Another S&W (Model 60/64) question...

B

BoneDigger

New member
OK, a few days ago I posted a question about a Model 64 a guy was wanting to sell me for $275. He said it was a 5 shot and I was told that they were not made as a 5-shot. So, I had him look up the model number and here is what he told me:

"Mine is the J frame revolver which is as small as they can make a 38 caliber pistol. The 5 shot cylinder allows them to make the rest of the gun smaller so it is very concealable especially with the original wood grips.

The barrel says: .38 S&W SPL.
When I open the cylinder, it says: MOD 60 66594 S

I think all of this means it is a Smith and Wesson 38 Special, model 60, serial number 66594, in Stainless Steel. I hope this helps. I am by no mean a gun guy but I can count the bullets in the cylinder. It is 5."

So, any information I can get about this gun would be appreciated. I guess it is a Model 60. So, would it be worth $275 with a leather holster and ammo? And, could I shoot +P ammo in it? Are these good guns?

I also have an option at a Ruger Security Six in 357 for about the same price. It is new in the box, with all paperwork. I apprerciate any help...

Todd
 
The model 60 can handle +P loads but not on a regular basis.

I have owned three and the first two I shot loose and traded in for another. Nothing wrong with the guns, they all will loosen up
if you shoot them enough :)

Have switched to the glock 19 for carry and shoot the hell out of it.
 
S&W Mod 60

I've owned an S&W Mod 60 in .357 magnum with a 2" barrel for about 6 months. I've shot about 300 rounds through it down at the target range. I'm a new shooter, so no expert, but I'll tell you what I know.

The gun you're looking at must be an older model, .38 special only. $275 sounds like a fair price, if it's in good shape.

In your first thread you wrote that you want the gun for both plinking and home defense. I recommend the Mod 60 for home defense and concealed carry, not so much for plinking or target shooting.

Features such as small grips, short sight radius, small fixed sights and light weight (so high felt recoil) make the Mod 60 a challenging gun to shoot accurately, especially for a new shooter. Both my wife and I can handle ours well enough at inside-the-house ranges, 7 yards or less, but target shooting for bullseyes is a chore, not fun.

Mostly we target shoot our .22 for fun and practice. .22 ammunition is also much cheaper than .38, of course.

There are some direct contradictions in the key features of a target hand gun vs. a concealed carry hand gun. Long barrel/heavy weight/big adjustable sights vs. short barrel/light weight/small fixed sights. A single piece is not likely to perform well in both roles. I'd suggest you decide which role is more important to you, or get two different revolvers.

The S&W Mod 60 is a good gun for self defense, and $275 is a fair price.
 
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