Possibility of Smith Bringing Back The Mdl 13/65

[Buckeye63]

@Jonesy814

Taurus has the 856 & 856UL 6 shot 38Spls .. amazingly extremely close to the size to the older 5 shot 85 … the come with both 2 inch & 3 inch models .. for around $300-$375 .. hard to beat
My 856UL has been great …

 

[Archie]

I bought and carried a model 13 in 1979 or so as a Border Patrol Agent. It was a four inch version and had fixed sights.
(Aside. Don't believe for a heartbeat that fixed sights are poorer or less accurate than adjustable sights. They are most useful and do not get knocked out of place. If you cannot hit with fixed sights, you need to work on your lack of ability rather than blame the sights.)
I am old, worked in another agency and still have the M13. It's on a wall hanging with the other gun I carried on the Border, a model 581.

As the current S&W problem. All based on a lack of concern at the corporate level... I'll quit while I'm just a little behind.

I would think the model 13 - as previously made - would be dandy.
I have doubts.

 

[KyJim]

It's a pleasure to see that there are 5 (so far) people here that follow that line of thinking.
Don't forget about that cylinder that turns in the wrong direction also. That's another thing that can be bad for your health in the "streets".

Any documented cases where someone got shot due to difficulties with Colt’s design of its cylinder release? How about the direction the cylinder turns?

 

[Hal]

Any documented cases where someone got shot due to difficulties with Colt’s design of its cylinder release? How about the direction the cylinder turns?

I'm sure there are plenty.
In times of high stress, you do not want to be pushing when you should be pulling.
In times of high stress, you do not want your individually loaded rounds to be turning away from being in place to rotate under the firing pin.


It isn't that there's anything "wrong" with the Colt - it's that the Colt is all wrong if you train with and are used to a Smith and Wesson.
The same holds true if you train with and are used to a Colt. Then the S&W is all "wrong" for you.

This is sort of basic stuff that they used to tell revolver users about.

If you use one particular brand of revolver for defensive use, it really is in your best interests to stick with that across the board.

I'm sure there are plenty of instances where a semi auto user that's trained with and used to a Glock, has had issues if/when they found a gun with a safety.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I’m sorry but I never cared for the fixed sights of the 10/13/65.
I was issued a M65 for a significant portion of of my career.
I despised it!
It was a Bangor-Punta gun with the internal gas ring. It would carbon/gunk/lead up after 20-25rds and start binding.
With 158gr JHP magnums, it shot 6” high and 4” right. With 125gr JHP, it would shoot 4”low, left...
Because we qualified with 158gr .38spl semi wadcutters, we would file the sights (front) and beat the barrels (with lead Babbitt bars) to zero with .38spl ammo.
When I was made Capt of the pistol team, I was issued a Model 66. I was thrilled!!!
Two years later I had to give up the 66 for a 686. Not an improvement over the M66 IMO, but VASTLY better than the M65... sights were readily adjusted. About that time Meprolite night sights became the rage. 100’s on the night fire qualification were common.
The M686 was just too heavy after a 12-14hr shift riding in a patrol boat in 90deg weather. Nothing to mention riding in a heated pickup working 12hr stake outs for night deer hunting. Riding on ATV’s was tiresome, though. 5lbs of gun/ammo bouncing around.

 

[armoredman]

If, and thats a big IF, Viejo Tio Jose’ in the white house can get his magazine capacity ban pipe dreams realized, I think there will be a greater possibility some of these older designs may be brought to market again.

Absent that, these heavier-larger revolvers are more of a niche compared to the smaller ccw revolvers ( Airweight J frames still fly off the shelves ) and autos. When a newbie can pack a 16-shot Glock 19 or similar gun compared to a comparably sized 3” 6-shot Model 13 that runs $300 more to buy, they usually go for the auto. (I love my M-13, but I don’t carry it.) For this reason I don’t see S&W bringing them out anytime soon.

Stay safe.

I'll carry a full size revolver. Two speedloaders and I'm a happy camper.

 

[Riomouse911]

I’m sorry but I never cared for the fixed sights of the 10/13/65.
I was issued a M65 for a significant portion of of my career.
I despised it!
It was a Bangor-Punta gun with the internal gas ring. It would carbon/gunk/lead up after 20-25rds and start binding.
With 158gr JHP magnums, it shot 6” high and 4” right. With 125gr JHP, it would shoot 4”low, left...
Because we qualified with 158gr .38spl semi wadcutters, we would file the sights (front) and beat the barrels (with lead Babbitt bars) to zero with .38spl ammo.
When I was made Capt of the pistol team, I was issued a Model 66. I was thrilled!!!
Two years later I had to give up the 66 for a 686. Not an improvement over the M66 IMO, but VASTLY better than the M65... sights were readily adjusted. About that time Meprolite night sights became the rage. 100’s on the night fire qualification were common.
The M686 was just too heavy after a 12-14hr shift riding in a patrol boat in 90deg weather. Nothing to mention riding in a heated pickup working 12hr stake outs for night deer hunting. Riding on ATV’s was tiresome, though. 5lbs of gun/ammo bouncing around.

I packed a 4” Model 686+ in a 2” drop swivel for a while after hurting my hand in a fight. (I couldn’t depress semi-auto mag catches or slide stops, but I could push a cylinder release open.) It wasn’t much heavier loaded than my usual P-228, it just carried half the shots. I also worked 12.5 hour patrol shifts during the 105+ degree summer, by the end of the day any gun felt like a bag of horseshoes hanging off my hip!!



I had to use it, and the “party pack” of four 7-shot SKS speed loaders out of necessity, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

It was a hit with the older people I would run into who missed seeing the “six-shooter” in a cop’s holster, and also with the gangsters when “the MAG-num” made its appearance on scenes.

I'll carry a full size revolver. Two speedloaders and I'm a happy camper.

View attachment 1119339

I love my K frames dearly, nothing is finer than smoothly cycling through cylinder after cylinder putting rounds where they count. Be it .22LR, .22 WMR, .38 or .357, they all are really nice guns to shoot.

But I also realize the tactical advantage of 31 years of training and carrying autos with 10-19 on tap in the same size package. So, as much as I enjoy them for recreational use, if (God forbid) I am forced into a gunfight with some clown(s) intending to kill me I want as many things as possible to be stacked on my side of the checkerboard. And ammo count is but one of those pieces.

Obviously YMMV, and I wholeheartedly agree with your choice of ccw sidearm for your circumstances. You are well armed indeed.

Stay safe.

 

[Speedo66]

I’m sorry but I never cared for the fixed sights of the 10/13/65.
I was issued a M65 for a significant portion of of my career.
I despised it!
It was a Bangor-Punta gun with the internal gas ring. It would carbon/gunk/lead up after 20-25rds and start binding.
With 158gr JHP magnums, it shot 6” high and 4” right. With 125gr JHP, it would shoot 4”low, left...
Because we qualified with 158gr .38spl semi wadcutters, we would file the sights (front) and beat the barrels (with lead Babbitt bars) to zero with .38spl ammo.

I used to carry a 3" Chief (model 36) and it shot low and to the left.

Knowing that, I just compensated and was still able to fire expert with it. Although that was on man sized targets, not fine bullseye work.

I previously had a 2" Chief that during repeated fire in qualification would heat up and bind. Got rid of that one.