My 3" Model 65-5...before and after...

[Beemerguy53]

I've had my 3" Model 65-5 for many years. (IIRC, I bought it from a Forum member.) Accurate and 100% reliable, it's served as my nightstand gun, wearing a set of Ahrends grips.

When I bought it, the finish was a little worn, with a couple of light scratches on the sideplate and some small dings on the bottom of the butt. This doesn't affect function, of course, but I wanted to correct it, if possible, without breaking the bank.

Last November, I shipped my 65 to Smith and Wesson for their $265 Combat Revolver Package, which includes:

* Glass Bead Finish
* Tuned Action
* Trigger Stop
* Chamfered Charge Holes
* Test Fire For Function

My 65 arrived home last night, and I'm very pleased with the work that was done to it. The sideplate scratches are gone, and while the worst ding in the butt is still there, it's less noticeable. The sideplate screws are polished, and the chamfered charge holes look great. The glass-beading is just perfect, and resulted in a very nice satin finish.

It appears that new springs were installed, and the double-action trigger pull is smooth and even. The single-action trigger pull is light and crisp.

I had originally planned to put a nice set of new Culina service grips and a Tyler adapter on this revolver, but after digging through my parts box and experimenting, I settled on a set of cocobolo Spegel boot grips that are about the same vintage as the 65...they feel great, and look perfect, in my opinion.

My overall verdict? Money well spent!

First, here are some "before photos". When I first bought this 65, it was wearing Uncle Mike's rubber grips...

 

[Beemerguy53]

I took these photos at my local Fedex shipping center, just before boxing the 65 and sending it to Springfield. The small tape strips mark the finish flaws I wanted to call to their attention.

BTW, when I called S&W to inquire about having the Combat Revolver Package performed, they emailed a prepaid shipping label to me, so all I needed to do was go to my local Fedex store, box it up, and put the label on it...

 

[Beemerguy53]

And here is the end result of this little project...

 

[kaaskop49]

Lovely gun, a job worth doing. IMO, a great carry piece, not a safe queen.

If only S&W had produced the 13/65 with a 2" bbl. I'm just not fond of guns with bbls like telephone poles...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Beemerguy53]

Lovely gun, a job worth doing. IMO, a great carry piece, not a safe queen.

If only S&W had produced the 13/65 with a 2" bbl. I'm just not fond of guns with bbls like telephone poles...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I can't wait to get this to the range and see how the newly-tuned action feels when shooting it...you're right, this is definitely not a safe queen.

I have three S&W revolvers with 3" barrels and fixed sights, and a number of others with adjustable sights...they're better looking, to be sure, but not really any more functional. Regardless of the barrel configuration, there's just something about these 3" models that feels "right"...

 

[mikeruns]

Looks fantastic! I think these are a great value, have a 4" square butt and it is my token .357 k frame…once had a 6" model 19 but it was sold back to it's original owner as he regretted getting rid of it to me….the 3" models like yours are quite a treasure to many with good reason! I do have a 2-3/4" Ruger speed-six in blue, and it has kept me from seeking out the 3" k frame I guess, but a person can never have too many lovely .357's I suppose I would drop my bucks if the right opportunity comes to me
Love your stocks too!

 

[Bald1]

Beautiful transformation. A T grip would be perfect.

 

[mk70ss]

You have one fine combat revolver there. Nothing you could do would make it any better.

 

[Inland7-45]

Looks great.

I have a 4" HB Model 64, made in 1980. I bought it used when there were a lot of these on the market from PD trade ins. I am thinking of having the same treatment done on mine. I sent a model 67 back to the factory in 2006 for an action job and it came out great.

 

[Venom6]

For me the 3" K balances and points better than the shorter barrels, but my biggest excuse is that the 3" fully extracts the empties when the 2 and even 2 1/2" barrels might not.

 

[CH4]

Beautiful gun! Your project turned out nicely.

FedEx didn't require you to ship and receive your gun through an FFL?

 

[cmj8591]

You can avoid those dings on the butt by not using the gun to drive in the nails when you are putting out wanted posters. They do a nice refinish and action job especially for the price. You will like it.

 

[msp2640]

Congrats on your "revised" 65. I actually called S&W in Dec about doing the same for a recently acquired 65 3", as well. Reality of Christmas, wife's birthday and our Anniversary in about a 6-7 week time frame, has delayed that slightly. Yours came out exactly as I'd like mine to be, I just have a different set of grips for it. May I ask about the turn around time on the work? Thanks, Bill

 

[two-bit cowboy]

And here is the end result of this little project...

Wow.

Something I'd never considered. Thanks for sharing your before and after. I'm eager to hear your thoughts after a trip to the range.

Now that you've enlightened me, I might have to pick a Model 60 for that treatment.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Great gun..... great grips!!!!! I've had one since 1986.

