I came across this Model 60 with an AEV65xx serial number and from what I find, it appears to be one of the John Jovino models.

It appears to be in great condition with just a faint turn line on the cylinder. No paperwork or box and the son of the original purchaser said that his dad only fired about 30 rounds through it after he bought it in 1985. It was put in a nightstand drawer and that is where was until it came home with me.

To me, a "J" frame with a 3" barrel is just about perfect for a carry-type pistol and this fits the bill.

I had been looking for one of the Pro 60 with the 3" but this is what I found. Guess I will just have to make due....

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We just had a post maybe a month back about the Jovino guns. Heres a great one as well with good information on that run of SQ Butt 60's.

John Jovino 60 all in one post

You did well I'd say. Not only a rare Smith, but a very shootable one as well.



I'm a fan too.

I agree it appears to be one of the Jovino models . . . the first AEX s/n prefix I've seen. Most others are AEU and AEV prefix.

Congratulations . . . they are fantastic!

Russ

I'd rather have your JJ Special than one of the new Pro's.

How do you like the wood Hogue grips?

I bought a pair at a gun show awhile back for $5 (mine aren't as fancy and don't have that extra bottom piece). They were marked "K-frame", but they didn't fit a square butt K-frame. I think they're for a square butt J-frame, but I don't have one. They're kinda rare. I need to get a JJ Spl just so I have something to put my $5 grips on.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I made a mistake on the serial number. It is "AEV". Sorry

I actually took them off. I'm not sure if they are Hogue or what. I thought that I had read somewhere that S&W had made some oversize grips that look like the Hogues....maybe I dreamt that though

Bought yourself a Christmas present eh ?
You have just purchased my favorite carry weapon ! I own two now and a around of applause for the 3" J- Frame !
No need for you to just 'settle' for it. I'll relieve your stress and get my check book !

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'I know nothing'.. Sgt. Shultz

S&W has used Hogue stocks over the years. Mostly Goodyears. I've never seen an original pair like that. They're almost certainly aftermarket. New they'd run $80+.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

From the "likes" and a few PM's I've gotten...You guys apparently like these 3" JJ specials.

Back when these were first offered for sale my FIL bought TWO of each style intending them for house, car and CCW guns, as he liked the Square butt J frames.

As he got older and started to liquidate his firearms I ended up with all of the JJ Specials. One set of them are LNIB. The other two were fired very little and he had a local Smith add a yellow insert to the front sight. Thankfully the inserts were well done and almost appear to be factory. Those two are now MY two shooters.

I need to do a Family picture and post it. All four of them.

FN in MT

Yes, please do post a family-picture of the JJs.

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Vietnam Vet

There's three on GB right now. I want one.

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Actually there were 4. Fugate is offering three advertised as Jovino Model 60's and another was listed as just a three inch Model 60.

I just won the non Fugate revolver.

Model 60 No Dash, square butt, 3" heavy barrel. Sure looks like a Jovino to me!

Good buy. I was watching it too, you almost lost it. Glad to see a fellow member got it!

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Thanks M2!

I have wanted one ever since I saw the one posted in the for sale section of this forum. I did not have the money then and watched it evrey day until it sold. Decided to go for it this time.

Glad you got it, Jeepin'. Makes me feel better about losing it. I kicked myself all night after I let it go, I simply fell asleep (literally) at the switch. But it made me feel better when I saw you post the picture. Now I expect a range report!

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Willdo!

Paid for it right after the auction closed. Should arrive sometime next week.

I was amazed when after the recent interest in these guns I did not get outbid.

I had one. Wish I still did. Replaced it with a M-60-4, but if I had the money now, one of those would be on my "buy" list.

They're superb small defense and trail guns. I had factory Magna rosewood grips and a Tyler adaptor on mine.

Anyone with a link to the sale or a link to the Fugate guns please post it. I'd like to have an idea of what these are going for.

That looks like the one that I have now.

Did they happen to give you the serial number?

