Please tell me about this revolver

[Samper]

Hello,

New here so I thought I'd make a short introduction. I'm a 28 year old male. I served five years in the Army as an Airborne Infantryman and am a recent college graduate thanks to the GI Bill. Dad always collected guns, bought me my share over the years and raised a decent hunter/marksman. I own a small business designing and maintaining coral reef aquaria and work in a lab testing water and sediments for toxicants for the EPA. I'm familiar with discussion boards and truly hope that I'm not asking something that's been asked a bazillion times. If so I apologize in advance.

Recently I have been purchasing guns that interest me and it has helped my father and I become a little closer. A few weeks ago I purchased this revolver for a very nice price. It is my first revolver and was truly an impulse but I do know of the S&W revolver reputations. Can someone please tell me a little more about this one? I'd like to know when it was made, what the finish is called and specifically if the grip is original. When ejecting the casings the two closest hit. The cylinder must be rotated to remove the remaining. This may be normal but looking through some pictures could be easily avoided with another lower cut style grip that shows the trademark. At any rate she is a pleasure to shoot. Very smooth and I think a worthy buy. Thanks for any and all info.

 

[SAFireman]

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your service.

The grips (stocks) on your gun do not appear to be factory. It most likely came with service style grips. I'm almost certain that someone will jump in here after me and provide a photo of a similar gun with the correct grips.

Edited to add....here is my model 65 with service style grips (magna's) only mine are smooth...yours most likely came with checked center section (I just don't have any photos of those grips) The size and shape would be the same though.

 

[357larry]

Your Model 64-3 was made sometime between 1977 and 1982. If you give us the serial number which is located on the bottom of the grip frame, we can narrow it down a little further.

Your revolver is made of stainless steel and is more than likely the bare metal. Most stainless revolvers are left this way.

The grips are not what came on the gun. Those are an aftermarket version of target grips. Your revolver would have been shipped with what most people call "magna" style grips. These would have left the edges of the grip frame exposed and are a good deal smaller. As such, they would allow for the extraction of spent cases without them hanging up.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to post to assist you. Someone else may jump in and post some though.

 

[k22fan]

Welcome to the forum Samper,

Your model 64-3 .38 spl. was indeed a worthy purchase.

If you post most of the serial number off the bottom of the butt someone will be along with an approximate date of manufacture shortly. The number you photographed is an assembly number that was used to keep the yoke and frame together after fitting. It's customary to substitue Xs for the last 2 or 3 numbers in a serial number for privacy.

In S&W lexicon grips are stocks. Those stocks are after market rough copies of S&W "football" Target stocks. Some vintages of Targets had the area of the "football cutout" cut away for easier ejection. That would be easy to do to yours and I don't see any reason not to. On the other hand, selecting stocks with a shape that feels right to us is part of shooting for most revolver guys so you might want to decide if thats the shape you want to stick with first.

Best Regards,
Gil

Post Script: Like usual, quicker writers posted ahead of me. I hope I added something.

 

[adwjc]

Welcome!

You have great work horse of a revolver there. The 64 was one of the very popular police revolvers prior to the swing into auto pistols.The problem you mention w/ ejection is due to those grips, which will probably block speedloaders too.

Every one I've handled had a great action. Depending on when it was made, it may have had Galcavo Alves (wood) grips or "goodyears" (rubber grips)when delivered.

 

[Sebago Son]

Model 64

Your Stainless .38 Military & Police Model 64 would have shipped with stocks such as these shown on this earlier 64 with a tapered barrel.

These stocks are the "Modified Magna" pattern, so delinated because of the rounded lower edges of the stock panels...

Also correct, but not "standard" on your gun would be "Oversized Target Stocks" that would look like this.

The wood on your Smith now is a pair of aftermarkets, probably Sile.

 

[Charles]

Great purchase, and welcome aboard!

It looks to me like the stainless finish has been nicely bead-blasted by someone.

The original stocks look like this...

I agree with Gil, there's no reason not to modify yours. I'll also go a bit further and suggest, if your handy, it can be a lot of fun modifying them to fit your hand better.

These started off looking almost exactly like yours...

I don't have a pic uploaded of them with finish on, but at least you get the idea. Fun project, and no pressure if you mess them up.

