64-3 4" Barrel .38 Special CTG Police Gun?

Tytan01 · Jul 16, 2020

A few years back I purchased an older S&W 64-3 from a retired cop. He claimed he carried it while on and off duty when he was in the NYPD.

I got it for $250. We took it out and he fired it a few more times before turning it over to me and it's been cleaned and stored away ever since.

Has a lot of dents and dings along the sight channel and it looks like it's been rapped against a door jam every day for 20 years. It's got what he says were the original issue grips on it but he was a victim of the 70's culture and he put some questionable engravings on them. A Unicorn, an Eagle and I believe he was going for a Wizard but.... well....

It shot like a laser beam and the trigger is the smoothest I've ever used. Literally could not miss with this gun. It has a pinned barrel but no recessed cylinder. My buddy said it came that way. Was never switched out so I was wondering if S&W did that for non-Magnum revolvers or did all revolvers pre-1982 get pinned and recessed barrels despite the cartridge?

Serial is 7D3xxxx so I think that means this guy was birthed in 1980 or 1981.

Was this a gun issued to NY Police in any way and should I risk sending it back to S&W to get cleaned up and dings removed? I want to believe my buddy but he's passed on now and I couldn't find any special markings that I hear were put on police issue guns by NYC police armories.

Attached is a photo.

ISCS Yoda · Jul 16, 2020

Well, you are correct about the birth date.

Pinned barrels were deleted in 1982. I could be wrong, but I couldn't find where any Model 64s had recessed cylinders. The SCSW would say when that stopped and it doesn't unless I just don't see well at Zero Dark Thirty as a I write this. I do know that pinned barrels were not always accompanied by recessed cylinders.

Using the SCSW I can't determine what its NYPD history might have been. Maybe I'm missing it but I only see a long discussion about the DAO guns from later years. Otherwise, NYPD didn't have S&W mark them as far as I can tell.

I wouldn't send that gun to S&W to get dings taken out until I was sure that the dings were covered by their warranty. I don't think the gun is particularly valuable but if you have to pay S&W to clean it up I'd use a local gunsmith. Or I'd leave it alone since it shoots great and enjoy the dings caused by the world of a New York City cop.

The gun looks reasonable in the picture and I like the stocks - very unique and they have a wonderful provenance.

bearman49709 · Jul 16, 2020

Only rimfire and magnum revolver's had recessed chambers, now only rimfire's have them.
AFAIK only S&W ever had recessed chambers for magnums.

stansdds · Jul 16, 2020

bearman49709 said:
Only rimfire and magnum revolver's had recessed chambers, now only rimfire's have them.
AFAIK only S&W ever had recessed chambers for magnums.

I believe you are correct in that the only S&W revolver to have recessed chambers were the rimfires and the centerfire magnum calibers.

There was at least one other manufacturer to make revolvers with recessed chambers and that was the other Wesson. Dan Wesson revolvers, at least those made in Monson, Mass., had recessed chambers, even those chambered in 38 Special.

Bladeswitcher · Jul 16, 2020

The model 64 never had recessed cylinders. No .38 special did.

No, you should absolutely not spend the money to refurbish the gun. Enjoy it the way it is. It has no collector's value so dumping a bunch of money into it would be foolish. These are common guns and even clean examples aren't worth a lot.

It's not likely it was a NYPD gun. And even if it was, that wouldn't add much, if any value. There's been a fair number of former NYPD revolvers on the surplus market in recent years. If it were a NYPD gun it probably wouldn't have any markings. I believe I read that their cops had to buy their own guns (approved guns from a particular dealer) and they were not marked as PD guns.

Old_Cop · Jul 16, 2020

If you send for a letter and it confirms that it was shipped to a dealer in NYC, there is a good chance that it was a NYPD officers gun.

wheelgun28 · Jul 16, 2020

I don't believe that this gun is connected to the NYPD.

NYPD was using the blue M10 during the period this gun was made.

NYPD switched new recruits to M64 DAO in 1987

NYPD never used a M64 that was not DAO

Prior to the M64 being used non blue guns were not allowed

All that being said, things happen and folks do stuff. So perhaps done outside of offcial channels? Most likely not but...

NYPD guns are officer owned and get not official markings

Now outside of NYC are lots of police agencies it could have very well been used by one of them.

Its a cool gun and I like them with the been there done that look.

I wouldnt trade those stock for anything a true time piece.

gwpercle · Jul 16, 2020

I don't know about New York but in Baton Rouge the police dept. issued it's LEO's model 64's , these were ordered from S&W and marked .
Mine has B.R.P.D. (Baton Rouge Police Department) neatly stamped onto the frame , looks as though it could have been done by S&W prior to shipment .
Any markings on your 64 ?
Gary

rockquarry · Jul 16, 2020

Regardless of the gun's possible history, you might find the 64 to be an excellent shooter. I only use cast bullets in mine and it's at least as accurate as my 6" Model 14.

