After years of not owning any 64s, having sold off my collection a while back where I had a 64-3, -7, -8 and an NY1, for reasons I don't even know probably to chase something else "cool" I missed having one . I have a 10-6 and 67-1 and they're great. But the 64 is probably my favorite S&W model....I love stainless and I love the meat and potatoes 4" fixed sight service revolvers

I found a dealer on GunBroker with a bunch of -6, -7 and -8 trade ins and he had 1 -5, so I pulled the trigger on the -5 because it's the last of the 64s with the pin on the hammer, ribbed backstrap and stamped lettering. I also vastly prefer the RBs.

The old beat up Uncle Mikes were trash, so out of the grip box of long forgotten grips came a set of Pachmayr Compac Pros I had on the -7 I used to have. They let you keep that RB feel and profile with basically an exact shape of a Tyler T on the front strap, I'm sure this was no accident by Pachmayr.

The barrel is slightly canted I'm assuming to tweak windage at S&W, since by the time this gun was made no one at S&W was bending frames with lead babbits anymore

It's dirty and it's been carried a lot, it was even dirty from its last shooting session but it will clean up ok. I'm assuming these were Corrections guns from a Dept that just went to autos, given the numbers painted on the old grips and the fact that this dealer has lots of them

For about $400 OTD after shipping, tax, transfer fees etc I'm pretty happy with it, it put 50 Sellier & Bellot 38s where the sights looked at 15 yards . I'm not touching this one with any spring kits etc it will stay as is. The strain screw was backed out which is common with Corrections guns.....because I'm a State CO and we used 80s and 90s era 65s up until 2 years ago...and backing the strain screw out was pretty standard by the guys that make OT to run ranges so that people can pull the trigger easier and qualify on qual day. Occasionally you'd get one that was backed a little too far and get a "click" instead of a bang a few times during your 48 round qual course.....so I had to laugh to myself because I already knew it would be backed out before I even looked.

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Congratulations Model 64's are great revolvers , LGS had a bunch few years ago . I bought one then sold it then bought another few weeks later

Congrats on your model 64!
I had been searching for a nice model 66 2.5 inch bbl for some time with no luck. I had an opportunity to buy a very nice 64-2 with 2 inch bbl for a decent price and jumped on it. No box, but had been fired very little, no wear on the recoil plate at all. Did not have the stock grips but I had a nice pair of Hogue smooth wood combats to go on it and have been very happy with it.

Got two model 64’s. One is a 64 SB 4” standard barrel. The other is a 64-5 RB 3” heavy barrel. Both have been good shooters. They like 158 gr. Keith Bullets with 4.0 grs. Unique.

I have three of them. a 64 no-dash "pencil barrel" and two 64-8 police/security trade-ins, 3" and 4". All great revolvers.

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Only a cold warrior

Any stainless K frame for $400 or less is a buy. They can be pretty ruff but buffed out nice. Congrats.

Hello,
Thanks for sharing your story. Congratulation's on getting a 64 back in your possession. I agree the model 64 is a great gun.
I also have 3, a 4" pencil barrel ,a 3", and a snub.

Congrats. The 64 is a nice beater blaster. Carry all day, every where without a lot of hassle.

I purchased a used NYPD 2" 64 when I got old enough too and it was my EDC for years. Total confidence in it.

Very nice indeed! I hope you enjoy it. I have two, a 64-3 with a 3" barrel and a 64-2 with the 2" tube that used to be carried. I'm a big fan.

Another chance to show of my -6 64s. One has had a "pencil barrel" installed.

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1911-10MM. Really like your 64's specially the 3 and 2 inch models and their grips.

Thanks wproct, I have since put on a set of smooth presentation grips on the 3" to match my model 65.

There's some really beautiful guns in these pics, those pencil barrel 4" and 3" 64s are probably some of the best looking revolvers ever made .

Welcome back,every body needs at least 1 mod. 64.

I agree. As I said earlier, I came by mine while searching for the elusive model 66 2 1/2 incher, and I'm starting to appreciate my 64-2 more and more.

Since Artdoc (Saxon Pig) is no longer with us, I will take up the cudgel.

it is not pencil barrel
It is referred to as the standard contour (vs the bull barrel contour).
Likewise thee is no such thing as plain clothes magnas. They are called modified magnas.

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Here is one I have had a few years, (about 40).

I just ordered a pencil barrel for it and will install a set of full target Coke Bottle stocks modified for the K frame.

enjoy,

bdGreen

I think the term "pencil barrel" became a common gun show term when Colt starting making HBAR, ("heavy barreled"), AR-15's versus their "pencil barrel" earlier counterparts. I think the term just trickled down to these sometime after that.

The slang terms are way more common,even though S&W grips are officially called "stocks" most people won't know what you're talking about

As long as people don't call revolver grips "handles" I don't get annoyed

Pencil Barrel sounds cool to me, I'd imagine it's probably a term that's been around for a long time

I've heard people using "PC Magnas" for 20+ years to describe those grips. Some things just stick

Someone over on the Taurus forum was just talking about how Brazilian cops had their own slang term for the pencil/standard barrel 10s and Taurus Model 80s , it was something like the Portuguese word for skinny barrel or something.