Just bought a 64-1 - pics later

[kingston73]

I just bought my first S&W, a 64-1 for $275. From what I could see on Gunbroker it seems like a decently good price, it looks really nice inside and out, but no box and it has a set of Hogue-like plastic grips, no original's. Did I get a deal, or is this an average price?

Because of MA transportation regs I had to leave it at the shop yesterday when I bought it (I hadn't been planning on getting anything, just stopped to look) so I'll be picking it up today and will try to post pics later. The guy at the shop said he thought it was either a '76 or '77, where should I look to find out the date of manufacture? I don't know much about this gun, only that it was the stainless version of the model 10?

I'd like to get a decent leather holster for it, I may or may not carry it concealed (yes, I'm legal), and I want to replace the plastic grips with a good quality set of wood. Any suggestions?

Anything else I can find out about this will be great, I like knowing the history behind my guns. I've got 5-6 guns and only 2 are new, both given to me by my dad for high school and college grad presents.

 

[fyimo]

Congratulations on the purchase as the model 64 is a great gun and you got a good price. You didn't say what barrel length but if it's a snub nose you did really well. When you get it post the serial number with a couple of XX's in the last few digits and one of us will tell you the DOB. Include any letter right in front of the serial number which is loacted on the butt under the grips and sometimes on the crane when the cylinder is flipped out.
The stainless are easy to care for and if it has any light scratches or rubs you can polish them put with Mothers Mag Polish and it will look like new. If you plan on carring it a set of Ahrends finger groove Colo Bolo wood grips would look and feel great on the gun.

My snub nose Model 64 no dash with Ahrends grips

 

[kingston73]

That's a good looking gun. I'll hopefully have time to go pick it up later this afternoon, and I'll put up the serial and markings then along with a picture. It's a 4 inch bull barrel, with a red inlay on the front site. Does the rear site show up well with the stainless or is there a black you can use to make it stand out more?

I like the Ahrends grips, they look good and they cost less than Hogue's. I also like the idea of spending money on a family business, so I'll probably go with those. After looking at the website, your's are the boot grips? I'm split between those and the full size finger groove one's.

 

[kingston73]

Here's the pictures, hope they show up. It's got a ding on the front trigger guard, can't get a good picture of it but it's a rectangular cut, almost like somebody took a file to it a single swipe and then polished it up. Whatever the grip is, it's plastic and the right hand side has a good amount of wear, the checkering is worn smooth on that side.

The trigger pull is amazing, the double action is smooth and lighter than I thought at first, and the single action is far better than my Ruger Single six.

Another question I just thought of is, when did Smith mark/not mark the left side with their logo? I've seen several pictures of their revolvers with the logo just below the cylinder release. Is that a newer or older feature?
As for numbers and markings, on the crane when you open it is 728XX and on the frame above that is 64-1. On the grip frame is marked D7980XX, C17, the serial 728XX, S, and C5. I don't much like the grip, it's plastic and feels too thin so I think I'm going to get an Ahrend grip, as long as it's wider than the Hogue. I'm also leaning toward getting a Simply Rugged pancake holster for it, unless somebody can recommend something better for about the same amount of money.

 

[fyimo]

The gun was probably made based on the serial number which is the number that starts with the D as the other number is just a manufacturing process control number in late 1975/ early 1976.

Enjoy and it's a great looking revolver and the Ahrends round butt finger groove grips are pretty thin and are great for carry as the less bulk the better. The Ahrends for the square butt are definitely wider and some people like them and some don't.

 

[kingston73]

What does the 64-1 mean? I know they used -#'s to signify changes in production, was there a 64 with no dash first?

 

[Snuffy2]

kingston73:

Appears that those grips are the old Rogers grips from the late 1970s. some people like the way they feel, but they are UGLY, especially when the fakey wood-grain finish gets worn through and the red plastic underneath shows through.

I have a set that came on a Model 13 that I bought years ago. I cut them down drastically to a profile that barely covers the front strap and bottom strap, and sprayed them with flat black epoxy paint. They are now quite compact and concealable, and don't look bad on a stainless gun. It's a buncha work to cut them down, but maybe worth it if you like to tinker with stuff like that. Good luck.

