36 Classic

[jumbeaux]

How does the New 36 Classic stack up against the pre-lock non-pinned barrel version ?

rick

 

[Biff_Biffington]

My humble opinion is they are good if you are wanting to shoot alot of +p out of a old school looking j frame. They aren't really exact clones of any particular previous model, but are kinda a hybrid. They are standard J frames, but have the half moon front sight and pencil barrel of the early "baby chief". They do not have hammer mounted firing pins but modern transfer bars and MIM parts versus none on the older ones. Overall build quality on these reissues are "fine" from the couple I have looked at.

Boiled down...personally for the money I would find a 70s-80s one over a one of the new ones for a shooter. They can handle occasional +p for practice without problems,. But if you want the frame mounted firing pin and the official +p rating...go for it. From three feet they look like a baby chief if thats your thing

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Stack up?

Hmmm. Interesting question, even if it is tremendously vague.

What do you want the new Model 36-11 to do?

Filling a hole in my Chiefs Special collection is why I bought two Model 36-11s. Actually one to shoot and one not to. I like 'em both. Fit and finish is as good as any Chiefs Special in my collection made between 1982 and 2000.



There's truly no comparison to what you called a "pre-lock non-pinned barrel" model. The barrel pin went away in 1982/83. Many engineering changes happened after that, beginning in 1988 with the Model 36-2. The lock began in 2001 on the Model 36-10.

 

[jumbeaux]

My choice of words was indeed vague...I have been trying to find what was at one time referred to as the "Baby Chief"...half moon front sight & smaller diameter barrel. They have been almost impossible to find & way out of my reach price wise. I was asking how close the new Classic came to one. (My latest S&W is a 64-5) I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer so please excuse my poor choice of words. God Bless You All !

rick

 

[Beju]

Sample size of 1, but the previous Model 36 Classic (ramp sight) that I got to handle last year had very nice fit and finish and a pretty good trigger out of the box.

The owner didn't have that many rounds through it and had yet to pull the side plate and oil/clean out, so there was likely some trigger feel improvement on the table.

The modern bluing is less resistant to ammoniated cleaning solutions, so that's something to be aware of. My understanding is that this is due to EPA regs making the old style of bluing cost prohibitive.

 

[b737lvr]

How does the New 36 Classic stack up against the pre-lock non-pinned barrel version ?

rick

My 36-11 classic is going back for repair. The side plate is... recessed into the frame around the yoke screw. The ejector has way too much play and will hang onto the cylinder sometimes when springing back into position. The hammer will sometimes catch onto the double action sear when firing in single action (partial hammer fall). Oh and the cylinder gap looks a bit wide, too.

This will be the 3rd new S&W I've had to send back for repair this year.

 

[mule69]

My 36-11 classic is going back for repair. The side plate is... recessed into the frame around the yoke screw. The ejector has way too much play and will hang onto the cylinder sometimes when springing back into position. The hammer will sometimes catch onto the double action sear when firing in single action (partial hammer fall). Oh and the cylinder gap looks a bit wide, too.

This will be the 3rd new S&W I've had to send back for repair this year.

I really want the 36 classic. Have been looking at them for quite a while now. However, comments like yours and others have kept me from buying one. I wish I knew what the odds of getting a good one is. I assume you have got it back from repair. Just wondering what your thoughts are on it now. Thanks

 

[DT75]

...They do not have hammer mounted firing pins but modern transfer bars...

New frame S&W's have a frame mounted firing pin and a flat faced hammer, but no transfer bar.
The hammer hits the firing pin directly.

 

[Biff_Biffington]

New frame S&W's have a frame mounted firing pin and a flat faced hammer, but no transfer bar.
The hammer hits the firing pin directly.

I was misquoted here. The new guns have a flat faced hammer and xfer bar.

 

[DT75]

Misquoted how..?

...They do not have hammer mounted firing pins but modern transfer bars...

...The new guns have a flat faced hammer and xfer bar.

The hammer face strikes the back of the firing pin directly.

