What say you on the new blue Model 36?

[ImDrRich]

Thinking of picking one up despite my predilection for going on Gunbroker and finding an old one in excellent shape.

If you have bought the new, blue 36, please tell me how you like it?

Thank you.

 

[Marshal Tom]

I am sure that a new one would serve you well but I would always go for an old one in excellent condition before purchasing any of the new models with a few exceptions and they would have to be of the no lock variety.

 

[Valmet]

+1 for vintage used. I’m sure the new ones are fine but way too many older ones out there in VG condition for me to consider new.

 

[Greyman50]

See several old Model 36’s at shows for decent prices. Two at JAX show this weekend for less than $500.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I picked up two of the new Model 36-11s. Fit and finish are flawless.

Price is steep, but have you looked at the price of eggs lately?

 

[Beju]

FWIW, I got to shoot the previous version of the Model 36 Classic with lock that a friend of a friend got last year. It looked nicedly finished and had a very smooth trigger for only being lightly used at the time.

 

[BoulderTroll]

I picked up two of the new Model 36-11s. Fit and finish are flawless.

Price is steep, but have you looked at the price of eggs lately?

Any chance for photos? I keep being shocked how few pictures we're seeing on the forum of the new Model 19, 36, and 10's.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Here they are with stocks and thumbpiece removed. Here's also a
current company photo (from https://www.smith-wesson.com/),
which shows the thumbpiece. No vintage Chiefs Special ever wore
this new thumbpiece; it's a style from prewar and early postwar
I-frames.

 

[familyman357oh]

I'm intrigued, but the choice of front sight for the new 36 and the new 10 seems really sub-optimal. I'm not sure what S&W was thinking. I think if they were normal ramps I might own one or both already. I want to "reward" S&W for coming out with new no-locks, but I'm also kind of hoping this is the beginning of the end of the infernal lock and a more conventional no-lock 36 will soon be available. Maybe I'll get the 36 anyway. My mom has mine (a 36-7, IIRC) and I hope it's a long time before I get it back.

 

[BoulderTroll]

I'm intrigued, but the choice of front sight for the new 36 and the new 10 seems really sub-optimal. I'm not sure what S&W was thinking. I think if they were normal ramps I might own one or both already. I want to "reward" S&W for coming out with new no-locks, but I'm also kind of hoping this is the beginning of the end of the infernal lock and a more conventional no-lock 36 will soon be available. Maybe I'll get the 36 anyway. My mom has mine (a 36-7, IIRC) and I hope it's a long time before I get it back.

I'm the exact opposite regarding front sights. I am ecstatic that my new Model 10 has the fixed blued steel sight instead of the red ramp on my new Model 19-10. Smith and Wesson would do well to remember that more than 10% of the world's male population is colorblind, and the red ramp sight is invisible for those of us in that category. On a previous revolver I owned, I took a black sharpie to the red ramp to make it usable.

 

[NY-1]

I'm intrigued, but the choice of front sight for the new 36 and the new 10 seems really sub-optimal. I'm not sure what S&W was thinking. I think if they were normal ramps I might own one or both already. I want to "reward" S&W for coming out with new no-locks, but I'm also kind of hoping this is the beginning of the end of the infernal lock and a more conventional no-lock 36 will soon be available. Maybe I'll get the 36 anyway. My mom has mine (a 36-7, IIRC) and I hope it's a long time before I get it back.

They thickened the sight compared to the original thin half-moons AFAIK. They look great to me.