 

[Samper]

Thank you all for the replies and pictures. Very helpful so far. I am extremely handy and was just thinking that I need another project so I may work on these stocks. Will search around here and see what's been done and how. I highly doubt I ever sell it but almost want a set of original stocks too. Does it matter or is it one of those things where there were so many made it's a dime a dozen? The # is BAR94XX.

 

[ol timer]

... I highly doubt I ever sell it but almost want a set of original stocks too. Does it matter or is it one of those things where there were so many made it's a dime a dozen? The # is BAR94XX.

Here are really nice examples for sale, one magna, one modified magna or plain clothes (PC).

The seller is a trustworthy fellow that myself and dozens of others on this board can vouch for.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/accessories-misc-sale-trade/175739-k-frame-sq-butt-magnas.html

 

[Dpris]

The 64 was Smith's most basic .38 Special six-shot K-frame revolver. Read that as "cheapest".
That doesn't mean it was low quality, just sorta entry level in the stainless mid-frame Smith lineup.

It was fairly popular with many PDs because it was affordable, reliable, and resistent to the weather extremes that police worked in.
Nothing fancy about it, generally not a favorite among collectors unless in an older version and mint shape, many tossed the factory grips that came on it as soon as they could. I did.

I was unhappy to find out in 1980 that the brand new PD I was hiring on with was going to issue us .38s, but I still have that old 64 (bought it when they were surplussing them out to pay for Glocks later on), complete with dents & dings acquired in uniform many years ago.

It's not as adaptable to precise zeroing as an adjustable-sighted .38, but it is a good workhorse.

Your decision on original-type grips, but I wouldn't use 'em if somebody gave me a set. If you plan to shoot the gun much, you may want to get something that'll fit your hand a little (or a lot) better.
Denis

 

[Charles]

Looks like your revolver dates from 1988. And as far as the original Magna stocks go, the pre 1968 oned with the diamond around the screw hole feel OK, but the later ones are much blockier and I for one despise them. Do yourself a favor and try to handle as many different types as possible before ordering anything. Spegel, Ahrends, Hogue, Eagle, Ajax, and Badger are some types to try if you like wood, and for rubber, Pachmayr, Hogue and Butler Creek/Uncle Mike's are the biggies.

And of course there are different varieties of factory stocks as well.

 

[Samper]

Thank you both for the history and information. I drove all over town with Charles list and could only find the hogues. They are really comfortable but change the look so much. Online has some really promising stocks but I don't think I'll have the option to feel them. Probably going to give Craig Spegel a call.

 

[Dpris]

Spegel is ALWAYS a good bet for an S&W if it's a model he works with.
I have several sets of his grips on S&Ws here, and I'll be going back for more.
He understands wood & steel fit, and his quality is top notch.

The 64 is not one I'd bother to try to "restore" to absolute factory original configuration, I'd consider it a shooter more than anything else, and as such getting grips that work for you is more important than trying to scare up what it came with.

Trust me- if you plan to shoot it much, comfort is infinitely more important than how much you're changing its looks.
Denis

 

[Samper]

Great news!

I did speak with Craig Spegel today for about thirty minutes and placed an order. He is working on Octobers orders now so my ETA is sometime in June. I went for the boot with 3/8" extension in Cocobolo and am going to have it custom fit. On choosing a block I told him that he was the artist but mentioned that the grain on the 1911 grips top left on his website were very pleasant on the eyes. Great guy, sincere thanks to those who pointed me in this direction and replied to this thread. Hopefully I can update with some nice stock pictures in the future. Although I plan to shoot this, I probably won't ever really carry it. You'd typically find me with an LCP or a P95. May be blasphemous here but it's the truth.


In the mean time I also picked up that Hogue grip and some SafariLand speedloaders to see how I like them.

 

[ol timer]

Good choice.

Tell us about the custom fit. Do you ship your revolver to him? Additional fee?

Thanks.

 

[Samper]

He did charge an additional fee for the custom fit.....sort of.

He wanted $250 for stocks from the block of Cocobolo he had in mind. Read as "Special Block" by me. Then he asked for an additional $40.00 on the custom fit. I did not want any checkering. I realize this is alot for some stocks on this model. I somehow justified it.

Before we got off the phone he offered to do it all for $220.00 out the door which was very nice.

What he does on the custom fit is a rough completion....they will be thicker in the back and front than a finished product. He'll ship them to me and I'll install/mark with a sharp pencil exactly the outline of my hand as I grip it. May need help on that one. I'll ship it back, he'll shape it to fit my hand and send them back. Fin.