I officially joined the K-club today ... well, 1/3 there ...
me_yesterday said:
Guess I'm gonna have to go with a gut-level judgment on this one ...
And that's just what I did.
The dentist gave me a thumbs up/A_OK (no mouth transplant for at least another six months).
So, I buzzed on over to the gun shop and checked out those 65's.
There were 4: 3 with hammer-mounted (hm) firing pin, one with frame mounted (a 65-6).
On all them, I did the standard revolver tests mentioned on the previous page.
Only one of the hm's passed first muster. Two had too much play in the cylinder back to back; significant wiggling in my book. Admittedly, a more knowledgeable person may have said, "It's fine", but I erred on the side of caution.
The third hm that passed had a tight cylinder, but looked like it hadn't been cleaned in several thousand years. In particular, the crud buildup on the front of the cylinder holes from shooting .38's was so thick that it looked like microscopic barnacles
). It was dirty enough that I couldn't really examine the cylinder well, and the breach end of the barrel was similarly dirty, preventing inspection.
Aesthetically, it had some significant scaring. Not merely scratches, but scaring, some of which wouldn't have buff out very easy. The trigger guard in particular looks like someone had taken a file to it in some places and filed down part of it. (Reason unknown.
)
The other one with frame mounted pin - the 65-6 - on the other hand, was clean as a whistle (clearly had been loved and cared for), the cylinder was tight (enough), and the action was smoother and just felt more solid. Not by much, but palpably.
So, I sat and looked at those two for what must've been half hour, handling one, then the other. Repeatedly running down the QC checklist, checking action, handling, handling, right hand, left hand, then switch.
I thought about the consistent recommendations in favor of hm pin that you folks offered over the weekend.
But consistently, the 65-6 said, "Pick me".
So, I did.
I'm now the proud owner of a 65-6.
Well, OK, 1/3 owner. I put a third down on a 60-day layaway.
Guess that means they still own 2/3 of the gun.
I'm expecting my next wave of client payments within a few weeks.
Then, I'll bring that puppy home and show it some love.
________
Hey, anybody want to buy a 686+ 4"? I'll make you a good deal.
(Ad coming in Trading Post within days ...)