Next revolver, 3" S&W 36 or 5" Police Positive Special

I'd go with the 36, but the Colt might be a better investment, IDK. Now if it was a Colt DS...

I love J frames, especially a Model 36 with a 3" barrel. That would be my choice over the Colt Police Positive Special with a 5" barrel.

Colt P.P.S.

If you already have a couple of snubbies, go with the 5" Colt. It will probably be more fun to shoot. Can't go wrong with either though.

Main purpose is just a fun 38 Special to shoot, and a classic, with a nice trigger

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The 5" Police Positive Special is in excellent condition with a fantastic trigger, it is 3rd gen, before they added the barrel shroud. It is from 1964.

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For your stated purpose I'd pick the Colt. 1964 was a good year before they went down hill. If I was looking for a "packing gun" the S&W would have charms. Otherwise no.

The Police Positive Special is nothing more or less then a Detective Special with a longer (in this case 5 inch) barrel. Actually the PPS came first in 1908. If both revolvers are carried in an IWB holster they look and conceal the same. When it comes to shooting the longer length usually does much better.

The 5 inches will give you a longer sight radius, better balance and higher bullet velocity with less muzzle flash. Besides being a fun play-toy it is a very affective (if underrated) defensive weapon. The 5" will carry as easily as a shorter 4", but shoot like a 6". I had a friend that had a 6", and he would absolutely humiliate know-it-all guys at the range when they thought his gun was a joke.

Targets always tell...

Go with the Smith if you plan to shoot it a lot.
You can still get parts for them if you ever need too.
Which you probably won't.


The Colt would be a better investment, and safe queen though.
But if it breaks or you wear it out, not so much.
Parts & people who know how to work on them are getting mighty scarce!

rc

The Colt will be a better shooter,,,

The Colt will be a better shooter,,,
But the S&W is more practical,,,
And is a good shooter as well.

I own a 3" square-butt model 36,,,
It is one of my favorite guns,,,
The Colt would tempt me.

Aarond

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I'd go 5" myself a really nice size barrel. It'll be a good shooter for 50 yards

The Smith is more practical for reasons already stated , but I would grab that Colt! Shoot it in moderation , buy another Smith later on. The lockup and accuracy of a Colt of that genre is incomparable.

I can't stand Colt triggers so for me it would default to the 36.

I would go with the Model 36. I have 2 3” 36’s and a 3” Model 37. Best thing with a wheel for that size revolver.

Smith M36. The 3" barrel makes it a whole different animal.

The Colt would be a better investment, and safe queen though.
But if it breaks or you wear it out, not so much.
Parts & people who know how to work on them are getting mighty scarce!

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The Dark Age is coming.
A dark age is defined as a period when we not only cannot do what we used to do, we no longer even remember that we could.

Everyone has a Smith at the Range not everyone has a Colt. Atleast up here is Canada.

Great problem to have.

The Colt would be a better investment, and safe queen though.
But if it breaks or you wear it out, not so much.
Parts & people who know how to work on them are getting mighty scarce!

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Back when revolvers were still common in bullseye Center Fire matches, “the gun” to have so far as winning competitors were concerned was a Colt Officers Model. As you might expect serious shooters did a lot of practicing, both dry and live firing. They didn’t baby their revolver, but they were careful in the way they handled them. If they had tended to fall apart or go out of time these Colt’s would have been abandoned long before they were.

What causes most timing issues in older Colt’s is a sprung (bent) crane barrel (on which the cylinder revolves), or a bent, or battered (but not worn) hand. If they are not present to begin with they aren’t likely to show up if the gun is handled with care, and such foolishness as flipping the cylinder open with a flick of the wrist is absolutely avoided.

As I understand it, the potential owner of the Colt in question (A .38 Police Positive Special of late – but not too late vintage – that is in perfect condition; is going to be used as a fun-toy at the shooting range with modest ammunition – and then only occasionally.

If this were the case I would suspect that the gun might outlive him without any serious conditions or broken parts.

For the intended purpose I wouldn’t be interested in a 3” S&W J-frame. For EDC it would be a different matter. If for whatever reason I rejected the Colt, I would hold off until I found a .38 Combat Masterpiece (Model 15) in similar condition, or a K-38 Masterpiece (model 14) with a 6” barrel. The model 15/4” is an excellent shooter for use at the range, that can double as a protective weapon if necessary.

Three inch Mod. 36 isn't something I see everyday. That makes it more valuable... to me anyway. Fun gun or not, you could use it for other purposes AND have customer support at any time. IMHO, more opportunities to customize the gun as well with grips, spring replacements, etc. I have a 2" Mod. 36 and a Colt PP as well. I'd go with the 3" S&W.

You will let us know which you bought and why... right?

Sorry about what happened, but sometimes you have to strike while the iron is hot.

If you haven't changed your mind about what you want a revolver for (fun toy to use at shooting ranges or informal plinking) I would again suggest that you pass on the S&W model 36/3" because while it is a fine defensive sidearm that's easy to pack; it isn't particularly good for what you have in mind.

Instead look for a model 15 (.38 Combat Masterpiece). It is slightly larger then the Police Positive Special, but it has adjustable sights, is famous for having a light, crisp trigger pull, holds 6 rounds, and has a 4 rather then 3 inch barrel. In fact it was originally advertised to be a target grade service gun. All this would make it a better (if not "the best") choice for your purpose.

I'm a Colt lover, but I have to agree with Old Fuff that a K-frame might make for a better overall shooter. I have a 4" Police Positive Special and it feels kind of awkward in my hand when compared to the shorter Detective Special. Nothing wrong - it shoots well and I'll always love it, but something about it just doesn't sit well in my hand. Although I haven't bought one yet, my local gun shop usually moves a pretty nice Model 15 at somewhere between $400 - $500.

I'm a Colt lover, but I have to agree with Old Fuff that a K-frame might make for a better overall shooter.

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I need to be more clear. But not just because of the above quote.

I am a dedicated Colt Police Positive/Detective Special fanboy.

In this thread ssyoumans in the opening post explained that he was looking for a .38 Special revolver for the specific purpose of using it as a "big-boy-toy" on a shooting range or perhaps informal plinking. He had other handguns that covered self-defense or other activities.

His current choice was between an almost perfect/late production Colt PPS with a 5-inch barrel, or a S&W J-frame with a 3" one. In my view if the choice was limited to the above options, the Colt was a better choice for the clearly (and limited) purpose.

However as time passed the Colt was taken off the table, leaving only the S&W.

Again, in my view the J-frame/3" was not a particularly good pick for the circumstances. In other circumstances it could be ideal, but these would be outside of his stated intentions.

So I suggested that he change his focus and consider a relatively easy to find S&W .38 Combat Masterpiece (model 15) with a 4-in barrel. These were nothing more nor less then the maker's flagship target revolver with the barrel shortened to 4-inches and set up with a Baughman-style quick-draw front sight. Because they were widely popular with law enforcement organizations and made in high numbers they can be obtained now in various conditions at usually reasonable prices. Most individuals using one for informal target shooting could shoot circles around someone else using a 3-inch J-frame - all other factors being equal.

My opinion, as always, is based on a long length of past experience. Those following this thread, or others I have posted on, are always free to accept or reject my reasoning.