Model 60 question

[desertcop204]

I just picked up this little beastie today. It's a bright polished model 60 that the previous owner thought was built around 1974. The serial is R1074XX. My question is, is the polished stainless possibly the factory finish or something done by an owner since then? It looks very very good and not bubba'd at all, which made me think it was a factory finish, but from various conflicting sources I've read, the factory polished stainless was discontinued sometime in the late 60's, and if this one is in fact from the 70's that leads me to think it was owner-polished. Not that it really matters much, but more of a curiosity thing for me. Either way, it feels really nice and can't wait to get out and shoot it.

 

[KEN L]

Previous owner either did it or had it done. Its easy to do and kinda hard to bubba. Nice looking gun!

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

Good looking pistola! I really like M60s. Enjoy it and shoot it a lot!

 

[chief38]

I would say that the previous owner did the polishing job. The front sight looks like it has been cut as well, because it is not the way they come from the Factory. Still looks pretty though.

Chief38

 

[desertcop204]

Thanks for the replies.
Chief38, how should the front sight look from the factory. I noticed the previous owner painted the serrations orange to contrast but I didn't see any other obvious tooling marks.

Yeah, I anticipate it'll be a good shooter. It shows very little sign of wear and since my agency only allows four models of J-frames as back up guns I wanted to get a pre-lock model, and this sorta just popped up so I figured it needed to be in my safe!

 

[vrichard]

The front sight on a mdl.60 should look like this.
Dick

 

[chief38]

Vrichard beat me to the punch, but the photo he has posted shows how the sight on the gun is when it is shipped. Since this is a close up and personal carry gun that will most likely be used at distances of less than 10 feet, I would doubt that the cut front sight would make too much of a difference.

I do not know why the previous owner cut the sight, but maybe you have a gun that just shot low with 158 grain ammo (which is what they are sighted in for) and he had to correct the point of aim. I own 8 of these little suckers in different finishes and configurations, and I do have to say that with 158 grain ammo they shoot pretty much right on, but not to say there aren't copies out there that don't shoot low. He might have been using (and dedicated the gun) to 125 or 110 grain bullets and wanted to "adjust" the sight.

Chief38

 

[Jeb21]

That is a wonderful find. Please let us know how it shoots.

 

[desertcop204]

I anticipate it should shoot well. My only bit of concern might be with that front sight though, as our qualification course begins with five rounds at the 50 yd line for all handguns, including j-frames. My last 60 and 640 shot incredibly well at that distance, better than some of my full size autos in the past, but if this one has been cut down a bit not sure how that might affect the point of impact. Guess we will find out soon!