just got my first revolver... model 13-3

[pauli]

i drove two hours to the gunshow in harrisonburg today. what i REALLY wanted was a 22 revolver, but everything i saw was either more than i wanted to pay (i know single sixes are nice, but i'm just not paying $400) or cheap enough to make me skittish. so, i checked out the centerfire choices. i was looking at two model 13's for and a model 65, and went home with this model 13-3 with pachmayr grips. a guy outside immediately identified it as a north carolina state police gun, which seems reasonable, as it's got plenty of holster wear, but doesn't seem to have been shot much. i put it through the check out and i'm happy with what i got for $238, out the door.

first thing my sister asked when i got it home was "how old is it?" i said... i'll ask you guys. serial number is AUS71XX.

my next questions pertain to the firing pin - it wiggles around a bit on the hammer. is it supposed to, and if so, is it safe to dry fire? (i attempted a search, but didn't get anything useful)

now, protecting (what remains of) the finish. what's recommended? i minwaxed my nef shotgun, would that be wise for this as well, or is something else in order... or should i just keep it clean and leave it alone?

i've just got to figure out how much wwb 38spl costs, and compare it to the case price at the range... and the various mail order places. this definitely isn't 22lr!

i'll be taking it to the range tomorrow to see how it shoots

 

[Brian Williams]

Great gun for a first Revolver, I have a 13-4 3" on my hip right now. Yours can around 1986-7. The firing pin is supposed to do that.
A light coat of oil, wax or RIG will keep your finish fine.

 

[pauli]

cool, thanks for the info.

i got to the range today, with my sister and a friend. we were all very impressed with how the revolver shot! quite different from the other guns we had on hand, my p22 and my friend's xd9. the recoil was quite mild (upside to being a big heavy block of steel). the sights weren't the easiest to acquire, so i'm thinking i might find some whiteout.

but i'm VERY happy with it.

 

[Kestrel]

Pauli,

Good luck with it. Those are great guns and they have good actions.

 

[StephenT]

Great price on the smith!

 

[popeye]

Just a warning. In case your not familiar with .357. Don't shoot any .357 unjacketed lead loads thru it. Do they still make them? I bought a new nickel 4" model 19 in '68. Shot 6 rounds of lead .357 thru it. Took a week to clean lead from barrel.

 

[pauli]

range rules are all fmj (and such), all the time, so no danger on me shooting lead (which, btw, are available from dick's).

man. i wish i'd been warned that 357s would be so addictive! but the cost is insane. now i'm stuck with thoughts of reloading rigs dancing in my head...

i'm already more accurate firing 38 and 357 than i am with my little p22; i think it's partly from the weight. i may have to do something about the sights (lining up three bits of dark steel in a dark range is... interesting)... perhaps some whiteout?

oh yeah, another question: how well would this do with a steady diet of magnums? i know the factory ammo out there is generally downloaded, and that some revolvers loosen up over time if you give them a good workout, but that's about all i know on the subject. just looking for some guidance on the matter.

 

[Brian Williams]

I shoot lead thru my 13 and 65 all the time. with little or no leading.

 

[saltydog452]

3" Model 13.

About 12-14 years ago I bought a 3" Model 13. I liked it so much that I went back a couple of weeks later and bought one for each of my kids.

Slick Willie was just coming into power then and the future of private ownership of sidearms was looking kinda bleak. So each kiddo rec'd a Model 13 to go with a 1911 platform 45 that I had previously given to them.

If such a thing as a 'go anywhere..do anything utility sidearm' actually exists, the 3" fixed sight, heavy barrel, round butt 357 Model 13 would be a tough choice to beat. It carries well, handles well, and the cartridge has sufficient power to handle most perceived needs.

As always, your mileage may vary.

salty.