Young.Gun.612
New member
I didn't know, thats why I asked. Thank you for the constructive input..
S&W 36
- Thread starter Young.Gun.612
- Start date
Walklightly
Moderator
You just need to shop around, and be pationt. Have the cash on hand ready to go. Walk, and keep looking.
TBS, if you really need a gun, look around for police trade-in's on-line. They are aroune $200 -+$100. JGsales.com, Aimsurplus.com, and Bud's.
I also have a few M36 snubbies... The only ones I've seen for $100. or $2oo. were worn out and not good for more than duty as paperweights, or in training. Here in south Florida they are fairly plentiful. IME the average price for a decent one is between $300., and $500. I recently picked up a NIB 2" R/B 1970's gun for a little over $500 in daytona. $600. In my opinion is a little high, ahhhh no it's a lot high. About $200. too high.
Dragline45
New member
Just recently I was comparing my 640 in .38 which is the same size as the 36 to a 19 snubby my buddy picked up for dirt cheap off a good friend of his. The 19 is a good amount bigger all around, thicker cylinder due to the extra round it holds, bigger frame, bigger grip, longer barrel. Even in a coat pocket the thing is so big and heavy it will weigh down one side of the coat so much you will look and feel awkward. If you intend to carry concealed I would stick with a J frame. By the way my buddies friend went to sell it to a shop and was only offered $150
He ended up selling to to my buddy for $200. It was his grandfathers off duty gun and the only wear on it is honest holster wear. Locks up tight and the trigger is buttery smooth.Young.Gun.612
New member
Patience is a virtue I often lack.
Thank goodness I asked on here, I was ready to plop down $150 to put it on layaway...
Is there a j frame comparable in size to the 36 chambered for .357?
Thank goodness I asked on here, I was ready to plop down $150 to put it on layaway...
Is there a j frame comparable in size to the 36 chambered for .357?
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Model 19's and 66's are K frames...( and yes, the mod 19 was available blued or in Nickel)- with the Nickel demanding a premium typically of around $100.
Lots of other J frames...mod 60 is stainless version....mod 50 ...etc..
K frame is a little bigger and heavier than a J frame - but not a lot. To me, in a revolver, its partly the size of the frame ...but its also whether its a round butt or a square butt ..in terms of how it fits my hands / and it changes a lot if you put differnent grips on it ...standard S&W target grips, older S&W wood finger groove grips, Hogue grips...etc...all of that makes a big difference...( and you can get grips that convert a round butt / to a square butt feel as well ...) a hybrid ...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77426&d=1326326498
4 guns at right ....first two are model 19's in 4" ( nickel) ...next 2 are mod 66's 4" ( stainless )...with different grips...
Here are a couple more 66's - a 2 1/2" round butt / a 4" sq butt...( 66's are all stainless)...
There isn't a wrong or right answer ....its what fits your hands ( not mine ) ...but in these mid sized revolvers....I like the mod 19's and 66's a lot...but then I also like the bigger N frames mod 27's in a 4" also ...
Here is a model 27 - N frame S&W ...in .357 mag in a 4" Nickel ( and a 6" mod 27 as well ).
N frames in most areas ...will demand a premium over any of the K frames../ maybe $ 250 or more...at least in my area. Mod 19's in my area ...over the 36's ...are about a $300 prem as well...especially in Nickel...
Lots of other J frames...mod 60 is stainless version....mod 50 ...etc..
K frame is a little bigger and heavier than a J frame - but not a lot. To me, in a revolver, its partly the size of the frame ...but its also whether its a round butt or a square butt ..in terms of how it fits my hands / and it changes a lot if you put differnent grips on it ...standard S&W target grips, older S&W wood finger groove grips, Hogue grips...etc...all of that makes a big difference...( and you can get grips that convert a round butt / to a square butt feel as well ...) a hybrid ...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77426&d=1326326498
4 guns at right ....first two are model 19's in 4" ( nickel) ...next 2 are mod 66's 4" ( stainless )...with different grips...
