Pinned barrel bodyguard.

A friend who was dying of cancer gave me a S&W .38 special, J frame air weight with blue finish before he passed away. He knew I loved S&W revolvers, but this gun just does not bake my cookie. It's a nice gun, almost new, but I just don't need it, and I value my friends memory, but think I'd like to trade off this gun for a nice J frame 63. I really don't like how rough this gun shoots with anything but very mld wadcutters, and if I need a J frame .38, my old model 60 is my choice. My friend never shot this gun after the first few rounds to make sure it worked when he bought it years ago. It was his bedside gun. After a range session this morning, I can see why.

When did S&W stop making the pinned barrels?

How much could I get on a trade for a model 63?

He was not a real close friend, we knew one another for a few years. He gave me the gun because his son didn't want it and he didn't want it to just be sold at a yard sale or something. So it's not like we were life long buddies. Kind of a friend of a friend situation. I don't think he ever even shot the thing. The action is still new feeling with hardly any line where the bolt stop drags. My old model 60 shoots way better than this gun. I don't think I need another J frame, let alone an air weight. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to keep it. I didn't even know he left it to me until his wife called me a week after his funeral and told me to come get it. She's sort of anti gun, and didn't want it in the house, so I picked it up.