J frames again

[burch]

I`m wondering about the model 60 and the model 36. I`m looking for a light weight .38 special for carry. I`m wanting an older gun with no locks, pinned barrel, etc. I had one the newer airweight`s and hated it. I own a couple S&W`s a 696 no dash and a model 10 and love `em both because I believe the older Smiths are way better built so i`m sticking with that though when selecting my carry gun. I`m carrying a Colt Cobra right now but it belongs to someone else so I need my own. So any info on the 60 and 36 is greatly appreciated. I`m sure i`ll get a lot of opinions on this topic and understand it`ll be personal preference in my choice but wanted to get some good hard tecnical info mostly. Thanks to all in advance.
Burch

 

[burch]

Being from Florida (with our hellish summer heat & humidity) you might want to lean toward the stainless steel M-60.

Couldn`t agree more on the heat issue. Does the model 60 come in an older lightweight no lock, pinned barrel,5 shot 38sp. I`ve seen a lot of the newer ones and all seem to have the longer cylinders to handle .357mag. which I have no use for. ( no pun intended to .357 fans )

 

[toadshoney]

A model 60 is not a lightweight gun. It is a real stainless steel gun and as such is the heaviest J. Having said that, I carry an early one (187xxx) and don't mind the extra weight. I makes it easier to handle recoil. If I could find a good .357 rated one I would consider it so +p ammo could be carried.

 

[Erich]

Nah, the steel Bodyguards are heavier!

The 60 is perfectly carry-able in a good pocket holster. There are lots of makes out there.

I agree with the other gents' advice to aim for the 60 if you live in a sweaty clime. (I always have mine bead-blasted to lower the albedo on the thing - nothing says "GUN!" like shiny stainless steel, and I prefer to have my concealed carry guns a little less obvious.) You'll not go wrong with the pinned barrel era guns. An action-tune is not a bad investment, tho the coil mainspring will always stack some. (Do not replace the mainspring with a lesser-weight one - this is a carry gun and you want it to go BANG! when needed.) I like to bob my hammer spurs to match the profile of the Model 547's hammer spur - I find they hang up less and still permit me to use the SA option when I want. Find stocks that give you the ability to accurately and quickly fire the gun - you may have to balance these issues with your ability to conceal the gun. Crimson Trace 405s are well regarded, FWIW.

The all-steel pinned J-frames are stronger than heck - don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Enjoy your new gun.

 

[P&R Fan]

Yes, the .38 spl. M60 comes in a no-lock pinned barrel configuration. The pinned barrels were discontinued in 1982, this was the first stainless revolver S@W made and was introduced in 1965. There are a ton of the older ones out there. Have you considered a Centennial? The M442 and 642 are currently produced .38s, although not pinned. Older Centennials were the M40 all steel and M42 Airweight, made from the early 50s through the 70s. Again, they are available used if you can find one. I like the centennials because they are snag free and I shoot them very well. Almost anyone who has carried concealed for a long time has at least one. I have three, and would never be without one.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

The J-frame 2" revolvers remain extremely popular. They are lightweight and very easily concealed. I receive more holster orders for J-frame revolvers than any other handgun, so it is obvious to me that a lot of people rely on these for personal defense.

 

[redlevel]

I'm thinking that the older j-frames are the last bargains to be found among S&Ws. There was a pinned Model-60 for sale on the GON forum earlier this week, asking price $350. I wanted it bad, but I'm already carrying a pinned 60, and have two 36s and a 36-1 three-inch, so I didn't really need it. It was gone within about 36 hours.

I carry my Model 60 in a front pocket in an old Bianchi 5b thumb-break holster. It is very thin and light, disguises the outline of the gun real well, and easy to get the gun out of. I have been carrying j-frames for nearly 40 years now. There is just no greater combination of reliability, caliber, conceal-ability, and firepower in my opinion. If I think I need more rounds, I sometimes carry a South Georgia poolroom reload--that is another j-frame in another pocket.

I like the factory magnas with a Tyler t-grip. It just shouts "old school" and is eminently practical. As I said once in another thread, a j-frame and a t-grip go together sort of like bacon and eggs. Or peas and cornbread.

 

[burch]

Yes, the .38 spl. M60 comes in a no-lock pinned barrel configuration. The pinned barrels were discontinued in 1982, this was the first stainless revolver S@W made and was introduced in 1965. There are a ton of the older ones out there. Have you considered a Centennial? The M442 and 642 are currently produced .38s, although not pinned. Older Centennials were the M40 all steel and M42 Airweight, made from the early 50s through the 70s. Again, they are available used if you can find one. I like the centennials because they are snag free and I shoot them very well. Almost anyone who has carried concealed for a long time has at least one. I have three, and would never be without one.

I had a 442 Airweight, one of the newer ones and I hated that thing because it never would shoot good with anything I tried out of it. I`m carring a Cobra right now which is also a very light gun and shoots great so I know it can be had with an airweight. For years I carried an older model Taraus 85 that was a bit heavy ( probably about the same weight as the model 60 ) and shot great but I didn`t like the weight. I love the quality of the older S&W`s not that the Cobra is not good quality but the S&W`s just feel better in the hand. Also I don`t believe you need Mag. velocities to get the job done. You can get as good performance from bullet style, bullet weight, alloy type, and the right velocity combination. I`m shooting a 158 SWC that I hand cast from a type 2 alloy I make and running it just under +P pressure and will perform as good and it`s easy on recoil so it`s not beating up your gun or yourself.

 

[Barry711]

65-3, 640-1, 642-1, 36 (no dash)

More often than not I carry the 642, though the 36 gets its fair share of carry time.

 

[ENGINE18]

<------looking for more J-frames (Airweights!)

 

[daa9mm]

I've got a no-lock 337 that I sometimes carry. It's a few ounces lighter than a 442 and far less likely to rust. The only concern I have is dust in the state I live in. I think I spend more time brushing and blowing dust off than I do actually oiling the 442.

 

[Beans]

I have pocket carried a Model 60, 3 inch HB, Factory DOA, .38 Special for several years. Depending on my mode of dress.

I just found a NIB 642 No IL in .38 Special at the local gun store. It has now became my choice for pocket carry. It is light enough that sometime I forget I am carrying.