Here are a couple more 66's - a 2 1/2" round butt / a 4" sq butt...( 66's are all stainless)...
There isn't a wrong or right answer ....its what fits your hands ( not mine ) ...but in these mid sized revolvers....I like the mod 19's and 66's a lot...but then I also like the bigger N frames mod 27's in a 4" also ...
Here is a model 27 - N frame S&W ...in .357 mag in a 4" Nickel ( and a 6" mod 27 as well ).
N frames in most areas ...will demand a premium over any of the K frames../ maybe $ 250 or more...at least in my area. Mod 19's in my area ...over the 36's ...are about a $300 prem as well...especially in Nickel...
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Dragline45
New member
Quote:
MR.Borland I'm sure you meant to say 640, just for young guns reference the 642 is an airweight .38+p meaning it has an aluminum frame. Just in case you get confused young.gun S&W used to make the 640 and model 60 in .38 special versions before they came out with the .357 J frame. They no longer make them in the .38 configuration and are now built with a slightly longer frame, cylinder and barrel in .357. Still even though the .357 magnum J frames are bigger than the older .38 versions, they are still a good deal smaller than a K frame in width which is where it all counts in concealed carry in my opinion.
MR.Borland I'm sure you meant to say 640, just for young guns reference the 642 is an airweight .38+p meaning it has an aluminum frame. Just in case you get confused young.gun S&W used to make the 640 and model 60 in .38 special versions before they came out with the .357 J frame. They no longer make them in the .38 configuration and are now built with a slightly longer frame, cylinder and barrel in .357. Still even though the .357 magnum J frames are bigger than the older .38 versions, they are still a good deal smaller than a K frame in width which is where it all counts in concealed carry in my opinion.
hairyjames
Inactive
Sure, for lots of inexperienced shooters wanted the little beast in .357 so S&W didn't mind! In a steel framed J-frame the powerful .357 bullets even sometimes "jump the crimp" (move forward slightly out of the front of the cartridge . . . and jam up the gun.
In the aluminum framed "Airweights" jumping the crimp and excessive recoil is brutal. And . . .
NEVER consider the super light "AirLite" J frames with .357 ammo!!!
PROBLEMS WITH .357 Magnum ammo in a J frame:
- You'll get a heck of a lot of .357 Magnum muzzle flash to blind you during the times most folks need an emergency, concealed carry firearm (night when the predators come out.
- You'll also need more time to get the barrel down from recoil for those almost always necessary follow-up shots.
- The torque of the bullet in the rifled barrel will slightly twist the gun in your grip, killing your accuracy on those fast, double-action shots that MIGHT save your life if you hit something.
- The recoil will be severe vs. .38 Special
- The .357 Magnum round is notoriously penetrative through walls inside homes and apartments, so I never load .357 ammo for home defense in any of my .357 handguns . . . and my grown sons do likewise. You are responsible for every bullet you launch . . . and that bullet can also travel outside and penetrate into a nearby home and kill an innocent person.
and the worst thing . . . for a novice shooter trying to develop good technique . . .
- Shooting .357 Magnum in the tiny revolver will be so unpleasant that you'll probably develop a "flinch" (jerking the gun down trying to anticipate the exact split-second when the gun goes off.
Frankly, I'm a seasoned competitor and big game hunter who hunts with a handgun. I'm NOT adverse to heavy recoil, but I understand that:
- It is much harder to hit a moving target vs. a piece of paper target or tin can.
- When you shoot a big game animal, even blowing the heart apart, it can still run for a distance! Ditto when folks have to shoot two-legged predators . . . they don't just fall down all the time like on tv.
- Consistent Bullet PLACEMENT is everything on that moving target, as are all your followup shots until the threat is over.
That all being said, I'm quite confident of my vintage Model 36 (and Airweight Model 37) loaded with .38 Special. It is a formidable load in itself with good bullet placement, and has done the job well for over 100 years now.
