S&W mod. 36 vs 60

[packin-heat]

What is the difference between the Smith mod. 36 vs the mod.60. Also would you recommend stainless over blue finish for long term use.
Im not familiar with these models, so this would be my first one. I want it for conceal carry. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

[s&wchad]

The Model 60 is basically a stainless steel Model 36. Stainless isn't a finish, it's the base material and it resist rust better than blued or nickel plated guns (like the 36).

I prefer AirLite or Airweight J frames for pocket carry and the ones with a concealed or internal hammer are my favorite.

 

[rburg]

We all define long term differently. I finally gave away my early 1970s M60. It was still a great little gun. I'm guessing its over 35 years in my care, now one of my kids has it. I hope he shoots it. I loved it when I got it, third hand at least. It was a buddy's off duty carry gun until he found one of the round butt M66s. He got it from his brother, a county Sheriffs deputy, who had used it for carry, too. He moved to a then pretty nice Airweight M38 as I recall.

When I gave the gun away, it went with its original IWB Bianchi holster. No reason to break up the pair. I hadn't used it, preferring other means of carry.

About the only problem you'll see if you carry and use a M60 a lot is the finish tends to become uneven. The wear points become kind of shiney. You can solve that by polishing the entire gun, or roughing up the places that get that way. Your choice.

You still need to clean the gun from time to time. Pocket lint can become a problem, even using holster carry. The guns aren't rust proof, they just resist corrosion. Some people sweat seems to react to the metal, and stainless guns do get rust spots if you don't take care of them. I add that part in because some people buy them as truck or tackle box guns and never even look at them. Then they get shocked when they see rust.

Of course a blued gun would be a ball of rust if given the same treatment.

I'm also of the opinion that stainless guns, particularly polished ones, should be waxed. Oil often won't spread out and form a film. It just beads up and runs off.

 

[pred]

Yes to above post.
I went 1 month with my stainless steel J frame in the summer without pulling the grips, When I did there was rust on the grip frame.
I carry a model 37 in the summer now, It's a little lighter due to the alum frame, But I noticed that the nickel is starting to flake under the grips.
Just cant win,,, Might need to carry a more modern J frame, Not Nickel, Not Blued, Just black finish that can wear off.
Peter

 

[perpster]

Originally posted by pred:
Yes to above post.
I went 1 month with my stainless steel J frame in the summer without pulling the grips, When I did there was rust on the grip frame.
I carry a model 37 in the summer now, It's a little lighter due to the alum frame, But I noticed that the nickel is starting to flake under the grips.
Just cant win,,, Might need to carry a more modern J frame, Not Nickel, Not Blued, Just black finish that can wear off.
Peter

Just get a new Ruger LCP.

The 60 broke new ground as the first production stainless steel revolver (not sure if there were stainless semi-autos yet), but as said above, it's the same as the 36 other than the base metal. They'll both outlast your lifetime and stay in working condition even if you give them little to no care.

 

[safearm]

I personally carry a 637. I get the lightweight of an alloy frame with the durability of stainless. The same can be said for the 642.

 

[carguychris]

Other than what has been mentioned above...

The M60 is far more common and inexpensive with an adjustable rear sight. Factory Model 36 Targets (as the adjustable-sight guns are commonly called) have only been made intermittently for special orders and a few small production runs. They're highly collectible and you should expect to pay dearly for one. OTOH the Model 60 has been readily available for the last several years with an adjustable rear sight as a regular-production option. Of course, adjustable sights often aren't very practical for a carry gun, but I thought I should mention it.

Model 36s have normally been available only with 1-7/8" (often misidentified as 2") and 3" barrels. (Exceptions to every rule exist when talking about S&W options, but these are the only lengths you are likely to find.) Model 60s have come in a greater variety of lengths, including 1-7/8", 2-1/8", 3", and 5".

Model 60s are much more common in .357 Magnum. As the OP seems to be a n00b, I'll give some background. S&W lengthened the entire J frame (small frame) lineup in 1996-1997 to accomodate the .357Mag cartridge. Earlier J frames cylinders aren't long enough end-to-end to confidently fit a .357Mag cartridge with any "wiggle room" to keep the revolver from locking up if a bullet jumps its crimp under recoil. S&W was having more success marketing stainless guns around the time of the 1996 switchover, so they didn't sell many Model 36s after the change, and actually discontinued the gun for several years prior to the recent intro of the "Classics" lineup. Consequently, almost all Model 36s are chambered in .38 Special, whereas Model 60s have been sold in .357Mag for over a decade now. Interestingly, the new Model 36 Classics are also chambered in .38Spl, presumably for reasons of tradition.

Other suggestions? Look at a lightweight version. The all-steel Model 36 and Model 60 are considered a bit heavy for pocket carry, which is what these guns are usually used for. I pocket-carry a 638 Airweight, and I wouldn't want to carry anything heavier. FWIW S&W sells 3 types of lightweight J frames. In order of generally descending weight and ascending cost, these are:

1) The "Airweight" lineup with aluminum alloy frames and stainless steel cylinders

2) The "M&P" series with scandium alloy frames and stainless cylinders

3) The "AirLite" series with scandium frames and titanium cylinders

Hope this helps!

 

[flop-shank]

I'd go for a nickel 36 or a model 60. A blued gun will work fine for most applications too, but will require a little more vigilance and maintenance. Constant skin contact may be an issue with a blued gun depending on your skin and locale. For IWB carry the right holster with a sweat/body shield may make a blued gun more serviceable. As far as trying to keep the gun pristine, don't waste your time. It's a carry gun. Keep it clean and in excellent mechanical condition. It will get beat up from carry. I would bob the hammer while I was seting the gun up too. Wnen I clean my carry revolvers, I remove the grips and wipe a transparently thin layer of water resistant grease on the grip frame. In my case this seems to stop rust.

 

[Jellybean]

I'd like to offer a little more information. If you have never held a J frame make sure you do before you buy one. Or better yet, try to shoot one. They are just too small for my hands and I prefer my 2" model 10 over my 60. The 60 feels alright if I put large oversized grips on it but then I end up with a gun about as bulky as the 10 anyway with one less shot.

 

[GatorFarmer]

You can have a Model 36 hard chromed or Black T coated if you choose, this will increase corrosion resistance.

Model 36s are sometimes found with square butts - I have two such guns. I don't recall whether any square butt 60s were made. If for some reason you wanted a square butt, this would be an issue.

There are also non model numbered stamped Chief's Specials out there, and even the "baby" Chief's Specials.

 

[feralmerril]

Here is the model 60 I carried from about 1970 to 2003. I had bought a 36 hammer, had it bobbed and checkered on top and just carried it loose in my pocket. It did probley save my butt once. It was stolen along with my truck in california in 2003. Neither has shown up. I replaced it with a old model 40. To me a 2" J frame is a pocket gun, and I dont want a hammer spur in my pocket. Never could figure out why they put them on a pocket gun! I would either bob the hammer or just buy a new 40!