Looking to round out my J frame collection

[M3Stuart]

I'm with the OP on J frames. I really like them and will get more as I find them. The only one I have now is this older 36 SB with serialized diamond grips in really good shape. (Edit: the grips are in really good shape, the gun has a few finish issues)

It has a small amount of pitting behind the logo as shown in the pic.

Not sure if it's the 1/10th inch sight, or what, but this gun is as accurate as my 3" 10-4 (also 1/10th inch sight) out to 30 feet or so (for me anyway). A friend of mine hit the head - dead center - on a silhouette target at 75' with it last week. Intentionally I might add.

 

[PMRet]

No J frame collection is complete without a few .32's..

 

[snubbiefan]

Well....I had to get over the hump-back issue myself, but I like the idea of being able to take aimed shots in SA mode if desired. I have broke-down and will be picking up a little-fired early no-lock Airweight "hump-back" tomorrow. The price seems too good to pass up at $300 and there is practically no pin-trail in the recoil shield. Maybe it was well carried and little fired. I'll post some pics later.

Yeah....she is ugly, but she shore can cook! (Hopefully....there are some folks out there that remembers that 60's song.)

 

[hotnova2]

Unique & unusual- Michigan State Police model 38 shrouded hammer with aluminum alloy frame (black), steel barrel (blued) & stainless cylinder (bright). One advantage- humpbacks can be fired from inside a pocket & not snag the hammer.

 

[snubbiefan]

The one I picked up is a 38-2 1994 model. I believe 94 was the year they moved "Airweight" off the barrel and down to the white scribing on the frame. I believe the -3 (last of the bunch) had the j-mag frame enhancements. No matter to me as I rarely ever shoot +P anyway.

I know a man that knows a man that has one of those with the stainless cylinder, but does not want to sell it....Imagine that!

 

[snubbiefan]

I found a man that says he has a stainless steel Model 38 for sale. I have seen pictures....and danged if it doesn't look like a model 38 and it's a no-lock. I am sure that I made out the M-38 stamped on the yoke.

Could this be some version of a 638 miss-marked, or did they make a stainless Model 38? From the picture, I can tell the barrel, yoke and cylinder are definitely stainless and there are no Airweight markings on the gun.

What could this be? Did Smith produce a NL 638 in the early years and this is what the guy has? He swears the box says Model 38.

 

[Hondo44]

I found a man that says he has a stainless steel Model 38 for sale. I have seen pictures....and danged if it doesn't look like a model 38 and it's a no-lock. I am sure that I made out the M-38 stamped on the yoke.

Could this be some version of a 638 miss-marked, or did they make a stainless Model 38? From the picture, I can tell the barrel, yoke and cylinder are definitely stainless and there are no Airweight markings on the gun.

What could this be? Did Smith produce a NL 638 in the early years and this is what the guy has? He swears the box says Model 38.

snubbiefan, mis-marked frames are not that rare.

 

[snubbiefan]

That may very well be the case with this particular gun. Looks like a 638 NL to me rather than a Model 38.

 

[snubbiefan]

No...I think I have decided it's not miss-marked. I think even here in this thread is a picture of a Model 38 in SS "finish" and not blued (post #14). I have also seen a picture of another one somewhere here on the forum with the same finish. I wonder how many of these Model 38's in the SS finish were made? Maybe cjtraining can give us a clue.

This gun I brought up under question is not actually all stainless...it is truly a Model 38 with a SS barrel and cylinder in pristine condition. The "Airweight" label is stamped on the barrel, which I think would make it a pre 94. Almost makes me want to go out and dig-up some of my buried treasure (that I swore I never would) just to own this nice little piece.

 

[1 old 0311]

Currently, i have:

442
642
317 Kit
60-15
60 nodash

I'm in the market for a M36 that needs some TLC that I can restore and an early model 60 with adjustable sights. I know I'm missing a bodyguard, but I'm having a hard time getting over the humpback effect. Are there any humpbacks out there with unique or unusual features that would entice me to buy a bodyguard? Of course, I'm referring to metal humpbacks and not the new plastic one. Obviously, I don't really need another ccw gun. But, I have really become unnaturally attracted to J frames for some bizarre reason.

P.S. Is there such a thing as a pre lock pre mim 637 or is that a somewhat new offering from S&W?

Like this?

 

[snubbiefan]

Tyrod....you will just have to get over the hump-back look. It took me a while, but the excuse I used was that I can go SA if I want to. You can still pick-up a "real" Model 38 out there. I would not bite until I stumbled across one for $300. Mine was not unusual, such as the blued ones with stainless cylinders....but I took what I could find.

 

[1 old 0311]

Tyrod....you will just have to get over the hump-back look. It took me a while, but the excuse I used was that I can go SA if I want to. You can still pick-up a "real" Model 38 out there. I would not bite until I stumbled across one for $300. Mine was not unusual, such as the blued ones with stainless cylinders....but I took what I could find.

$300 for a Model 38? I'll take two........make that three.

 

[snubbiefan]

Well....I did not say anybody can go out and find one for $300 every day..... All I said was that I did.

I had beat-on a guy that was walking around with a nickel-plated no-dash at a recent show. He was showing it to everybody, but not selling it to anybody. I am pretty sure he was just trying to find out what it was worth, but he turned down $450 from me. I know he left the building with it and I do not know what his best offer was. That was the day I decided I better get the one I could for $300. Mine is not nickel....just a plain-Jane old blue/alloy with some white writing on the side, but that doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[Hondo44]

No...I think I have decided it's not miss-marked. I think even here in this thread is a picture of a Model 38 in SS "finish" and not blued (post #14). I have also seen a picture of another one somewhere here on the forum with the same finish. I wonder how many of these Model 38's in the SS finish were made? Maybe cjtraining can give us a clue.

This gun I brought up under question is not actually all stainless...it is truly a Model 38 with a SS barrel and cylinder in pristine condition. The "Airweight" label is stamped on the barrel, which I think would make it a pre 94. Almost makes me want to go out and dig-up some of my buried treasure (that I swore I never would) just to own this nice little piece.

Sounds like it must be the satin nickel finish airweight but that would make it a 1993 issue w/o pinned barrel and it should be stamped 38-2. So it still might be mis-marked. If the Mod 38 stamp is near the edge of the cylinder window, the -2 may have gotten left off. That's not a rare occurance either. I have a Mod 34-1 like that w/o the dash 1.

 

[snubbiefan]

I think you have nailed it for me Hondo. Mine is a 1994 -2 and I believe they moved the script from the barrel down onto the RH side of the frame in 1994....on the blued models anyway. This particular gun still has "Airweight" stamped on the barrel.

Are these particular guns any more sought-after than the blued models? This thing is like....NIB.

 

[royal barnes]

I would have to have the Smith with the added grip safety just because....................!

 

[Hondo44]

I think you have nailed it for me Hondo. Mine is a 1994 -2 and I believe they moved the script from the barrel down onto the RH side of the frame in 1994....on the blued models anyway. This particular gun still has "Airweight" stamped on the barrel.

Are these particular guns any more sought-after than the blued models? This thing is like....NIB.

I really couldn't say. But if I collected these, I'd want that version too. In fact it's the version that had no Airweight stamp for a short while before switching to the laser engaved Airweight on the frame.

 

[snubbiefan]

Hondo.....you sure are making my job a lot harder here. I CAN'T GET THIS ONE for $300!

royal.....just because why?