If I hadn't been a' snoozin', you would have been a' loozin'

One way or another, I'm going after one of those other ones, even if I take a loss. I know what you paid for it; you will have gotten a deal in terms of GB.

Curious to know what you plan on shooting through it. Would also like to hear from other members who have these little jewel use for standard fodder.

I have a blued version of that 3" 60; a 3" model 36 that is one of my favorite all time J frames. I have a RB and a SB. The RB is NIB and now a safe queen; my only safe queen. I hope to add a stainless cousin in this picture soon:

:



I have become kind of partial to Winchester 130 gr JHP "Defend" for shooting, the +p for CCW. I never shoot the +Ps to spare my old 36. Maybe I'll fire a cylinder load one day, but can't bring myself to risk higher pressures, no matter how small that risk may be. I think non +P loads are probably okay anyway.

Kudos to paint/Op for starting this thread!

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I don't think that we are allowed to post links to live auctions. You can go to Gunbroker, the catagories, revolvers, then search 60 3" and find them.

Bottom line the new in box with papers that they are advertising is buy it now for $1,250. the two they have without box are listed at $800 buy it now with a reserve. One has a bid at $646 with a reserve not met. Fugate frequently has scarce collectable guns but you will pay top dollar. (Nothing wrong with that! They gotta make a buck too!)

The two without box also appear to mabe have been bead blasted? Maybe not but they look frosted in the pictures to me.

There is also one of the 1 of 171 first run Model 60 3" pinned barrel guns for sale at $1,295. If I was going to spend that kind of money - I'd buy that one.

I make a good living now that I am older and can start to afford to collect these things, but with kids college and our own retirement looming, $710 is still a lot of money for me. M2 you are correct though. It went for $649. $710 is what I will have in it after price, shipping, and all fees.

Based on what I posted above and new interest in these guns, I think this one of less than a thousand will slowly increase in value. Heck, common 80's prelock 1 7/8 Model 60's without box routinely go for over $500 now, and I think that they are worth every penny.

You know, I said to myself, "Place a bid, if it climbs out of sight Fate does not want you to have it." So M2, Blame the Fate's for putting you to sleep.

If you are ever in the Denver area, shoot me a PM. Range time, ammo, and beers later are on me.

What do I plan to feed it? Seems that these fixed sight .38's are regulated for 158 grain, so mine get very carefully handloaded X Treme 158 grain plated SWC over a small charge of 231 for a standard load. No +P for this gun! I have recently run out of 231 and cannot find anymore, so I will be working up a new load with Bullseye. I used to use Missouri cast lead, but got tired of cleaning all the lead out of my revolvers.

M2, I really like your 3" 36's! Hope you do snag one of those other 60's for your collection.


And yes, Paints-n-cows great thread!

No serial # in the pictures or description. I will post it as soon as I find out if you would like.

That looks like a really nice gun. What modifications exactly did Jovino do to it?

Jovino did not do anything to them.

John Jovino is a police supply and gunshop in NYC.

John Jovino: America's toughest, NYC's oldest gun store (VIDEO)

They special ordered 1,000 total 2" and 3" square butt Model 60's in (1984?) (Sorry my Standard Catalog of S&W is at home)

The majority of this production run was 3". Factory letters do not seem to include specific data on the split between 2 and 3 inch revolvers.

Aside from the 174 3" Model 60's made in the 70's, they are believed to be the only 3" Model 60's. So total is probably around 1,000.

I just put in 8 bills for that one and didn't hit reserve. Top dollar ain't no exaggeration on that one. It's NIB, though.

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I may take you up on that invite, Jeepin'. And if you are down in sunny San Antone, you get the same invite in return.

You are right about 158 gr bricks, I even keep lead round noses for the house so I don't poke a hole in the wall and take out the neighbor's cat by accident. But I don't like cleaning out lead either, it's JHPs for the range for me. However, when wandering around town, I will carry +P. I don't shoot them routinely.

