When is a NY-1 revolver --NOT--a NY-1 revolver?

[RM Vivas]

So when is a Model 64 NY-1 –not—a Model 64 NY-1? (or a M60-2 NY-1 for that matter?)

Whilst cleaning up a filing cabinet in my office I came across some photos of the various stamps the gunsmiths at NYPD used. A few minutes on the scanner and…..

If you look closely, one of them is NY-1.

When I asked why they needed that stamp they explained that every once in a great while they would get some guy coming on da’ Job from another agency that had regular DA/SA M64’s. Rather than buy a new gun, the new hire would have his gun converted to DAO by the Department gunsmiths and they would stamp it NY-1 to indicate that it was kosher. Did the same for M60 NY-1’s too.

This little stamp here is rather special and some of you who have M60 NY-1’s may see this on your gun.

When the Department was having issues with the M60 NY-1, they attributed the problems to an oversized blind hole in the sideplate the hammer stud pin went into. They created a go-no-go gauge to check that these holes were within spec. This is an image of that gauge, which was about 3 inches long. I don’t recall if the department made it or if they got it from S&W. Frankly, it looks to nice to be made by the Department.

If the hole was within spec, the little ‘silhouette target’ stamp was applied to show that the gun had been inspected and passed.

I apologize for the quality of the images. I shot them on a picnic table at the outdoor range 30 years ago and had to scan the images from the original photographic negatives (no digital camera back then!).

Best,
RM Vivas

 

[two-bit cowboy]

If you look closely, one of them is NY-1.

This little stamp here is rather special and some of you who have M60 NY-1’s may see this on your gun.

Best,
RM Vivas

That's terrific information Mr. Vivas. Thank you for sharing it.

On a Model 60 it would still be easy to tell if the revolver was not originally an NYPD NY-1 model due to S&W's model stamp on the frame. To my knowledge there are no Model 60-2s out there without the NY-1 stamp and stamped the way S&W stamped the ones it sent to NYPD. An authentic Model 60-2 NY-1 reads "M 60-2" (see photo). Other Model 60 stamps read "MOD. 60" (eg., MOD. 60-1 or MOD. 60-3, etc.) so if they were stamped NY-1 by the NYPD they would still stand out as not an original 60-2.

One 60-2 exception is a 1998 group of 45 revolvers stamped 60-2 without "MOD." or "M" stamped in front of the model number in the CCY serial number series. They are double action only, have "Airweight" barrels, wear Goncalo Alves Lady Smith combat stocks, and came in a white box with a sleeve that slips over the box -- the sleeve has the American flag and an eagle on the front.

 

[DixieRanger]

Thank you for sharing this piece of history. Revolvers are a part of the history of America. If not for folks here, this would be lost. So interesting...

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[ruger 22]

I know this is way off the topic but I recall an old gentleman I shot trap with some 60 years back and he had an old model 12 Winchester with a plain barrel and tape on the stock to raise it up. It was the only gun he had an he could out shoot most of us with our fancier guns. One day he ran out of his reloads and went to the clubhouse to buy a couple boxes of 12 gauge and came back telling us he could never really understand why they make 12 gauge and 16 gauge since they were the same thing. We looked a bit confused but he showed us that on his barrel it was stamped 16 gauge and the gun was in actuality a 12.

 

[RM Vivas]

Here is an image from another forum of an M60-2 NY-1 with the ‘silhouette’ stamp. It's upside-down on top of the N in NY-1.

 

[shamuscull]

So would only model 60-2 NY-1’S actually letter as such from S&W or would other 60’s also letter as a NY-1?

 

[two-bit cowboy]

So would only model 60-2 NY-1’S actually letter as such from S&W or would other 60’s also letter as a NY-1?

Mr. Vivas would be a better respondent to your question, but I believe my initial position in post # 2 might have been premature compared to at least one newly surfaced NY-1.

I now believe there's a good chance at least S&W's initial shipment(s) of the NY-1 Chiefs in 1987 might have been stamped "MOD. 60" and not "M 60-2". The few in my database that seem to fit that category have AWP serial numbers. I'm guessing here, but I would imagine they would letter as NY-1 revolvers.

One thing to keep in mind is that S&W's invoices probably do not identify whether a gun is, or a batch of guns are, a Model 60 or a Model 60-2.

 

[ladder13]

AWP

 

[Adam Baker]

I believe the half shaped body that looks like a target under the NY-1 means it went back for a factory repair. They had problems and eventually pulled them

 

[RM Vivas]

I believe the half shaped body that looks like a target under the NY-1 means it went back for a factory repair. They had problems and eventually pulled them

That stamp was applied by the Department gunsmiths after checking to see if the revolver was within spec as regards the problem they were having with the M60 NY-1's.