Quality of New Model 63's

[tguil]

LGS has two NIB Model 63's both sale priced at $599. Appears to be a good price, right?

Now about the quality....anyone have a problems with the new Model 63's? I'm and "old guy" and I don't feel like dealing with the hassle of a less that "darn nice" gun.

 

[ralph7]

LGS has two NIB Model 63's both sale priced at $599. Appears to be a good price, right?

Now about the quality....anyone have a problems with the new Model 63's? I'm and "old guy" and I don't feel like dealing with the hassle of a less that "darn nice" gun.

I have had a 63-5 with the internal lock for over a year now and consider it a very nice revolver.
No problems whatsoever, and at 61 years old rate as an old guy, too.
I wish it never came with the lock, but it did and doesn't seem the worse for it.
The barrel isn't canted, either.

 

[tguil]

The possibility of a canted barrel is a big thing with me. What is the absolute best way to check for this? By the way, when I simply "eyeball" the several Ruger and S&W revolvers that I already have, none appear to have canted barrels. Something better than the "eyeball method"? My "eyeballs" are 71 years old and after cataract surgery they work just fine.

 

[rock doc]

I bought a 63-5 three years ago and replaced the lock with the Plug, and added some different S&W stocks. The spent casings tend to get a little tight after a box of ammo, but a good cleaning between sessions takes care of it until next time. I bought it from Buds and paid $600 for it.

As far as detecting any canting, I would suspect the eyeball method work as well as any in a pinch, and maybe get a second opinion at your LGS.

 

[Mister_Smith]

I have a 1990's Smith & Wesson 60 snub in .357, bought used, I checked carefully for defects, but didn't know about canted barrels when I bought it. Weeks after buying it I noticed the front sight looked funny, but when I'd check, I couldn't tell if it was my eyes or the gun. Long story short, one day I noticed the flat top of the barrel did not line up with the flat top of the frame where they meet, and I realized I had a gun with a crooked/canted barrel.

This was very annoying, and though I intended to send it back to the factory to be straightened I learned to live with it as the gun, though from the 90's, was as new and had been fired very very little. Perhaps one day I'll return it to the factory IF they can straighten it with the current barrel, I do not want a replacement barrel, as I would rather have a gun ORIGINAL with a slightly canted barrel than a vintage gun with a decades newer barrel.

If the 63 has a flat topped barrel and frame, then where they meet, those two flat lines of the top surface should be parallel to one another, and you'll know it's fine. One last point, last year I wanted to buy a Colt Lawman, and turned it down when I saw the barrel was canted, Ruger also has this problem, just so you know.