New 36 no dash - yippee!!

[M3Stuart]

I had posted a WTB listing for an older 60 or 36. After passing up some reasonable deals, I happened into a local pawn shop at lunch today where I stumbled upon this 36 no dash. It locks up perfectly, has some wear - but not too much, thin turn line and period correct S&W diamond wood grips. ....for $289 OTD (after a small amount of haggling).

Well, I had an out-of-body experience as my brain watched my hand pull my CHL and credit card out!

Having seen these for ever in the $450ish range (in worse shape), and one from a really nice member for $350, I am ecstatic.

I would thank anybody in advance if they can date this for me; it is S/N 4494XX. BUT you'll be glad to know, I have the Supica & Nahas book on order from Amazon but it won't be here for a week or so.

I'll clean it up and let you know how it shoots.

Thanks forum, for all your helpful input!!!

Edit: I especially want to thank the forum members who, when I openly pondered paying $600 for a new one on Bud's, told me I could buy any of the used ones for a lot less and still come out ahead with an older, better, gun! Man, I saved about $326, or more than half of the price of a new one and got a great gun.

 

[Vartarg]

Great Find

Great find!!! Congratulations to you....enjoy. Some better pics would make it even more enjoyable for us!

 

[redbos]

Thats a great price for a great gun, congrats.

 

[M3Stuart]

Great find!!! Congratulations to you....enjoy. Some better pics would make it even more enjoyable for us!

I'll post more soon. I have to clean it and put some wax on it.

 

[loner]

Nice looking 36. Great price thats for sure.

 

[teesur]

Page 399 in the SCSW, 3rd. Ed, shows s/n for model 36:
1962 295000
1969 786544
Hope this helps.

Also, you got a great little gun for an excellent price.
Congratulations,
teesur.

 

[Horace & Daniel]

289? Wow! Well done sir! That's a great find. I hope it brings you years of reliable service.

 

[samandglove1]

Great shooter for a nice price. It will clean up nicely and serve you well. I have a number of older 36s and they are all dependable to a fault.

Enjoy it and thanks for sharing.

 

[05srt10]

Good looking gun! Great price.

 

[tekarra]

Great find, congrats and enjoy.

 

[bearpugh4570]

thats cheap! i'm trading for a 36 tomorrow. its a 1971 3 in rnd butt. in great shape but non original grips. nothing like your good deal tho. congrats.

 

[45SAM1]

good price otd!

 

[stevieboy]

Great gun at a great price. I've always thought that the 36 was the best J-frame Smith ever produced. It's portable, elegant and a great shooter all in one package. I realize that, with handguns as with all other consumer products, marketing and novelty are key to attracting customers. That, I'm sure, explains Smith's penchant for coming out with new model J-frames every year. But, honestly, none of the newer guns really improve on the basic model.

 

[KCOG]

Good deal. A 36 in that condition is going for $350 in my area.

 

[H Richard]

Great guns. Yours has just some "character". One observation is it may have been owned by a left handed person how carried it in a holster a fair amount. In the pictures it appears that the left grip panel is more worn than the right. If only they could talk.

 

[M3Stuart]

Great guns. Yours has just some "character". One observation is it may have been owned by a left handed person how carried it in a holster a fair amount. In the pictures it appears that the left grip panel is more worn than the right. If only they could talk.

I noticed that too. Normally the right-rear of the wood grip is trashed. This gun is the opposite.

I cleaned it up last night and it has some blemishes that didn't 'wipe off'. I thought this picture would come out better. I'll take a better one tonight.

Can anybody tell right off what they think these blemishes are?

THANKS in advance for all your help!!!

 

[raven818]

I just " clipped " your photo. I blew it up in Photo Shop. There is no doubt someone deliberately took some kind of pointed tool and obliterated the S&W logo ( I have a like new 36 to compare it with ).

It was also an obviously pointed object as indicated by the tiny hole just left of the near top of the grip. Someone appears to have gone nuts and tried to wipe out the logo, for whatever reason.

Is that the only damage ( eg: serial numbers on bottom of grip frame, inside the frame with the cylinder open )?

If not, gotta wonder why someone would deliberately destroy just the logo?

If you have a photo editor, you can enlarge the photo to see a lot more damage than the naked eye can.

Or, it could be a coincidence, but it looks deliberate. Pretty tough steel to put a hole in accidentally.

 

[M3Stuart]

Sorry in advance for the not-very-good pic - this one is just a little better. When I use my good camera, the pics are too big to post, so I have to use my cell phone camera.

This pic is a little better - and after I'd cleaned it up some more. The logo is intact, and the serial number is fine in all places. The giant 'smudge', or pitting I think it is now, is just above and to the rear of the logo. I was able to oil and remove much of the pitting.

Again, sorry for initially posting a bad pic.

You can see (hopefully) the other pitted areas. The other side is fine.

Edit: since the original post I've also put some matching stain on the grips as they were worn down to the wood for the most part. I think they look much, much better.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Good find. Around here pawnshops want brand new retail pricing less ten percent for a pneumatic nailgun that looks like it's been dragged across the county behind a truck. Most won't deal.

Pricing on guns is worse.

 

[TACC1]

Nice find! That's going to be a good addition to your collection.
Hope you find more. TACC1