Ideas for a model 64...

[Ghostofwar]

Hey everyone. I'm in sort of a gun midlife crisis. I've decided to sell a chunk of my pistols and I'm debating on weather or not to sell/trade my 64. I really want to get a 3'' model 60 to play with, but the wife says I have to trade or sell something to get it. I know I can't get enough for the 64 to cover the cost of a 60, so now I'm thinking about just customizing the 64. Its a fun gun to shoot and it has pulled its fair share of duty on the nightstand. Anyway, I need some ideas for what I could do with it. I'd like to maybe put a 3'' barrel on it and upgrade the sights from the standard fixed sights (to what, I don't know). Maybe send it to S&W for the combat action package. It already has a bobbed hammer, so thats done. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Throw in some pics too if you have any.

 

[-db-]

The general advice is you'll spend more and lose value trying to turn one gun into another. If the 60 is what you really want, sell the 64, save up for the difference and get the one you want.

 

[Black Knight]

I take that your 64 has a 4 inch barrel and you want a 3" 60. You know the 64 and seem to trust it. Personally I would be hard pressed to get rid of a gun that had served me so well. If you want a 3" 60 get a 3" 60, but a 64 does have advantages. The weight helps with recoil, 6 shots instead of 5. I would say try to find another way to get the 60 and keep the 64. I was issued a 64 when I became a Dept. of Defense (now Dept. of the Army) Police Officer and wish I could have bought it when we switched to Berettas. It served me well during that time.

 

[DOEBOY1]

i would just buy the one i wanted and plead ignorance if my wife found out. Lifes to short to worry with not being able to support a gun habit. I would surely regret saling the 64 if I didnt want too.

 

[sheriffoconee]

i would just buy the one i wanted and plead ignorance if my wife found out. Lifes to short to worry with not being able to support a gun habit. I would surely regret saling the 64 if I didnt want too.

The force is strong in this post......

 

[mr.magnum]

here, here!

 

[NE450No2]

The general advice is you'll spend more and lose value trying to turn one gun into another. If the 60 is what you really want, sell the 64, save up for the difference and get the one you want.

I agree.

After you modify the 64 you will still want the 3" Mod 60.

 

[kraigwy]

I don't know, yesterday I shot an ICORE match using my Model 64. Its fast becoming my favorite revolver (for shooting). The only modification thats been done to it is some florisent orange paint on the front sight (my eyes are getting too old for the stainless sights in bright sunlight). Boy did that make the front sight stand out.

It's a shooter for sure, though I need to shave off some time on my reloading.

But again, I promised my self after a couple regretable trades that I'll never sell or trade another gun as long as I live.

 

[M29since14]

I'm in sort of a gun midlife crisis...

Well, at least it is not a real midlife crisis. I agree with all the other guys. Apparently you like and trust your 64, and you are never going to make a 3-inch J-frame out of it, no matter how much money you plow into it. If it is really one of the "good ones" in your collection/accumulation, just force yourself to hang on to it until you scrape up the money for the 3-inch Model 60. You'll be glad you did.

BTW, some things wives are better off if they don't know about. Pistols, unlike other women and booze, are fairly harmless and most of them know it - just don't want to admit it.

 

[Ghostofwar]

Update! I decided after playing around with a 3" model 60 some more that maybe I didn't want one that bad. SO, I just went ahead and bought a 3" 686+ instead. After the wife couldn't tell the difference between my 586 and my model 10, I figured I would be safe getting a new revolver as long as she doesn't see all of them at once. So that satisfies my itch for a new gun.

I'm going to hang on to the 64, but I still want to give it a little make over. It could really use an action job and I'm thinking about maybe doing a carry bevel and a bead blast finish. Plus I really need some nice original S&W wood grips for it. Any other suggestions?

 

[4330Inroute]

Hi
Been there with the wife on sell one if you want to buy a new one route. You will regret it as I have. The ones you will miss are the ones you had to sell and you will be money ahead to keep what you have because later on it will cost you more to replace the one sold with a similar model. I no longer tell her what is in inventory. Out of sight is out of mind. If I want something new I just save up for it. When she asks where it came from my response is I traded for it. Technically I'm telling the truth because I traded good money for it. Tuck it away and be quiet about it.
Good luck.

 

[bronco45]

If I had a 64 4" and wanted to slick it up I would mill off the front sight and then have a dovetail cut for a Novak front sight with a Tritium insert.

If it's not roundbutted, get that done and chamfer the cylinder. Add a special set of grips and a good IWB holster and call it "good to go".

 

[ENGINE18]

Try and hold onto it. I almost sold/traded my 64-2, 2-inch. Then I decided to slick it up; bobbed hammer, action job, polished trigger, chamfored cylinder charge holes, lime-green front sight inser, and Hogue Bantham Grip. Perfect! Now it's my nightstand, and always go to the range piece!

 

[Ghostofwar]

Good idea about the Novak front sight. It is after all, mostly an "around the house" gun. Any suggestions on where I could send it to get that done?

 

[bronco45]

Wayne Novak, or most any other reputable Gunsmith with a milling machine. I would want the Novak sight installed to the same heighth
as the front sight that was milled off. The same elevation POI and with the ability to drift adjust the front sight it would also be right on for horizontal POI.

Over on Gun Pro forums, moderated by Old Fella I saw this modification performed by a gunsmith from NM his first name was Sam and I can't remember the last. Nice work though and I could never figure out why Smith themselves didn't offer this option.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

If you can't figure out how to sneak another gun into the fold you ought to consider turning in your man card-but that's just me.

 

[M29since14]

If you can't figure out how to sneak another gun into the fold you ought to consider turning in your man card-but that's just me.

Having fired R. Lee Ermey as therapist/counselor, Cajunlawyer steps forward and stands in the gap.

Seriously, that cross-dovetail front sight sounds like a good idea, particularly if the gun is not shooting dead-on. But other than a good quality action job and a nice set of stocks, a 64 probably should be left alone. "It be what it be," someone once said.

 

[gressang]

I have been thinking about having the cylinders on my 64 chamfered.

Is this something I should consider doing myself? If so, what tools would I need?

 

[Crabtree]

....as long as she doesn't see all of them at once.

This is the single most important rule in the c.w.m. basics training manual. Although many consider "collecting while married" to be less than ideal, simply following the basics can turn cwm collections into more than adequate numbers for most serious gun fans.

Currently my collection numbers well into double digits but by simply applying the cwm algorhythms (sic) it would seem I actually own 1 that has a scope, 1 that's camoflauged....1 big black one and 2 old ones that have pretty wood handles.

 

[mag318]

Last month I found a NIB 40 year old Model 64 no dash at my favorite gun shop. I had to buy it just out of nostalgia, I forgot how nice these early stainless guns were.