Shooting Older Smiths?

tallpaul said:

why would you shoot an old gun smith anyway? they are rare...

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Is that what happened to the old Colt revolver guys?

I shoot all mine, regardless of age. Don't see why not, if I can't shoot `em, they're worthless to me anyway.

one of the range regulars let me shoot his smith and wesson registered 357 magnum from the 30s. he shoots it at least once a year but i wouldn't really call it a regular shooter.

I still shoot a 27-2 5" (1973) with factory and handloaded 357mag ammo, I don't go crazy with max loads, and I still push DA split times. Smiths are very durable and built like Smiths, not tanks.

I seriously doubt you will shoot enough through that 63 to have something break. Mine, from the seventies, has been shot a lot but is my most annoying gun as it will only go about 18 rounds before needing the cylinder face and throat face cleaned. I've had three from that era and they all did it, regardless of ammo used. Brother had a 66 from same period that did it too. Heard the steel used then had a tendency to gall.

My bedside, night-stand gun is a 1917 Smith loaded with .45 AutoRim Sierra 240gr. JHC moving over 900fps. It's broken once before - the ratchets were worn out from rust and age - so I replaced the entire ejector mechanism with a part from Numrich Gun Parts and had my local gunsmith go over it to check my work. He replaced the timing hand - with a part from Jack First - because I had failed to notice it was rounded off, and it's been running great ever since. These "older" guns are tough. They will take a real pounding but some maintenance and care will always be required.

As you can see, this isn't a safe queen.

Still shoot my M15, which is dated early 60s as well as my K22 which is dated late 50s. Both shoot great and I see no reason to stop shooting them at this point.

All my S&W's are from mid-1960 to 1980, and get used regularly as long as I have ammo available for them. I don't consider them as "old"; their mechanical design is the same as current production, and parts are still available even if S&W won't work on them. Unless abused, it's unlikely they'll cause any problems, save the unexpected failure of some small part.

Have never hesitated shooting a K frame from the 20's. I don't push the .38 special anywhere near max charges, but that's more because it's not a self-defense carry piece, and I'm frugal with my powder. I hunt with an 03A3 built in the 40's. If it breaks, you'll find a smith who will get it running. The aforementioned K frame needed a hammer when purchased, I didn't send it to the mother ship.

Designed and modified for the U.S. Customs Service.........this is arguably one of the best standard production Smiths ever made.

Built in the late 1980s, it will be shooting in the 2080s and beyond (hopefully still in the family).

1980 isn't old and should be repairable. My 1980 66 went back for a repair - wasn't free, but it was fixed. My K22 are from 1974 and late 1960s

S&W revolvers are fairly robust. It takes a lot of shooting to wear one out. I have a 1955 built Highway Patrolman that I shoot a lot, all magnums, and don't worry about it.
My made in 1969, model 15-3 is my favorite range gun and its still going strong

Like -Pat Riot- says, get extra parts, even if they have to be after market mfg.
I find it helps to keep a record of what I have---which reminds me I need to catch up on that- -- I have actually replaced
replacement parts a few time which is just what you are in for. Love older revolvers.
Never had any problem with Smiths made in the 80's for standing up to modern loads & reloads, but like any machine
they will break down.

I have a number of S&W revolvers with model numbers, in other words, post 1957 or so. I shoot them when the spirit moves me. Most of mine are 1970's and later vintage. Several I bought new back in the day.

I have one S&W K-frame made in the early 1920's. I shoot it a little. I have a 1930's vintage S&W 32 S&W break top that belonged to my wife's uncle. I have shot it a couple dozen rounds but have decided to let it rest in retirement.

80's isn't really old but,can be rare in certain instances...


1980/81 first year, 4" 629 here. Was a constant companion in the game fields during the 80's. Killed a decent pile of deer with it. Always liked it in that role. Anyway,look up the $$ in a Blue book.

Never really beat on it with heavy loads. 80-90% loads of 2400 and a Lyman 429421 was always VG loads. As was 180 XTP and blue dot.

I shoot all guns and have boxes with spare parts for most of them. A few weeks ago I installed a hammer in a S&W 17-2 that had a broken off hammer spur and replaced the rebound slide.

What else would this 17-2 with a professionally shortened barrel be good for but to shoot it???

If I managed to wear out a Smith and Wesson, I'd brag about it.

