Ah the good old days at Smith and Wesson
- Thread starter Master Blaster
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Shade00
Member
Hawk: Well fortunately for you I can't buy locally in Texas. 
You won't have too much competition from me. However, I have a soft spot for .38s - more so than .357s. Might even pick up a .32 along the way - two of them actually, both pinned - one from the 30s, one from the late 60s.
And yes - I'm shopping in the '79-'01 'vintage' now - so watch out. The point is, though, that you can't judge a Smith by its pin.
You won't have too much competition from me. However, I have a soft spot for .38s - more so than .357s. Might even pick up a .32 along the way - two of them actually, both pinned - one from the 30s, one from the late 60s. And yes - I'm shopping in the '79-'01 'vintage' now - so watch out.
The point is, though, that you can't judge a Smith by its pin.Oh boy!! I have created two monsters here. Once upon a time they were happy in their ignorence. but not now... 
How am I going to aquire those previously worthless vintage revolvers when a flock of new (and educated) bidders start showing up at the auctions? It's getting harder and harder to steal a good ol' gun these days. Why I can remember when laying a fresh fifty dollar bill on the counter could liberate some hardly worn pre-war S&W .32 or .38 Special. Now I've been left behind in a cloud of dust.
Who was the
that spilled the beans?
Oh woe is me....
How am I going to aquire those previously worthless vintage revolvers when a flock of new (and educated) bidders start showing up at the auctions? It's getting harder and harder to steal a good ol' gun these days. Why I can remember when laying a fresh fifty dollar bill on the counter could liberate some hardly worn pre-war S&W .32 or .38 Special. Now I've been left behind in a cloud of dust.
Who was the
that spilled the beans?Oh woe is me....
I have a 64-5, made in 1988. It is not pinned, not recessed, but it is a great gun. It's VERY accurate, trigger is great, and I've been very happy with it. It was a former security guard's gun...carried more than shot...but I love it
Guess one of the good people at S&W made it that day!
Guess one of the good people at S&W made it that day!
orionengnr
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2005
- Messages
- 5,716
Still learning, but my limited experience:
My 73/74 M-66 was my first revolver in about 20 years, and encouraged me to seek others.
My 73-ish M-19 is the most beautiful firearm (of any description) that I own.
I owned a 1955 M-17 for a short time, but sold it after I bought a mid-70's M-18.
I owned a 6" 27-1, but sold it after I bought an early 80's 4" 586. (I'm not so big on 6" barrels.)
Both of the replacements shoot as well or better and seemed to have every bit the quality/trigger/blueing of their predecessors (okay, 586's blueing is not the equal of the 27. I still have my eye out for a 5" M-27). And I can carry the 586 in the winter time
Guess I'm a heretic.
On the plus side, I sold all of my ILS-equipped revolvers two or three years ago, and most of the replacements came as a result of that sell-off.
I wouldn't trade any of them for a Ruger or a Taurus on a bet.
My 73/74 M-66 was my first revolver in about 20 years, and encouraged me to seek others.
My 73-ish M-19 is the most beautiful firearm (of any description) that I own.
I owned a 1955 M-17 for a short time, but sold it after I bought a mid-70's M-18.
I owned a 6" 27-1, but sold it after I bought an early 80's 4" 586. (I'm not so big on 6" barrels.)
Both of the replacements shoot as well or better and seemed to have every bit the quality/trigger/blueing of their predecessors (okay, 586's blueing is not the equal of the 27. I still have my eye out for a 5" M-27). And I can carry the 586 in the winter time
Guess I'm a heretic.
On the plus side, I sold all of my ILS-equipped revolvers two or three years ago, and most of the replacements came as a result of that sell-off.
I wouldn't trade any of them for a Ruger or a Taurus on a bet.
My experience;
625-8 had some problems, but was customized to perfect.
1988~ M 10-7. Rough as a cob local PD trade in. I recently bobbed the hammer spur that was dropped and chipped anyway. The single action had 1/8 inch creep before lettoff. The out of round top side of the hammer had been contacting the frame it's whole life, corrected with stone and shims. I recently got under the hood and changed springs and noticed the rebound slide was severely pitted. I put it to a stone and realized after many passes that I would wear it to dust before these pits went smooth. I bought it for a song and a dance. For all of it's faults it locked up tight, was accurate and goes bang every time. It does the job it was meant to do.
66-1 Purchased recently and is absolutely flawless mechanically with a few handling marks. This is one of the good ones. Too good to pass up.
617-5 Bought new. Barrel had bad rifling otherwise perfect. Rebarreled on the factories dime and is a now a laser.
625-8 had some problems, but was customized to perfect.
1988~ M 10-7. Rough as a cob local PD trade in. I recently bobbed the hammer spur that was dropped and chipped anyway. The single action had 1/8 inch creep before lettoff. The out of round top side of the hammer had been contacting the frame it's whole life, corrected with stone and shims. I recently got under the hood and changed springs and noticed the rebound slide was severely pitted. I put it to a stone and realized after many passes that I would wear it to dust before these pits went smooth. I bought it for a song and a dance. For all of it's faults it locked up tight, was accurate and goes bang every time. It does the job it was meant to do.