Tytan01 · Jul 16, 2020

gwpercle said:
I don't know about New York but in Baton Rouge the police dept. issued it's LEO's model 64's , these were ordered from S&W and marked .
Mine has B.R.P.D. (Baton Rouge Police Department) neatly stamped onto the frame , looks as though it could have been done by S&W prior to shipment .
Any markings on your 64 ?
Gary

On the crane it has 22165 stamped which matches a stamp on the grip frame. There is also what looks like a double circle, the circles overlapping each other on the edges, on the grip frame. I took the grips off, whipped out the magnifying glass and went over the gun and no " added" markings I could find. Nothing signifying it as police issue. But it was suggested that I send away for a letter and I think I'll try that. If for no other reason than just to know the history a little better. I'll never sell it.

Squarebutt · Jul 16, 2020

My 64-1 was described as a police gun when I bought it, and it's got its share of scars. It's a great shooter, and it gets out in the field with me more often than most of my nicer Smiths, especially in bad weather. Can't hurt it. Everyone should have one.

ContinentalOp · Jul 16, 2020

Just my opinion, but if I were in your shoes, I'd leave it as is and enjoy it. As you said, it shoots well for you. That would be good enough for me.

64s are great revolvers. I had a 2" 64 with factory bobbed/DAO hammer. I still have days I wish I hadn't sold it.

As far as I know, the only collectible NYPD revolvers I've heard of are the stainless steel 64s, 60s, and 640s marked "NY-1". Don't know if that's still the case. At one point I wanted to own one of each variety.

seldon14 · Jul 16, 2020

Let's get a look at the unicorn and wizard please.

Also, leave it as is. As long as they don't effect function dings, nicks, scratches etc add character and history to guns.

Tytan01 · Jul 17, 2020

seldon14 said:
Let's get a look at the unicorn and wizard please.

Also, leave it as is. As long as they don't effect function dings, nicks, scratches etc add character and history to guns.

Attached a couple more photos. For some reason the wizard that's on the left grip panel refuses to focus correctly. I'll keep trying until I get a good enough photo to post. But the other photos show the unicorn on the butt of the grips, a close up of the eagle and a view from the top of the frame at the sight channel. It's pretty beat up and I can't imagine what he was doing to put that kind of denting in it. Maybe signs of administering some "attitude adjustment"? But I think it's from years of banging it on car door frames and anything else you would normally whack in to while wearing old school duty belts/holsters that stuck out a mile from a cop's hip.

stansdds · Jul 17, 2020

You paid $250 for it and I think that was a reasonable price. If it were mine, I'd put those stocks in the box and put on a set of period correct stocks or whatever felt good in my hands. You have a shooter grade, not a collector grade, revolver. You can spend several hundred dollars having some place like Ford's restore it, and the with no real increase in resale value, or you can just shoot it and enjoy it for what it is.

kaaskop49 · Jul 17, 2020

stansdds said:
You paid $250 for it and I think that was a reasonable price. If it were mine, I'd put those stocks in the box and put on a set of period correct stocks or whatever felt good in my hands. You have a shooter grade, not a collector grade, revolver. You can spend several hundred dollars having some place like Ford's restore it, and the with no real increase in resale value, or you can just shoot it and enjoy it for what it is.

^^^what he said. My 2 "casino 64s" came from a house whose security had switched to Glocks. Both were unfired, but had many dings from being worn and replaced in a safe at end of shift. After I cleaned out the hardened lube that passed for "maintenance," I had the 2 smoothest revolvers in my safe. No way I would take the time and trouble to polish out the scratches and dings. And I do not believe in "character"...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

vipermd · Jul 19, 2020

wheelgun28 said:
NYPD guns are officer owned and get not official markings

Would you consider the NY-1's, and GPNY, SPNY, not officially marked?, since they were made by SW & Ruger for NYPD, which individual officers than bought. Be Safe,

wheelgun28 · Jul 19, 2020

vipermd said:
Would you consider the NY-1's, and GPNY, SPNY, not officially marked?, since they were made by SW & Ruger for NYPD, which individual officers than bought. Be Safe,

I understand what your saying and have an a few thoughts.

In my opinion and its nothing more than my opinion, no.

NY-1 markings and GPNY etc arent offcial markings. They are the model markings only. Many were sold as over runs and other sources so having an NY-1 does not mean it ever went to the NYPD.

Now having a star stamp on a Ruger or silouette stamp on a 60 could be considered a offcial marking but most folks would want to see a NYPD or Property of NYPD. The older guns we are happy to see badge numbers but to most folks they dont mean much even if it add cool factor.

I have see the Property of marking on long guns such as a Mini 14 but they were department owned.

bananaman · Jul 20, 2020

You should enjoy shooting your 64. My-3 is from 1981 also. Slap some different stocks on yours if you wish. Mine came with target stocks. It sets in the closet now with CTG 207 Laser stocks on it. Ready for service if needed. Flitz metal polish could clean up your finish some. Obviously it will not remove the corrosion. Bob

64-3 4" Barrel .38 Special CTG Police Gun?

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