A little snub followed me home...

Hi everybody, last weekend a little and old snub followed me home.
I had a couple of stainless 5 shots revolver in the past (please, see my signature) and I thought it was time for another one (maybe it's because of my nickname...).
Found this little S&W 36-2 of 1988, according to highroad expert ArchAngelCD (thank you Arch).
Can't resist on this one. I found it at my LGS. It's in very very good conditions, almost unfired.
I shot 50 rounds of Fiocchi 158gr FMJ-RN with the original grips and it was a beast. A pair of Hogue Bantam Monogrip are the next step as well as a couple of HKS 36-A speed loader.
The gun is very very accurate but I had to do some Kentucky windage on the left to shot point of aim: nothing major considering how accurate it actually is.
Hope you like it!
Best regards.

ArchAngelCD said:

I'm a big fan of the J frame revolver in both steel and aluminum alloy. They are very useful revolvers of which I own several.

Thank you for the kind words but I'm no expert. I just happen to own several sources to help fellow members date their revolvers. I'm just glad I can help especially since member "radagast" disappeared about 2 years ago. He was doing it for many years. (starting back in 2008)

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I also have a thing for .38Spl, 5-shots revolvers. I'd like to have an old Charter Arms Undercover but in my Country is very difficult to find one.
If I remember well, radagast dated the 649-1 I used to own.

Ratshooter said:

Its stamped on the frame in front of the trigger guard on the left side. Can you take a better picture of that area? Looks like a PD stamp or a rack stamp or something.

Good find. I want one of those myself. I have a 2" model 30 and a 442 and 637 but would like a classic steel framed model 36.

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The stamping you are referring of is the "Catalogo Nazionale delle Armi" (National Catalogue of Firearms) number. In this case is CAT.106 (Catalogue Number 106). The Catalogo Nazionale delle Armi (CNA) is an italian bureaucratic entity established in 1975 which began to work 100% in 1979. Since that date every type and model of firearm had to be approved by the CNA and has a sequential number. That means every single S&W 36 sold in Italy after the approvation of the CNA has the stamping "CAT.106" somewhere in the frame. The CNA was abolished in 2012. For more informations see here: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalogo_nazionale_delle_armi_comuni_da_sparo
What you thought was the symbol of an American Police Department, in reality it is an Italian Government Symbol, in fact at 9, 6 and 3 o'clock, around that symbol, you can read the letters G O V. The next time I shoot it, I will make more detailed photos of the stampings because the revolver is also full of proof marks.

Old Stumpy said:

I owned the stainless Model 60 version. With those tiny grips and standard 158 grain .38 Specials the thumb latch draws blood.
Makes me want another of these vintage snubbys.

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That is exactly what happened to my thumb. I know those grips are good looking but I'll go with Hogue Bantam or Uncle Mike's Boot grips, if I can find a set (I think, for some reason I can't understand, they are discontinued).

WheelGunMan said:

Nice looking snub! I do like those grips!

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Thanks. I like them too but for me is impossible to shoot the gun without blooding my thumb.

Catpop said:

Nice snag! My first snub was a 60 over forty years ago. Well made and well concealable!
Enjoy!
If you reload, try RD (2.8 grains I think, but will have to go back and check) under 158 lswc. A real pussycat load that is FUN to shoot and won’t bloody the thumb!

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Thanks.
I don't reload so i have to deal with what LGSs have. Unfortunately they were out of wad cutters so I had to buy those Fiocchi bombs. I also purchased a box of Sellier et Bellot 158gr FMJ-FN: shot a cylinder of them and were alot milder than the Fiocchi.
I remember me shooting alot of wad cutters with the 649-1 and the SP101 DAO I used to own as well as many regular .38Spl with no problems. I had a set of Hogue Bantam in my 649-1 and I remember it was a perfect setup, so I'm thinking to go that way and use the original wood grips for gun porn only.

bannockburn said:

5-SHOTS

Great find! I have always been a big fan of S&W J frames especially the older ones. One of my favorites was the Model 36 with a non-tapered 3" barrel with the round butt configuration. Added a Tyler T-Grip adapter and I was good to go!

Nowadays I have two for concealed carry: a Model 649 and a Model 638. Got hooked on the shrouded frame of the Model 38 and use to carry one around in my pocket whenever I took the dog for a walk at night. The neighborhood was a bit "transitional" in those days so I felt fairly well "armed" with the dog and my trusty S&W J frame for protection!

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Some different grips I have tried on my J frames:

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Thanks.
You do have a nice pair of Bodyguards.
I also love those shrouded J-Frames as well as Centennial style ones. I've preferred a 38/638 or a 642/442 myself but that little nice 36-2 was too good to ignore it.
I like the look of Tyler-T adapters or even Pachmayr adapters but for me the problem is the area around the S&W logo in the stock grips is too thin so the knuckle of my thumb touch the cylinder release. I remember the Hogue Bantam or the discontinued Uncle Mike's Boot grips solved the problem.