Are you sure the grips aren't Macassar Ebony?

Look like the two sets I have K and J-frame..

 

[31FordA]

That turned out nice. Thanks for this post, I've been considering sending a 64-4 snub in for the same work and now that I've seen how that 65 turned out I think I will.

 

[JohnRippert]

There is something about ebony grips on a stainless revolver. These are gaboon ebony Culina combats on the M65 I gave Dad back in the '90s and then got it back when he passed in 2013.

 

[bigt5150]

Wow! She's a beauty! Please post range report if possible.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Looks great.

I have a 4" HB Model 64, made in 1980. I bought it used when there were a lot of these on the market from PD trade ins. I am thinking of having the same treatment done on mine. I sent a model 67 back to the factory in 2006 for an action job and it came out great.

Based on my experience with this Model 65, I can recommend the Combat Revolver Package without hesitation, and the folks at S&W were a true pleasure to deal with.

Fyi, here's the timeline for this project:

* I called Smith & Wesson in early November to discuss this project.

* They emailed a prepaid shipping label to me that day.

* I took the gun to my local Fedex store, boxed it up, and shipped it to them on November 10.

* S&W mailed a letter to me on January 11, with an itemized list of the work to be performed, and telling me I needed to call them to authorize the work within 30 days or they would return the gun to me.

* Because I was not home at the time, I didn't get the letter until February 7...I called them immediately to authorize the work. They took my credit card number and told me the card would be charged when they performed the work.

* Last Friday, February 17, they charged my credit card.

* They shipped the gun via FedEx on Monday, February 20, with delivery scheduled for Wednesday, February 22.

* I notified FedEx to hold the 65 at their facility, and I picked it up on Thursday, February 23.

So...a little more than three months from first inquiry to completed project, and it would have been three weeks shorter than that if I'd gotten the letter sooner.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Beautiful gun! Your project turned out nicely.

FedEx didn't require you to ship and receive your gun through an FFL?

No, they didn't...I suppose because I wasn't transferring ownership, merely sending it off for some work. And because an FFL (S&W) sent me a prepaid shipping label, I was able to ship it through the local FedEx store in my town. When S&W returned it, I did need to show FedEx my ID, and certify that I was over 21 years of age. (I had an identical experience when I sent a 1911 back to Colt under warranty last year.)

 

[Beemerguy53]

Congrats on your "revised" 65. I actually called S&W in Dec about doing the same for a recently acquired 65 3", as well. Reality of Christmas, wife's birthday and our Anniversary in about a 6-7 week time frame, has delayed that slightly. Yours came out exactly as I'd like mine to be, I just have a different set of grips for it. May I ask about the turn around time on the work? Thanks, Bill

Bill, see post #19 above...good luck to you!

 

[Beemerguy53]

Great gun..... great grips!!!!! I've had one since 1986.

Are you sure the grips aren't Macassar Ebony?

Look like the two sets I have K and J-frame..

I bought those grips new from Craig Spegel, and they're dated 2001. While I do suffer from CRS Syndrome ( ) I love cocobolo, and it's my default wood for grips. These are more brown than they appear in the photos, and I'm fairly certain they're cocobolo...

 

[NCBeagle]

That turned out nice. Thanks for this post, I've been considering sending a 64-4 snub in for the same work and now that I've seen how that 65 turned out I think I will.

The original post, and your post, inspired me. I have a 64-4 DAO 2" snubbie (not NY-1) and its a perfect candidate for the Combat Revolver Package. Calling S&W on Monday.

 

[.45mtngun]

I would say you certainly got your moneys worth. Looks like the finish was done nice and even. Enjoy!!
Jim

 

[Chuck Edwards]

I've had that work done on three of my S&Ws - a 10-8, a 681-2, and a 22-4 (though they didn't refinish the 22-4 at my request). All of them wear Spegel Boot Plus grips without finger grooves. I'm pleased with all of them. The 10-8 was my IDPA gun when I was semi-seriously competing.

 

[Baxter6551]

Beemer Guy your gun came out great !! Mine had those same grips when I got my 3" 65-3 well used and scuffed up. I have posted about mine before and have highly recommended the package several times in other posts. For the work you get priced separately over the cost of the refinish the package becomes a bargain. I dropped mine off at the factory to have the work done about 15 years ago and the cost then was $250. The trigger job they did was great. They replaced all the bungered side plate screws. I later had the sides of the hammer and trigger along with the trigger face polished and a red ramp done. I have since had my gunsmith duplicate the package on other revolvers including my old duty 65-2 (3rd pic). Last pic is also an old duty 64. I really like the bead blasted finish on stainless guns.
NCBeagle you won't be disappointed!

 

[sprscientist]

That rehab project turned out great. 65's look so good with bead blasted finish. Here is my 65-5 LS now with my daughter.

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