my first lock gun

[ralph7]

at the Pasadena gun show today i spied a guy just coming in the door w/a s&w box in his hand.
i ended up buying his 3" model 63-5 w/box and all paperwork for $400.
having just won an sp101 .22 on gunbroker the week before for my neighbor for $511 after shipping, i was happy w/this purchase, lock be damned.
i actually like the look of the regular front sight as opposed to the goofy "level bubble" looking thing that all the guns seem to sport nowadays.

 

[Bigman]

I realy like your new revolver. And myself I have decided if a gun comes along that I like and it has the lock, that want stop me from buying. Now go out and have fun with you new toy! Ray

 

[ralph7]

I realy like your new revolver. And myself I have decided if a gun comes along that I like and it has the lock, that want stop me from buying. Now go out and have fun with you new toy! Ray

i will do just that!

does anyone have one of these and have any comments negative or positive?
lay it on me, i can take it.

 

[bigtubby]

Ralph I don't have one, but I got over the lock deal real quick when I got a couple of deals on lock guns. I removed the locking flag and they are good shooters enjoy that new gun you bought at a very good price.

 

[Pef]

i will do just that!

does anyone have one of these and have any comments negative or positive?
lay it on me, i can take it.

I have one. They are fun little guns. And you got a great deal, by the way. Mine was NIB and with tax ran me about 670.

I have about 1500 rounds through mine. I found the gun to be very unforgiving of shooter error until I changed the grips to expose the backstrap (YMMV). Now, with practice, I've managed to get some decent (for me) groups out to 10 yards.

I also have a 34-1 with a 4" barrel. While I do like the sights on the 34 better, I prefer the 3" barrel on the 63, even if it is a bit more difficult to shoot as accurately as the 34.

I shoot mostly Federal bulk. I found that with CCI Mini Mags the cylinder in my 63 binds up. I don't know why, but I don't really care, as most of the time I'm shoot Federal. It's shot well with other ammo as well. (I'd be interested to know if yours has the same problem with CCI mini mags).

Like all 22 revolvers it gets dirty quick. I usually give it a bore snake at the range when I'm done, and then I clean it after every shoot when I get home.

There's something about .22 revolvers that make you feel like a kid, no matter your age.

Enjoy!

 

[YankeeWheelgun]

Great deal, and despite endless hand-wringing, the lock is a non-issue. Enjoy your new purchase. As Pef says, there is nothing like a .22 revolver.

 

[JBnTx]

The lock is a moot point. Very soon you'll forget it's even there.

The important thing is to check it over very, very good under a bright light.

Check that the barrel isn't canted, causing the front sight to tilt to one side or the other. An extreme case of this will cause you to have to adjust the rear sight way over to one side in order to zero your revolver.

Check that the trigger is centered in the trigger guard, and not too far to the left or right.

Lastly, go shoot it and shoot it a lot. Then shoot it some more. Don't baby it. Run it hard and fast.

Try to find something wrong.
If you can't, then you've got a good one.

 

[ralph7]

I have one. They are fun little guns. And you got a great deal, by the way. Mine was NIB and with tax ran me about 670.

I have about 1500 rounds through mine. I found the gun to be very unforgiving of shooter error until I changed the grips to expose the backstrap (YMMV). Now, with practice, I've managed to get some decent (for me) groups out to 10 yards.

I also have a 34-1 with a 4" barrel. While I do like the sights on the 34 better, I prefer the 3" barrel on the 63, even if it is a bit more difficult to shoot as accurately as the 34.

I shoot mostly Federal bulk. I found that with CCI Mini Mags the cylinder in my 63 binds up. I don't know why, but I don't really care, as most of the time I'm shoot Federal. It's shot well with other ammo as well. (I'd be interested to know if yours has the same problem with CCI mini mags).

Like all 22 revolvers it gets dirty quick. I usually give it a bore snake at the range when I'm done, and then I clean it after every shoot when I get home.

There's something about .22 revolvers that make you feel like a kid, no matter your age.

Enjoy!

i too, have a pre-34 4 screw 4" gun.
when i asked the seller why he was selling it, he said that sometimes during a rapid fire da run, a case head would expand enough to cause a slight drag and slow down his time. when i asked about ammo, he only said that the walmart federal seemed to be the best in that regard.

 

[ralph7]

The lock is a moot point. Very soon you'll forget it's even there.

The important thing is to check it over very, very good under a bright light.

Check that the barrel isn't canted, causing the front sight to tilt to one side or the other. An extreme case of this will cause you to have to adjust the rear sight way over to one side in order to zero your revolver.

Check that the trigger is centered in the trigger guard, and not too far to the left or right.

Lastly, go shoot it and shoot it a lot. Then shoot it some more. Don't baby it. Run it hard and fast.

Try to find something wrong.
If you can't, then you've got a good one.

barrel is dead straight and the trigger is pretty much centered in the guard.
all that's left is the shooting part.

 

[schneiderguy]

I love my M63-5. I was shooting it yesterday, and got a few 8 round groups at 10 yards in single action that were about 1-1.25" across. Not bad It actually has a better single action pull than my 686-6. DA is smoother on the 686 though.

 

[sixpointfive]

I have a 625-8 that is highly accurate and a blast to shoot, but in my eyes it will always be a lock gun. It is the only one I own and would not buy another. I pulled the flag, removed the lock and plan to install the "plug". Will probably hang on to it for plinking but would like to eventually find one pre lock.

 

[chicagoslim]

Congratulations!

I've got an old Model 60, and a new Model 637, with the lock. To be honest, I like the 637 better. It's lighter, stronger, and has better sights.