I truly wish I could get you started with the RIGHT first handgun, a .22LR along with a good set of earmuffs to prevent flinch. Centerfire handguns are (relatively) cheap . . . the ammo you'll spend PRACTICING is very expensive. Not so with the sweet shooting .22LR ammo . . . and practice makes the difference in developing into a very accurate handgunner.
Hope this helps . . .
Walklightly
Moderator
Maybe consider a Ruger SP101, I'd say they're just a little bigger than a J-frame, also a little heavier to handle the .357 recoil.
Young.Gun.612
New member
I'm no professional shooter, but I like to think I'm not a novice either. I most likely wouldn't shoot .357 out of it that often, but it would be nice to at least be able to. I'd like to be able to conceal it, and I'm hearing here that the k frame is a little tougher to. I liked the way the 36 felt in my hand, but admittedly I haven't handled many others...
madcratebuilder
New member
See if you can find a M640. It's a stainless J frame and very capable of any .357 load. Depending on how big you are they pocket carry fairly well.
Here's my favorite...the 3" barrel model with an adj. rear sight. My wife and I have carried it while backpacking in the early years, and most lately while walking along the farm road on which we live. Last night it was on my night stand. 125 gr JHP's of the +P variety work well and will easily stay on a 1" tgt paster at 10 yds.
A year ago, we outfitted it with Crimson Trace's grips for better defensive night time use, and found an add'l benefit...that dancing red dot taught my wife better trigger finger position and control...a lot better than my nagging! It's a keeper that we've shared (tho to be honest, it's her gun) since the early 90's, when I bought it for her traveling job.
The heavier barrel and longer inter-sight distance make a significant difference in real world accuracy (ie. hand held not off sandbags). And too, larger than issued grips make a huge difference.
As to price...I'd say that $600 for a fixed sight blued model is at the top of the price structure. At present, I think that Budd's Gunshop in Lexington, KY has the comparable .357 Model 60 with the same barrel length for right at $600...with the added benefit of the more powerful ammunition and SS construction if you aren't very attentive to maintenance.
HTH's Rod
A year ago, we outfitted it with Crimson Trace's grips for better defensive night time use, and found an add'l benefit...that dancing red dot taught my wife better trigger finger position and control...a lot better than my nagging! It's a keeper that we've shared (tho to be honest, it's her gun) since the early 90's, when I bought it for her traveling job.
The heavier barrel and longer inter-sight distance make a significant difference in real world accuracy (ie. hand held not off sandbags). And too, larger than issued grips make a huge difference.
As to price...I'd say that $600 for a fixed sight blued model is at the top of the price structure. At present, I think that Budd's Gunshop in Lexington, KY has the comparable .357 Model 60 with the same barrel length for right at $600...with the added benefit of the more powerful ammunition and SS construction if you aren't very attentive to maintenance.
HTH's Rod
aarondhgraham
New member
Hello rodfac,,,
Is your revolver a LadySmith?
I had a 3" LadySmith with those same grips,,,
Mine had groove sights though.
You are spot on about how that extra 1" of sight radius,,,
Makes a huge amount of difference in aimed accuracy.
I have a lady friend with a snub-nose Model 36,,,
She could barely hit the ground with it.
I let her try "Mina" and all of a sudden she was Annie Oakley incarnate.
She begged me (actually she simply asked me very nicely) to sell Mina to her,,,
I did and now she's a very deadly armed school teacher.
Aarond
Is your revolver a LadySmith?
I had a 3" LadySmith with those same grips,,,
Mine had groove sights though.
You are spot on about how that extra 1" of sight radius,,,
Makes a huge amount of difference in aimed accuracy.
I have a lady friend with a snub-nose Model 36,,,
She could barely hit the ground with it.
I let her try "Mina" and all of a sudden she was Annie Oakley incarnate.
She begged me (actually she simply asked me very nicely) to sell Mina to her,,,
I did and now she's a very deadly armed school teacher.
Aarond