Local gunstore had these on sale, some of you might recall seeing one of these in your last extended stay in Georgia!
I installed the clamshell Pachmayr's, took it out shooting, and offhand, it shoots well. Before my eyes went and iron sights got fuzzy, I would have a tighter group, but at 50 yards, this will work.
The newest looking M64's had already been snapped up by the store employees, this one was in pretty good shape and left because of the deep DOC serial number which was not on the removal able side plate. The store employee bragging to me about the one he bought, the serial number was on the sideplate and he had an extra sideplate, so his pistol looked new. These are and were great, pre lock, revolvers. I prefer this period for a couple of reasons. While I miss the pinned barrel, the pinned barrel era had recessed cylinders which I did not like. I like being able to look at the side of a revolver and seeing case heads. And the recessed cylinder extractor stars were a pain to clean. And then, I like the firing pin on the hammer. A direct strike mechanism provides more energy to the primer and thus, gives more positive ignition. Instead of the hammer energy being dissipated through a transfer bar, then to a frame mounted firing pin, whatever kinetic energy the spring gives to the hammer is transferred directly from the firing pin to the primer.
I am going to recommend, if you want a great load in one of these fixed sight 38 Specials, a load of a 158 grain lead bullet with 3.5 grains Bullseye. This load shoots to point of aim in these older revolvers, the sights were graduated for 158 gr bullets, and this load shoots exceptionally well in all of my 38 Special revolvers. Depending on the pistol, it averages 760 fps in a four inch barrel, that is a standard pressure 38 Special load and is appropriate for any 38 Special ever built.
Bump it up a half grain in a 357 case, and you have a very accurate load that will not leave lead rings in the cylinder.