 

[kingston73]

Thanks, I'm looking for a set of wood grips but in the mean time I might try modifying those. You're right, they're about as ugly as they come, and I'm not thrilled with how they feel. I didn't want to try sanding them because I didn't think about repainting, but a flat black might look ok, at least better than fake wood.

As I'm reading more and learning more about my purchase, I'm finding more questions to ask. I measured the cylinder end shake and if I did it right it's about .004 front to back, is this excessive? If so, I watched a video from Midway about installing a shim, and then read several different sites about it. The midway vid just uses snap caps when he unscrews the ejector rod, but then other posts said that's asking for damage and to buy the Brownells tool for it. Are they talking about this:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=...table_Extractor_Support__Single_Tool__38__357

Also, again if I measured correctly, I have a cylinder gap of about .007. This doesn't seem to be something I can fix so I guess it really doesn't matter, but is this a decent measurement or is it too large?

 

[Snuffy2]

Kingston73:
If you need to unscrew (or tighten) the ejector rod, always put a couple of fired cases in the chambers to take the pressure off the little pin that fits into the ejector star. And ALWAYS use padded jaw pliers it grip the rod, or better yet the purpose-made tool to avoid damaging the rod.

A cylinder gap of .004 to.006 is best, but .007 is not really excessive. Factory spec is a maximum of .012 IIRC, but anything over .010 is going to spit gas pretty badly. I bought a like-new Model 28 that had a c/g of almost .014, and it was the nastiest shooting gun I ever fired. I sent it back to the factory and had the barrel set back one thread, the gap set at .004, and the forcing cone recut. It is now a very sweet shooter, even with planet-wrecker magnum loads.

Your 64 should be fine just the way it is as long as there is not excessive lateral play in the cylinder when the hammer drops.

 

[kingston73]

It's amazing what a difference a different set of grips makes! I just bought these from another forum member, updated pictures:

Will hopefully finally have time to go shoot tomorrow. I've read several different sources about dry firing, most seem to agree that a hammer-mounted firing pin is safe to dry fire without snap caps?

Also, feelings on where to place the trigger finger shooting double action seem to be split between using the center pad (finger print center) or using the first joint. For me, strong hand I can't notice much difference in the feel but weak side it's easier using the joint. Thoughts and opinions?

 

[kingston73]

Finally going to have time for shooting tomorrow, what range should I expect my 64 to hit at point of aim, using 158 grain standard rounds?

 

[kingston73]

Took longer than I wanted but finally made it to the range and was able to shoot a box of 50. With 158g LRN it printed about 2 inches high at 10 yards, but both single and double action were great, I shot almost as good DA as I did SA. The only issue I found, and I'm not even sure it's an issue, is it spits lead out the side. There was a pretty decent amount of fouling around the throat and in the first half inch or so of the barrel. Is this normal?

 

[Snuffy2]

Kingston73:
I'm by no means an expert on DA shooting, but I generally place the first joint against the side of the trigger. A lot depends on the size of your hand and what feels best to you. The most important thing is to stroke the trigger STRAIGHT back without any side pressure, and to do it smoothly and quickly. Most people who are not familiar with DA shooting try to pull too slowly and hold their sight picture during the pull- difficult to do. My advice is to do LOTS of dry-fire practice, concentrating on getting a sight picture and then stroking the trigger quickly and smoothly without twitching the barrel alignment off. That's why a Smith with a good smooth DA trigger is such a joy to shoot.
Snuffy2

 

[wnr700]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing.

I got a 64-5 for the exact same price a few weeks ago. My local pawn shop had another 64-5 in pristine condition for about $300. Tempting, because I'd like one for the car and one for the bedside, but I'm holding out for a snubbie.

These are hard to beat for range and home defense.

I got my Model 17 as a cheap trainer to practice. I find shooting it allows me to shoot inexpensively (meaning I'll shoot more often) and for extended periods of time while concentrating without the percieved/expected recoil (little as it is with the 64). I am already seeing better results vs the 64, 19, 66, 442 that I have owned and shot in the past. Hopefully in time I will see it transfer into the higher calibers.