help identify a stainless model 36

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walter o

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I ran across a stamped model 36 no dash, pinned barrel in stainless steel with a j serial number .I cant find any reference to a stainless 36 in the Standard catalog of S&W .Is it a miss marked model 60 ? Anyone have a
as to what it is. Idea?
mods as i can't identify this it might be in the wrong section please change if it is
 
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Are you absolutely sure it's stainless? Could it be possible that the guns J serial number was stamped in error? I am unaware of any stainless steel M36's but it could have been an experimental model prior to the existence of the M60 designation. With Smith you never know however if you do get to the bottom of this please let us know.
 
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Not marked with An "N" It may be bead blasted ,i don't think so though.
Who do i turn to but all the people in the know (S&W FORUM)
I will take a magnet tomorrow ,but some S/S will attract a magnet
 
TEST:

A Stainless Gun will barely if at all attract a Magnet. A Carbon Steel Nickeled M36 will. Electroless Nickel Plating sometimes can fool people into believing it's stainless.
 
Armoloy was very popular in the 1970s and 80s. It was kind of a "poor man's stainless" for lack of a better term. I don't remember what they charged back then but it was cheaper and easier than finding a stainless gun. I personally had several guns done by them back then, and it's true - very difficult (but not impossible) to tell the difference. Among others, I had a 36, a 19, a 2" 15 that was round-butted before refinishing, and a PPKS. That last one showed me the durability of the refinish. I once dropped it from sufficient height that a "crease" formed on the back of the frame. The finish creased too but did not crack or split.
I'd suspect the gun you're looking at is a refinish rather than a unicorn.
 
walter o said:
I ran across a stamped model 36 no dash, pinned barrel in stainless steel with a j serial number .I cant find any reference to a stainless 36 in the Standard catalog of S&W .Is it a miss marked model 60 ? Anyone have a
as to what it is. Idea?
mods as i can't identify this it might be in the wrong section please change if it is
Click to expand...

The reason you cannot find a reference to a stainless Model 36 is because they did not make a stainless Model 36. The stainless Chiefs Special is called the Model 60.

It is most likely refinished in a finish that resembles stainless steel. Hard to tell without a picture.
 
1. Dull nickel.

2. Aftermarket industrial finish (God forbid).

3. No finish at all, just bare metal.

What do hammer and trigger look like?
 
chief38 said:
TEST:

A Stainless Gun will barely if at all attract a Magnet. A Carbon Steel Nickeled M36 will. Electroless Nickel Plating sometimes can fool people into believing it's stainless.
Click to expand...


Balderdash. A stainless steel refrigerator won't hold a magnet -- but that's an entirely different formulation of steel. A magnet will stick to a stainless gun as well as it will to a carbon-steel blue or nickle one.
 
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Stainless steels and magnets

the 300 series stainless like 304 and 316 which are commonly used for sheeting or to replace regular mild steel as a corrosive resistant structural member are austenitic and do NOT attract a magnet to any degree unless work hardened. This is caused by the high (8-14%) nickle content used in their composition. The 300 series stainless steels also have a low (08%) carbon content

The 400 series and high carbon stainless steels on the other hand are martensitic and will strongly attract a magnet. Firearm frames and barrels are usually in the range of 416 stainless and will attract a magnet well. 400 series stainless have no nickle. The tool steels in this range can have a high carbon content and be hardened. 416 has a very lean .12% carbon. It can not be made very hard.



Interesting fact all steels become austenitic and will not attract a magnet at around 1480f as the carbon content starts to go into solution

Winchester experimented with nickel steel, but it only had 5% nickel and no chrome. I suspect these guns have rather weak magnet attraction.
 
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Most likely an aftermarket finish. M60s were nearly impossible to get in the '60s and '70s due to very high demand from law officers and servicemen serving in Vietnam. There was accordingly a substantial cost difference between the M36 and M60.
This was set up most likely as a "poor man's M60.
 
walter o said:
I ran across a stamped model 36 no dash, pinned barrel in stainless steel with a j serial number .I cant find any reference to a stainless 36 in the Standard catalog of S&W .Is it a miss marked model 60 ? Anyone have a
as to what it is. Idea?
mods as i can't identify this it might be in the wrong section please change if it is
Click to expand...

Model 60's don't have J serial numbers, so is obviously a hard chromed, or similar re-finish model 36.
 
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