I only recently got interested in J-frames and now I can't get enough of them. That Jovino bunch is just too good to pass up even with a high price tag. They won't get cheaper, that's for sure. Fugate knows what he's got.

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You guys are starting to make me feel guilty about buying this gun to use as a CCW for every day carry.

It doesn't have nothing but the faintest of turn lines and it definitely has never been dinked around with. There isn't a mark on it. The grips are in perfect shape with the checkering sharp and defined.

The 3" barrel on the small frame has, IMO, got to be the quintessential carry gun. Few moving parts, little to no chance for a jam, and if it doesn't go bang, squeeze again. The stainless is easy to care for. The sights, while not meant to be target type, serve the purpose for which it was created...defender of life. The 3" barrel is able to produce acceptable velocities but not so long as to be cumbersome, unwieldy, or difficult to conceal.

Why didn't S&W or other manufacturers take the hint and produce more small frame 3" guns until lately?

Don't feel guilty, carry it with pride. The only reason my little RB 3" J is a safe queen is because it's too small for my small hand. The SB is a perfect fit.

You pose a good question. I think the 3" J frame is a great combo. It's looks just like a 3/4 scale K-frame 4" SB. And it has that near perfect balance like a 4" HB K-frame, maybe even better. My little 3" barreled 36 is a natural pointer. Strange that S&W doesn't make the 640 or some of the other J-frames with a 3". Only the 60 it seems, and oddly not one with iron sights.

Now all I need to do is join the Jovino J frame jamboree, and all will be right in my J world.

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At the risk of starting another feeding frenzy, S&W did make a 3" Model 640 with the same heavy barrel profile as the 3" Model 60 and the 3" Model 36-1. . . all three of which have fixed (iron) sights.




Here is the 3" Heavy trifecta . . . 36-1, 60, 640




Russ

They ordered them from S&W and specified they have Square Butts. That's a rare feature for a M60. These JJ Spl's are the only SB M60's I know of.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I meant new 3" 640s, I know they used to make them and I want one of those too. Wish S&W still made it with a 3" barrel. They are pretty hard to find, you've got a nice one. Now, if you really want hard to find and expensive, the 940 with a 3" barrel really stacks the deck.

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And those little Novak like sights they put on the Pro Series guns. That would be a hot ticket.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

I will only shoot the 158 grain plated semi wadcutters out of the Jovino 3" because of what it is. The 2" Model 60 I have is in the carry rotation, and is also shot with mostly the same load for practice. However when carried for serious purposes, its loaded with Speer Short Barrel 135 grain +P.

If you are going to carry and shoot it, maybe one of the others they are offering for $800? The vast majority of guns I buy - even the collectable ones - are purchased in excellent condition but without box, paperwork, and tools because it will certainly get shot. I really don't want to go through the agonizing decision of whether to shoot it or not too many times like this one....

New old stock 6946 range report. With pix.

Thanks for the return invite. Texas, shooting, a good steak and a beer sounds like heaven to me! (Ill pay for the steak LOL.)

The Jovino Model 60's are kind of hard to find, and the serious collector might beat me for this - but you will be doing exactly what the gun was designed for. Only you can decide if you want to baby it and find another gun to carry or use it for its intended purpose.

If it makes you feel any better, my mountain carry gun is a 3" S&W Model 65-2. Not as rare as a Jovino 3" but scarce, pinned, recessed, and collectable just the same. The trigger on that revolver is amazing. If a mountain lion (I have seen two) comes after my kids, I want the stainless, perfectly pointing, perfectly balanced, reliable, and powerful 65 3". Its the perfect tool for the job.

My daily carry guns are also a relatively uncommon Smiths, a 3953 and a 2" 60.

So if you want to carry it - just do it. People drive $200,000 cars right?

Regarding your question on why Smith did not make more 3" revolvers until now? They were not selling back then. From the mid 80's to the mid 90's America was having the 'Wonder Nine' craze, and many police departments were transitioning from revolvers to automatics.

