Snapping Twig
Member
Not satisfied to own a S&W K frame 4" .357, I was looking into exploiting the concealed carry potential of this "platform".
Should I cut the grip and make it round and cut the barrel and make it short? NO! Never! Not the thing to do. K frames aren't being made anymore and it's blasphemy to mangle one up when by shopping around you can find what you need.
So there I was... looking at the on line ads for California gun owners and up popped this little gem.
What you're looking at is a hybrid straight from S&W that does not exist otherwise for any amount of money.
This is a 65-5 .357, it has a 3" barrel, round butt grips and is made of stainless, factory glass bead blasted, fixed sights and a shrouded ejector rod.
You can get a similar revolver called the 66, it has some differences - adjustable sights and a 2.5" barrel OR you could get a 3" 65 which has fixed sights but no ejector rod shroud.
Either way, you won't get this.
3" barrels are important because they allow a proper length ejector rod. A 2.5" barrel's ejector rod is too short to dislodge empty cases - not optimum in a gunfight or at the range.
The ejector rod shroud adds some weight but mostly it is esthetically pleasing to the eye and adds proportion to the overall balance. Here's a 3" 65 as they typically come from the factory.
image borrowed from the web
Not certain how many 65-5 models were made, but you'd be correct to say "few".
This particular example has been to Mag-Na-Port for some TLC and they did their usual magic on the action, forcing cone and finish.
I tried it out this morning before I bought it and I can tell you that the action is smooth as butter, it points naturally and the trigger breaks like glass. If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere under 3# on single action and something like 5 ~ 6# on double action. Perfect for me. Others like heavier triggers, but I do not.
I actually bought it last week in principle, but it wasn't until today that money and paperwork were exchanged. I didn't want to jinx it by posting before it was official.
So there it is, one more time.
Oh, BTW, I am D-O-N-E buying these thing for calendar year 2012.
Should I cut the grip and make it round and cut the barrel and make it short? NO! Never! Not the thing to do. K frames aren't being made anymore and it's blasphemy to mangle one up when by shopping around you can find what you need.
So there I was... looking at the on line ads for California gun owners and up popped this little gem.
What you're looking at is a hybrid straight from S&W that does not exist otherwise for any amount of money.
This is a 65-5 .357, it has a 3" barrel, round butt grips and is made of stainless, factory glass bead blasted, fixed sights and a shrouded ejector rod.
You can get a similar revolver called the 66, it has some differences - adjustable sights and a 2.5" barrel OR you could get a 3" 65 which has fixed sights but no ejector rod shroud.
Either way, you won't get this.
3" barrels are important because they allow a proper length ejector rod. A 2.5" barrel's ejector rod is too short to dislodge empty cases - not optimum in a gunfight or at the range.
The ejector rod shroud adds some weight but mostly it is esthetically pleasing to the eye and adds proportion to the overall balance. Here's a 3" 65 as they typically come from the factory.
image borrowed from the web
Not certain how many 65-5 models were made, but you'd be correct to say "few".
This particular example has been to Mag-Na-Port for some TLC and they did their usual magic on the action, forcing cone and finish.
I tried it out this morning before I bought it and I can tell you that the action is smooth as butter, it points naturally and the trigger breaks like glass. If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere under 3# on single action and something like 5 ~ 6# on double action. Perfect for me. Others like heavier triggers, but I do not.
I actually bought it last week in principle, but it wasn't until today that money and paperwork were exchanged. I didn't want to jinx it by posting before it was official.
So there it is, one more time.
Oh, BTW, I am D-O-N-E buying these thing for calendar year 2012.
