Model 36 Questions

[Bloodhound689]

Hello all. First post for a new member. I recently picked up this 36 in what I thought was pretty poor shape. Carbon buildup showed it had not been cleaned in a decade or two, bent ejector rod, cylinder wouldn't spin freely, trigger pull was horrible. No shine whatsoever.

Spent 6-7 hours cleaning and polishing and straightened the ejector rod and now it looks like this. I am pretty happy with it. I just ordered a used hammer to replace the bobbed hammer. The goal is to get it back to factory.

I am fairly new to S&W wheelguns so lots of questions. I've owned a few for a while but it is now becoming more of an obsession.

Serial number on this is J17994 and from what I have read posted here is that it is a 1969 or early 1970 year

1. Did this year model ever come bobbed from the factory?

2. Does anyone have a picture of the stock grips that would have come on it (Magna)

3. Can you identify roughly what year or where the grips that are currently installed came from.

Thank you and I look forward to learning lots and contributing where I can

 

[s&wchad]

Welcome aboard!

1970 sounds about right. The bobbed hammer was almost certainly done by a previous owner and not the factory.

It would have come with Magna stocks like the ones shown below, depending on whether your gun has a round or square butt grip frame. They’d have blue circle inserts (washers) retaining the medallions and the right panel would have had the numeric part of the serial number stamped on the back.

Photos swiped off the net:

The stocks on your gun are factory J frame target stocks, but they weren’t supplied on the Chief Special. They were supplied on other models and were offered as an aftermarket accessory. They have an enclosed backstrap, so they can be used on round or square butt grip frames. If those have blue washers on the back, they’re about 1973 or earlier. S&W used blued washers on blued/nickel guns and stainless (silver colored) washers on stainless guns until ‘73, when they standardized on stainless.

 

[raljr1]

Nice gun. I like those grips on my J frames, but they do look a little out of place on the snub, in my opinion. Should not be hard to find grips for this, there are lots available. My preference on these J frames is original S&W boot grips, if you can find them.

 

[Retired W4]

Very good restoration on that 36, and welcome to the forum. Unfortunately you won't get any help with the obsession here, just a lot of enablers.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Welcome aboard from ol' Wyo.

Nice work on the cleanup. Do you have "before" photos? We like to see how you got from where you were to where you are.

Please do let us know whether your Chiefs Special has a round or square butt.

Based on others in the database, S&W likely shipped yours in December 1969 or January 1970. The company didn't assemble or ship in serial number order.

Here are a couple shots of square and round butt magna grips on '71 and '72 Chiefs. Yours would have been the same.

 

[Bloodhound689]

S7W Chad - I was 99% Sure those were the ones to order but I didn't know about the blue disc. I am glad I asked. Thank you

RALJR1 - I do like those grips but I want to turn this one back to original. I do agree that the grips look out of place but they feel pretty good in your hand. I will hold onto them and gladly use them on another gun.

Retired W4 - I am looking forward to it. I will say I am just as obsessed with Ruger. In fact my whole collection is turning into wheel guns pretty quick.

two-bit cowboy - Unfortunately did not take any pictures. Kicking myself for that one. It does have a round butt

Appreciate all your responses. I will post another picture when I get the hammer swapped and new grips put on.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Unfortunately did not take any pictures. Kicking myself for that one. It does have a round butt.

Oh, don't beat yourself up. Many of us have done that at least once.

Thanks for that tidbit. Yes, please do keep us informed as you make changes.

 

[cmansguns]

Welcome from Virginia

Welcome from Virginia. You sure have polished that 36 up sweet!
Have you checked under the grip (left panel) for a frame stamp N, and on the cylinder for the N. That sure looks like factory nickel.

My blued Model 36 no-dash, with box and docs shows the factory grips and was a January 1967 shipment per Dr. Roy Jinks.

My nickel finish Model 36-1 shipped in 1982 with s/n J 938523, and its original factory Magna grips are numbered to the gun so your grips may be numbered to some gun too.

Your grips look like target grips for a Model 34-1 of the mid 70's era.

 

[Bloodhound689]

Thanks All

There are four N's stamped that I could find. One on the left side frame,
one on the bottom of the barrel above the ejector rod and one on the yoke and one on the cylinder hidden behind the star

My grips do have blue circle inserts but no serial number. Does that mean they are pre-73?

 

[Retired W4]

Thanks All

There are four N's stamped that I could find. One on the left side frame,
one on the bottom of the barrel above the ejector rod and one on the yoke and one on the cylinder hidden behind the star

My grips do have blue circle inserts but no serial number. Does that mean they are pre-73?

Grips likely bought from S&W back when as replacements.

 

[Hondo44]

Very Nice!!

We see a lot of bobbed hammers, most not factory. However yours has the contour matching those I've seen that were documented as original factory bobbed hammers. Although there's no chance it was original to that gun. The factory bobbed hammer models are dubbed DA (double action) by the factory and are all from 1989; Product code 101520 for a 2" barrel and 101522 for the 3". But that's not to say it isn't a factory bobbed hammer added later. Does the area where the spur would be still have the factory case hardened colors?

J FRAME TARGET STOCKS were almost always sold aftermarket. Target grips for all frames need no fitting and therefore will not have serial #s, even if they were ordered with the gun.

The earlier J frame target stocks of the two styles have the shallow stock extraction relief cut and usually the small 3-48 NF screw, which had a long transition period to the 5-44 NF. Notwithstanding the SS medallion washers. Both styles were produced during a long transition period of the washers from blue and black steel 1967 to 1980, to SS 1970 to about 1982. Small screws will usually correspond to Blue washers and large screws to SS washers.

As indicated by the lack of the diamond around the screw escutcheons, they were not introduced until ~1969

 

[Bloodhound689]

No the color is definitely different on the entire back side of the hammer. almost like someone had attempted to polish it. There are a couple blue spots where the spur was.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

My nickel finish Model 36-1 shipped in 1982 with s/n J 938523, and its original factory Magna grips are numbered to the gun....

That's huge, Charlie.

Your Chiefs Special just took the top spot in my database in that serial number range for having matching serial numbered magna grips. Thanks for sharing that tidbit.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

There are four N's stamped that I could find. One on the left side frame, one on the bottom of the barrel above the ejector rod and one on the yoke and one on the cylinder hidden behind the star....

Those are the two places I've seen as a minimum on nickel Chiefs since my earliest Chiefs Special, a Baby Chiefs that shipped in September 1952.

 

[Bloodhound689]

Quick update on this 36. Found a hammer on eBay which slid right in. I am pretty happy with it.

Took my daughter with me to the range yesterday and found that this is her new favorite gun. Coincidentally I found a like new 1981 36 in blue with the original (serialized) grips in which she didn't like so I guess the target grips will be kept on the Nickel model.

I have never seen a better grin on her face after pulling a trigger. I will more than likely be handing this one down to her.