S&W Model 64 question

[Zaydok Allen]

I'm asking this question on behalf of a friend and coworker.

My friend's wife lost her uncle about a year ago. She inherited a pinned and recessed model 64 with a 4" barrel. My friend knows semiautos and rifles, but little about revolvers. So he asked me to take a look because he was confused.

The gun has a heavy barrel, but it says 357 magnum on it, which of corse is wrong for a model 64. I looked at the original box and it of corse indicated the gun was chambered for 38 special and the number under the crane said 64, not 65.

So my opinion was that the gun had been rebarreled at some point, and had a heavy 4" barrel put on it, likely from a model 65. They asked why and I explained it could be for a number of reasons. The barrel could have been shot out. The forcing cone may have been eroded from shooting hot light loads, though I saw no evidence of flame cutting on the top strap. The trigger could have been pulled after a squib, and the original barrel bulged. Who knows why? I also offered that the owner came across a model 65 barrel and picked it up knowing it would work find with 38's, or that's just what a local smith was able to get his hands on.

Does that all seem logical? I mean I told them straight out I was guessing based on what I saw, but without service records it was hard to be sure.

 

[MrBorland]

AFAIK, .38spl guns didn't get recessed chambers. Some rare model 10s were chambered in .357mag, so maybe this is a 64 so chambered. A letter from S&W would likely clear things up a bit.

 

[CajunBass]

Sounds likely to me.

Although I believe S&W did make some 357 Model 64's for a police dept, I want to say Oklahoma State Police, before the Model 65. They did led to the Model 65 being offered as a separate model, but I would think those would be marked as such. I however am far from an expert.

Is the box numbered to the gun?

 

[oldbear]

So my opinion was that the gun had been rebarreled at some point

460, Not necessarily, Smith and Wesson did produce a limited number of Model 64’s chambered in .357 magnum. I believe this was for the Oklahoma highway patrol. I think these were shipped in standard model 64 boxes with correct model 64 end labels. This revolver morphed into the Model 65 line of revolvers.

If the revolver in question has the recessed cylinder, which was only offered on Magnum and .22 caliber revolvers your friend may have one of the above revolvers.

If you were to check at the Smith and Wesson Forum, I’m sure someone there could let you know for sure.

Please keep us posted.

 

[BSA1]

Never say Never with Smith & Wesson.

I would spring for $50.00 and get a letter from Jinks at Smith and Wesson.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Ah.... Very interesting. I'm gonna text my buddy and ask if the deceased was a cop.

The original and correct box says 38 spl. But I looked it over and it's definately got recessed chambers. Unfortunately it was a party, and neither of us happen to have a 357 on us to try chambering a round.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

More info. I just got this text from my friend after asking a few more questions.

"The box is a 64 box but also has 65 handwritten on it. The SN# on the gun and box don't match. The box has a 6 digit # written in , but the SN# on the crane is 5 digits. But the frame is stamped Mod 64-1on the frame under the crane."

So now I'm wondering if this is in fact a mod 64 chambered for 357, but in a different box. Weird.

 

[RJM]

I had a model 64 with a pinned barrel and the hammer had the firing pin on it and it was a .357 magnum model...police trade in. I really don't remember if it had recessed chambers...I'd say it probably did. It was my first real revolver I ever bought. It shot .38's beautifully and would still shoot .357 mag fine, but I honestly like the 686 for shooting magnums. When I bought mine, my brother bought one just like it and I think we paid $220 for each...how is that for a deal?

I shot that gun so much because it was so much fun shooting .38s out of...and accurate too. Wound up selling it off to a co-worker (and this is one of the few guns I sold or traded I really wished I kept).

 

[PJSprog]

One of the many reasons I love THR; learn something every day. I did not know S&W chambered M64s in .357 before the M65s. You guys are awesome.

 

[CajunBass]

"The box is a 64 box but also has 65 handwritten on it. The SN# on the gun and box don't match. The box has a 6 digit # written in , but the SN# on the crane is 5 digits. But the frame is stamped Mod 64-1on the frame under the crane."

The numbers you're looking at inside the crane are probably not the serial number. They're probably an assembly number, which is used to keep the parts together during the assembly process, but have no other meaning after the gun is assembled. The serial number is found on the butt of the revolver. You may have to remove the grips to find it.

Now, you will sometimes find a serial number in the crane, Smith & Wesson has put them there and in other places over the years, but it is always on the butt. That's the official number, so check that against the box.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Yeah I told him to cross check with the number on the grip frame also, since the bottom of the grip frame is exposed. Now that you point it out though, it doesn't sound like he did in the text he sent me. I'll see him in the morning and talk to him then about it.

I tell you, they aren't terribly sentimental about guns they don't shoot. If he ever wants to sell it I'll be all over it. I'd have no idea what to offer him though since it sounds like 357 chambered model 64's are a little more rare than I realized.

 

[Old Fuff]

There were times when S&W got a little bit rushed...

And a number of revolvers used the same frame (including models 64 and 65).

So it was far from impossible that some frames marked MOD 64-? might when they were finally assembled turn out to be mis-marked model 65's.

Understand that the model and serial numbers were stamped on the frames before they were assembled into complete revolvers.

However considering the number of guns being produced, this still was not a common occurrence.

If you care enough to pay $50.00 to know for sure, write S&W and request an historical letter.

 

[Radagast]

Per the Standard Catalog of S&W, the 64-1 was the .357 Magnum, heavy barrel, manufactured in 1972/3 for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, 750 units manufactured.

The 64-1 on your friend's gun is the positive ID.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Per the Standard Catalog of S&W, the 64-1 was the .357 Magnum, heavy barrel, manufactured in 1972/3 for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, 750 units manufactured.

The 64-1 on your friend's gun is the positive ID.

It's funny, as I was falling asleep last night, I thought "Maybe I should pm Radagast about this." Thanks for that info. With so few made, I would expect it is worth some dollars, though having the wrong box would not help things.

My friend has not mentioned any police markings though, and I did not see any either, though like I said, I only got a chance to look at it briefly and then pass it on to another party goer.

Given the potential rarity of it, I think it would behoove them to get the letter for confirmation.

 

[Radagast]

No special markings on that batch.