S&W's have a hammer block. When pulling the trigger, the hammer block gets pulled down, allowing the hammer to strike the firing pin. It can be removed and the revolver will function just as well without it.

Ruger's have a transfer bar. When pulling the trigger, the transfer bar gets pushed up, bridging a small gap between the hammer and the firing pin, transferring the force of the falling hammer to the firing pin.

Both are drop safeties, but achieve their goal in opposite ways.

 

[b737lvr]

I really want the 36 classic. Have been looking at them for quite a while now. However, comments like yours and others have kept me from buying one. I wish I knew what the odds of getting a good one is. I assume you have got it back from repair. Just wondering what your thoughts are on it now. Thanks

I accidentally hit the report button instead of the reply button when typing this. Whoops.

I sent it in the first time and they did absolutely nothing. I sent it back again and they kinda did a half assed job. They reformed the side plate and frame where they weren't flush to force them to be flush, which I find incredibly odd. It looks weird up close in the light. Of course this required them to refinish the frame but they did a partial refinish so some areas of the frame have a different polish underneath the blue. The ejector play issues was repaired by replacing the ejector, ejector rod, and cylinder. Since the star is different the lock up is different now. The lock up is now a little loose but more consistent whereas before it was tight one some chambers and a little loose on others. The new cylinder has spotting in the blueing and kinda looks like crap. The cylinder gap is the same as before measuring at .010". There is a new scratch on the barrel and a new scratch on the frame. The front edge of the frame, forward of the trigger guard, is now also a bit scuffed up. The hammer snagging issues in single action is still reproducible. Over all the repair feels a bit half assed.

I'm done with Smith & Wesson. I've seen the wages they pay their assemblers and repair techs. It's obvious to me that nobody with any skill would be taking those jobs for such low wage. I'm keeping what I have but I'm never buying another one again. It's clear to me that building a proper revolver in the modern day is no longer financially feasible, at least one that could reach the average customer.

 

[mule69]

I accidentally hit the report button instead of the reply button when typing this. Whoops.

I sent it in the first time and they did absolutely nothing. I sent it back again and they kinda did a half assed job. They reformed the side plate and frame where they weren't flush to force them to be flush, which I find incredibly odd. It looks weird up close in the light. Of course this required them to refinish the frame but they did a partial refinish so some areas of the frame have a different polish underneath the blue. The ejector play issues was repaired by replacing the ejector, ejector rod, and cylinder. Since the star is different the lock up is different now. The lock up is now a little loose but more consistent whereas before it was tight one some chambers and a little loose on others. The new cylinder has spotting in the blueing and kinda looks like crap. The cylinder gap is the same as before measuring at .010". There is a new scratch on the barrel and a new scratch on the frame. The front edge of the frame, forward of the trigger guard, is now also a bit scuffed up. The hammer snagging issues in single action is still reproducible. Over all the repair feels a bit half assed.

I'm done with Smith & Wesson. I've seen the wages they pay their assemblers and repair techs. It's obvious to me that nobody with any skill would be taking those jobs for such low wage. I'm keeping what I have but I'm never buying another one again. It's clear to me that building a proper revolver in the modern day is no longer financially feasible, at least one that could reach the average customer.

I am really sorry to hear that as I wanted that revolver. But I do not want to have to return it for repairs. Perhaps I will just go ahead and get the Colt Cobra 38 Special. Thanks for your reply.

 

[b737lvr]

I am really sorry to hear that as I wanted that revolver. But I do not want to have to return it for repairs. Perhaps I will just go ahead and get the Colt Cobra 38 Special. Thanks for your reply.

I'll be honest I don't think you're gonna have much better luck with the colts either

 

[cometpx4]

I was always a Smith guy. I still have a couple. I now have 7 Colts, 2 Anacondas, 3 pythons, and a cobra and King Cobra.
They have all been fantastic. Probably 2,000 rounds total thru them. Not a single issue.
Forget Smith. They are a plastic oriented company now.
Get a Colt or Taurus