.
Hope this helps, as I may be all wrong in my assumptions.
TACC1

Attached Images

	ESCORT 61 3 003.jpg (60.6 KB, 37 views)
	ESCORT.jpg (60.3 KB, 44 views)

I agree I only use high vel .22 >1200Fps in all my .22lr semi auto handguns. All others are hit it miss. I save the cheap stuff for revolvers.

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Thanks guys

When it was doing so well it seemed indifferent as to Remington bulk or CCI. When not doing well it wouldn't feed either.
I'll stock up on CCI (if I can find some)

A Wolff spring arrived today and a new bushing guide tube.
Will post results in a day or two...

On yours, does extractor contact breech when no round is present?
Mine makes contact about 1/32 inch before slide is all the way forward.
With a round the extractor is pushed out enough to clear.
But my feed trouble begins way before that, the cartridges hang at 45 deg angle and rim doesn't clear clip.

My Duramatic magazine directions say its clip should be 0.185 inch between the rear lips of the clip,
this magazine measures 0.190 so i'm probably not over-tight

So many things to look at - it's mind boggling.
But I enjoy a puzzle.

I spent Saturday putting back together a friend's Ruger MarkII .22.
Wow - NEVER take out the hammer and sear on one of those ! First time getting it back together is, well, i'll just say a challenge. Makes me appreciate the simplicity of this little guy.

Thanks again for you replies.
old jim

If you can find it, Federal makes a big box .22 LR ammo called AutoMatch, which is designed specifically to function in .22 auto pistols. It's a solid lead bullet, length overall is VERY consistent and it has worked in every .22 pistol I have tried it in, including my Escort. It is also very accurate in rifles...used to use it for squirrel hunting with my old Marlin Glenfield bolt action. Good stuff...used to be relatively cheap, too.

__________________
Liberals made the USA

Well !

Hawk-eyed son-in-law spotted a black ring in chamber.
Vigorous brushing cleaned that up and it has not jammed since.

Glad it's working for you. It sure is a neat looking pistol!

Thanks for updating us.

I've got a 61-2 that I bought NIB in the very early 1970s and it's a nice little pistol.

Mine has been very reliable with Yellow Jackets and Velocitors, maybe it's the conical shape of the bullets.

It's been pretty good with CCI Mini Mags as well.

Can you show in a photo where that black ring in the chamber was?

If you want to keep those tiny pistols running you need to keep them meticulously clean and properly lubed.

I'm glad you resolved the problem with yours.

Well i just tonite got my first digital camera. So far all i get is blurs when try to close-up.

If you remove side and look down barrel from rear it was just before the start of the lands.

Will practice with that camera. I need a teenager in the house..... daughter was always handy with these newfangled electronic implements of torture.

Thanks guys for all the advice, will keep after this one...
The widespread fussiness about ammo suggests to me something in this design is sensitive to friction.


old jim

I purchased a very good looking blue S&W 61-2 (Close to new looking as it gets and my FFL thought so too.) for $370 a month ago.

I saw on Gun Broker that a NIB blue S&W 61-3 sold for $955.00, which was part of a 40 year old collection.

Has anyone seen a S&W 61, 61-1, 61-2 or 61-3 selling for more?

I just bought a blued 61-2 today. I had never even heard of this gun before, but I saw it in the case at a local gun shop. No box, but it has a magazine and the original case with keys. $349 out the door.
I have a feeling that I should have done a bit more research, but I don't think I'll get hurt at the price I paid.