I'm sure it can be done, but I've never come close. Or even seen one I thought was close.

ontarget said:

I bought a 38 H.E. that dates to around 1930.
In my excitement I missed a bent ejector rod. It also needed new grips. Numrich aka Gun Parts Corp. Has lots of parts for the old Smiths.

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That shouldn't be a big issue, any good smith could fix bent ejector rod. Here is how it's done https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hof+to+fix+brnt+ejector+rod+on+revolver .

Onty said:

That shouldn't be a big issue, any good smith could fix bent ejector rod. Here is how it's done https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hof+to+fix+brnt+ejector+rod+on+revolver .

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Yup already fixed it. It's a great shooter too.

CajunBass said:

If I managed to wear out a Smith and Wesson, I'd brag about it.

I'm sure it can be done, but I've never come close. Or even seen one I thought was close.

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If a person's financial status is such that he can afford enough ammo, even if he reloads, to wear out a high quality handgun, be it a Smith, Ruger, CZ, etc., the cost of replacing it is pretty insignificant.

Old_Grouch said:

If a person's financial status is such that he can afford enough ammo, even if he reloads, to wear out a high quality handgun, be it a Smith, Ruger, CZ, etc., the cost of replacing it is pretty insignificant.

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That is exactly what I always say. We had over 110,000 rounds through a S&W 22A before we retired the gun and upgraded to a better pistol. The cost of a gun and repair is negligible and the smallest part of the cost to shoot.

Today I went out and exercised a pair of my older Smiths, a 36-1 .38 3”, a 18-3 4” .22 and a 66-2 6” .357.

All three ran like tops, with my shooting not being up to the capabilities of the guns/load combos I was using. I fired three cylinders at each target, All were at 10 yds DA except the 66, that was 15 yards DA.



70 shots with the Model 18-3.

The guns S&W put out were made to shoot, I’m sure you’ll do better than I did here with your kit gun .

Stay safe.

Minute of bad guy skull is just fine.

I don’t see how a normal person, still less a gun aficionado who doubtless has more than one gun to shoot, can possibly *realistically* wear out a decent handgun shooting normal loads. (On the other hand if you shoot the hottest “Keith style” load you can possibly cram into the case without outright blowing up the gun, it might significantly wear the piece in just a few hundred rounds.)

Unless you own three dozen guns just to look at, yet also love shooting and spend hours at the range every week running 500 rounds through one particular gun that you’ve designated for the purpose. Definitely possible but not too likely. And if it does wear out what’s $700 for a new one? Guns aren’t that expensive in the grand scheme of things even at collector/panic/inflationary prices.

Howdy

I've been trying to avoid piling onto this post, but I finally decided to chime in.

I went through my spreadsheet, and I have exactly 3 Smith and Wesson revolvers that were made around 1980. Model 63 1980, Model 65-3 1982, Model 624 1985. I certainly do not consider them to be old.

As a matter of fact, the only Smiths I have that are newer than that are a Model 617-6 that shipped in 2003, and a Model 686-6 that shipped in 2015.

All the others, I ain't gonna say how many dozen here, just trust me there are a lot, are older, or much older, or much, much older than that.

I ain't saying I shoot them all regularly, some are old antiques and I am a collector so I have bunches that I never shoot.

Others, I shoot every once in a while.

A few I shoot a lot.

My favorite 38 Special is this Model 14-3 that shipped in 1974. It comes to the range most often when I feel like shooting 38s. Not really very old, only 47 years.






My favorite 22 is this K-22 Outdoorsman that shipped in 1932. Yup, lots of wear on this old baby, but it is my favorite 22 because it is the most accurate. So on 22 day it always comes to the range with me.






If I'm going to shoot 357 Magnums, this Model 28-2 that shipped around 1964 is just the ticket. Yeah, somebody thought it was cute to fill the marking on the barrel with white paint.






If I want to burn up some 44 Specials, this Triple Lock may look worn on the outside but it still locks up as tight as the day it shipped in 1907.






You want to talk old? This blued New Model Number Three shipped in 1896. The nickel plated one shipped in 1882 and was refinished at the factory in 1965. Not the oldest Smiths I own, but the oldest ones that get shot. I will usually bring them to a Cowboy match once a year and shoot them. 44 Russian, loaded with Black Powder of course.






Just a small sample of 'old' Smith and Wesson revolvers that I am not reluctant to shoot.