As a young Soldier at FT Bragg then I remember gun and pawn shop counters full of all types of revolvers that they could hardly give away. I wish I had bought many more then!

Also, the liberalized concealed carry laws of the past years have drastically increased the interest and demand for smaller guns. With all the positive attributes that you described, people are rediscovering just how great these guns really are.

Fugate ran out of time with that NIB Jovino and reposted it. They have the reserve set too high for my taste. I don't need a safe queen, I'm more towards your view, Jeepin'; I prefer a carry. 8 bills is still pretty high, but I can live with it as I can't stand to let another get away. I rarely get a NIB anyway, boxes just get in my way most of the time.

I'm still throwing it around, will post a decision in terms of a deal makin' photo if I do.

It's interesting to me that Paints-in-cows started this thread just about the time I was looking at those Jovino's on GB. I had never heard of them until this thread and hadn't ever seen them on GB before either. Maybe I just saw them, and didn't get it. One things for sure, I get it now.

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Well if you are implying that it was a put-up deal, you are absolutely mistaken.

I had never heard of them either until I happened upon a thread that described them...and that was after doing research on a gun that I bought off of another forum. Nothing else.

If you ask any of my students in my NRA pistol classes/Illinois FCCL classes, they will tell you that this exactly what I have been recommending for anyone that asks me what I think.

And I was seriously contemplating buying one of the S&W 3" revolvers (sku #178013) when I came across this. And I still may.

I just bought this Jovino Special from a retired Smith & Wesson Manager.
This is exactly as he got it. They put these presentation stocks on it for him. Look where it was shipped to.

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Don Mundell

Club Gun Fan, what is the prefix on its serial number just out of curiousity

Paints-n-cows, you did make me pull my 3 inch sb from the safe again last week. Hadn't seen it for awhile and my rb60 nib from same estate sale last summer. Thanks for the mention of The Jovino guns I had a lot of fun researching the guns and the shop last summer.

Paints-n-cows
Here's a picture of the end label of the box.

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Don Mundell

For the person who wanted to shoot such a wonderful combination of features could they not find a M36 three inch square butt and have the NP3 plating done on it? I am thinking of one I passed up that had been carried so much that it had only 40% of the bluing left on it. I could have bought it for $300.00 and then have it plated. Didn't think of it until I read this thread.

No, I wasn't; I apologize for the apparent implication. I was just amazed and the coincidence (and good luck) of what I was looking for at the time; an older 3" J-frame and your informative thread. I "found" your thread and the GB offerings at the same time, I didn't mean to imply there was a physical connection. I'm glad I found your thread, because I learned a lot, and quickly. I was also considering the reference revolver you cite when I found this thread, and those Jovino offerings.
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Here's my small collection of the JJ guns. Haven't had the 3" guns out in so long, I got a nice surprise. I thought one of them HAD been modified with a yellow insert FS but neither of them have been molested. Both unfired.

Only one of the 2" guns has had the yellow frt insert done. The front, left gun. Barely noticeable in my poor picture. Wish it had been left alone, but I really can't complain. Thanks to my FIL I have a nice set of fairly rare J frames.

All I can say is, WOAH!

What an amazing collection. Thanks for sharing it with us.

What a collection I imagine a chore hunting them down too.

Wish I could relate a tale of years and years of gun shows, want ads, etc. But I can't. Occasionally I fall into a sweet deal. Got all four from my FIL.

I would imagine a lot of history searching and acquiring that collection and a lgs sharing your interest and making an effort in your behalf. Again very impressive collection.

Well that Gunbroker seller has superfast shipping! Here is the Jovino 3" Model 60 discussed above:



Its a sweet little gun! Just a minor scratch on the cylinder but otherwise perfect.

Serial # is AEV 51XX

September 1984, product code 102304.

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Excellent! That was fast, indeed!

I tried to resist and held out for a few days, Jeepin', but I finally gave in;



Here's hopin' mine will get here before XMas!

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