66-1 Purchased recently and is absolutely flawless mechanically with a few handling marks. This is one of the good ones. Too good to pass up.
617-5 Bought new. Barrel had bad rifling otherwise perfect. Rebarreled on the factories dime and is a now a laser.
I just "got back into revolvers" this past year after app 15 years. From the
70's I had my 29-2 a 36 and a Colt Python. This past year I bought a 2'' 15
m34 2'' and a 2 1/2" Diamondback. They are from the 60-70's. I also bought
a couple post lock revolvers. A629 Mountian Gun & 3" 24 from Lew Horton.
I love them all. I just cant stand that little "twang" I hear when dry firing the
new ones. But they sure do shoot good. Glad I got the bug again tho. There
are so many 'homeless' Smiths out there. All those mentioned above were pre
owned. Autoloaders have their place. Just too messy tho. The 25 belonged to
a former cop from Long Island. I rescued it and gave it a new home. Guess
we need to adopt all those homeless police guns and give them new homes
like they do those greyhounds in Fla.
70's I had my 29-2 a 36 and a Colt Python. This past year I bought a 2'' 15
m34 2'' and a 2 1/2" Diamondback. They are from the 60-70's. I also bought
a couple post lock revolvers. A629 Mountian Gun & 3" 24 from Lew Horton.
I love them all. I just cant stand that little "twang" I hear when dry firing the
new ones. But they sure do shoot good. Glad I got the bug again tho. There
are so many 'homeless' Smiths out there. All those mentioned above were pre
owned. Autoloaders have their place. Just too messy tho. The 25 belonged to
a former cop from Long Island. I rescued it and gave it a new home. Guess
we need to adopt all those homeless police guns and give them new homes
like they do those greyhounds in Fla.
LightningJoe
Member
The 70s were the good old days for marijuana, VD, and Detente. Anything manufactured in the US, probably not.
Now if only the Japanese would make handguns*, they'd soon show us how to make a good product. To be good, you need a good competitor.
*yeah, yeah, and have you seen the cars they were making back then?
Now if only the Japanese would make handguns*, they'd soon show us how to make a good product. To be good, you need a good competitor.
*yeah, yeah, and have you seen the cars they were making back then?
OP
OP
Master Blaster
Member
Yesterday my son daughter and I went to our club and did some target shooting. I took the 629 no dash, and put 100 rounds of target loads, and 20 full power loads through it, Its problem is solved by the enshake bearing washer and its a great shooter. Its the only P&R stainless gun I own, and now that its fixed I will shoot it proudly for many years to come.
BTW FUFF, I have a 1946 long action M&P I acquired a couple years ago, in LNIB condition, that is my oldest S&W revolver, I am always on the lookout at local shops for the oldies.
My daughter shot my 1960 model 17 yesterday, its her favorite revolver. Ithink that there are great examples from every era of S&W production, but you do have to look them over carefully no matter when they were made.
BTW FUFF, I have a 1946 long action M&P I acquired a couple years ago, in LNIB condition, that is my oldest S&W revolver, I am always on the lookout at local shops for the oldies.
My daughter shot my 1960 model 17 yesterday, its her favorite revolver. Ithink that there are great examples from every era of S&W production, but you do have to look them over carefully no matter when they were made.
Of course. The first thing I do is ask myself, "Why did the previous owner sell or trade in this gun?" The second is to look for burred screw heads.
It is always possible that a particular gun was defective when it was shipped, although this is less likely in those manufactured in the 1950's backwards, and more so in those made 1940 and backwards. But you have to deal with issues concerning wear, abuse, and owner tinkering with the lockwork. I would say, "Examine a gun as if it was a used car," and in both cases the age doesn't matter.
Shear_stress
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,728
Amazing, time travel really does work. That statement may have been true in, say, 1950, but apparently you haven't handled a lot of Browning rifles or shotguns made in the last forty or so years. Miroku turns out a fine long gun.
O.K. I'll take your word for it, on the Miroku guns as everything I've handled was from Belgium. But I certainly would not put the Japanese Victory Company or the thousands of clone mfg's like it in the same catagory as Hafler.
Evyl Robot
Member
CajunBass - Nice, dude.
All of the Truly Japanese-made electronics that I've seen are amazing. The mass-produced crap usually comes from other locales in the Orient. I have nearly exclusively driven Japanese cars, and am quite happy with them (ranging in production from 79 to 04). I'm not sure how I would feel about Japanese revolvers. I would probably have to try one out in any case.
--Michael
All of the Truly Japanese-made electronics that I've seen are amazing. The mass-produced crap usually comes from other locales in the Orient. I have nearly exclusively driven Japanese cars, and am quite happy with them (ranging in production from 79 to 04). I'm not sure how I would feel about Japanese revolvers. I would probably have to try one out in any case.
--Michael
Japanese autos are giving USA a serious run for their money. However in the home electronics dept. I must respectfully disagree, the only thing amazing about them is their sales figures (PM's welcome).
Maybe they will start producing a revolver that outclasses western countries, but my doubts are extremely high.
Maybe they will start producing a revolver that outclasses western countries, but my doubts are extremely high.
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