Best Model 60?

[ajgunner]

I have to say my Model 60-3 will out shoot the other 8 J-frames that live with me. I have no idea why but this one is extremely accurate. Nope---not for sale at any price.

 

[chief38]

My top choice of M60's is the 60-7. All the good stuff with none of the bad. After firing .357's out of a M60-9 I've never had any desire to own one. Anyone thinking of using a -9 with full house Magnums should try one before buying one. I'll bet most would then be looking for a -7.

 

[Dale53]

Well, why it may not be exactly what the OP specified, my pick is my 60-4. It shoots so well, it is truly useful for more than one task.

Dale53

 

[Dale53]

Here's my 60-4:



Make no mistake, these are REAL shooters!

Dale53

 

[MetalMan]

I have a 60-15 and it's a great gun, accurate and has a good (for a J frame) trigger.

I wholeheartedly agree!!

Photos below "at play" and "at work".....

 

[model3sw]

Ashland M60-1 Target 2"

The first type S&W's I collected were the early Chief Special Target model & variations, so, it would naturally follow that my personal favorite Model 60 is the Model 60-1 Chief Target Special made in limited quantity for Ashland in appx 1984. Ya' see ?

 

[model3sw]

M60 NY-1 Shostle Engraved

My second favorite Model 60 is a M60-2, NY-1 Ben Shostle engraved, with genuine MOP stocks.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

My second favorite Model 60 is a M60-2, NY-1 Ben Shostle engraved, with genuine MOP stocks.

That is a very attractive firearm ,but I am sure you have had many folks tell you that.

 

[Larry from Bend]

I also have a 60-1 Target. Bought it new in about '85. As far as Model 60s go, it's a pretty fun gun. Model 60s weigh so much more than my Model 38 that it takes something special (like adj. sights) for it to be of interest to me.

 

[rburg]

That is a very attractive firearm ,but I am sure you have had many folks tell you that.

Well, it sure is attractive. But the temps around here were -7 this morning. You should buy that young lady on the sideplate some clothes.

What was the mime? Dear Santa, please bring the women on dad's computer some clothes?

 

[SA1911]

To my knowledge, S&W hasn't made anything other than excellent Chiefs, blued or stainless.

I've fired the FBI load outta a Stainless Chief. It ain't all that much fun. I wouldn't even consider firing a .357 Mag outta one. Moreover, for its intended purpose -very short range self-defense- I'd doubt that there's advantage using a .357 Mag vs. the FBI Load. BTW, I've recently been dialed in to the .38 Special +P Gold Dot snub load, which is supposedly better than the FBI load. I'm gonna pick up a box and try 'em. However, I still ain't carrying a Chief for self-defense. That job belongs to either my Sig P239 .40 S&W or my Sig P229 .40 S&W. But either version of the Chief has an undeniable coolness to it.

Here's my take, based upon 35 years' Chief experience: it's a .38 Special handgun. .38 Special +P ammo will work, but recoil is noticeable. Its optimum utility is 10' and one threat.

I love the Chief's Special and Stainless Chief. They represent a halcyon epoch of America, an era where good prevailed. But for self-defense where one's life hangs in balance, there are many better choices. God forbid, were I to see a banger walk into a venue where I might be, my first thought would be to ID his buddies. A Chief's Special would leave me extremely vulnerable, assuming I couldn't hightail it outta there.

I'd buy another vintage Chief in a New York second. But that doesn't mean I'd carry it for self-defense.

Anecdote: a cop I knew carried a Detective Special for years. He was at a large So Cal amusement park with his family. In front of him were a group of young African-American men. Every other word outta their mouths started with either "F" or "M" followed by "F". After about a minute of exposing his kids to an extremely despicable culture, he told them to watch their language. One turned to him with an immediate reaction of hostility. However, he caught the off-duty cop's confident demeanor. They shut their mouths.

 

[toasterburn]

To my knowledge, S&W hasn't made anything other than excellent Chiefs, blued or stainless.

I've fired the FBI load outta a Stainless Chief. It ain't all that much fun. I wouldn't even consider firing a .357 Mag outta one. Moreover, for its intended purpose -very short range self-defense- I'd doubt that there's advantage using a .357 Mag vs. the FBI Load. BTW, I've recently been dialed in to the .38 Special +P Gold Dot snub load, which is supposedly better than the FBI load. I'm gonna pick up a box and try 'em. However, I still ain't carrying a Chief for self-defense. That job belongs to either my Sig P239 .40 S&W or my Sig P229 .40 S&W. But either version of the Chief has an undeniable coolness to it.

Here's my take, based upon 35 years' Chief experience: it's a .38 Special handgun. .38 Special +P ammo will work, but recoil is noticeable. Its optimum utility is 10' and one threat.

I love the Chief's Special and Stainless Chief. They represent a halcyon epoch of America, an era where good prevailed. But for self-defense where one's life hangs in balance, there are many better choices. God forbid, were I to see a banger walk into a venue where I might be, my first thought would be to ID his buddies. A Chief's Special would leave me extremely vulnerable, assuming I couldn't hightail it outta there.

I'd buy another vintage Chief in a New York second. But that doesn't mean I'd carry it for self-defense.

Anecdote: a cop I knew carried a Detective Special for years. He was at a large So Cal amusement park with his family. In front of him were a group of young African-American men. Every other word outta their mouths started with either "F" or "M" followed by "F". After about a minute of exposing his kids to an extremely despicable culture, he told them to watch their language. One turned to him with an immediate reaction of hostility. However, he caught the off-duty cop's confident demeanor. They shut their mouths.

Going to have to disagree with you over the effectiveness of carrying a revolver for self defense. After owning, carrying, and shooting dozens of different handguns as I searched for the best carry gun, I have gotten to a point where I primarily carry revolvers now. I find them more reliable, shootable, and easy to carry (at least for me) than most semi automatics. And the chances of me getting into any situation where I would need more than 5 shots to get out of it is statistically very low (though I do carry a reload anyway), so I don't consider that a deciding factor.

 

[Pef]

For the snubbies, I had a 60 no dash pinned, and I still have a 60-3, 60-7, 60-9 and 60-14.

I prefer the 60-7 above all others. I don't carry .357 loads, so the 60-9 and 60-14 are just extra weight; I like the larger front sight and the smoothed, more comfortable trigger.