S&W 64 3" .38 Special

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MagnumDweeb

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A buddy of mine's dad has a 3" 64 he hasn't shot in years that he's looking to sell to make his next car payment. The pawn shops and guns shops offered him woefully less than $200. He called me up to come over on an unrelated issue. While I was there he asked if I had an extra $200 and I did real well in the market this last week and unfortunately told him I did. So out came the revolver.

It's mint, the bore is reflective and he can't remember the last time he shot it, it times perfectly, the trigger is great but....It's only a .38 special. I love S&W revolvers or have come to anyways. I had been stashing away my loose change to guiltlessly buy a Model 10 4" after awhile. For $200 I can't really go wrong, at worst it'll end up a safe queen or truck gun(which I have been looking for a permanent truck gun other than my Norinco Tokarev in 7.62x25).

But it's only a .38 with a 3" barrel and the gun is bigger than my Rossi 2" .357 magnum which I shoot regurarly. I have a 15-3 4" that I got for $200 and it is a good gun but with it's size and caliber I have plenty of other guns to shoot and I hold onto it because it just isn't worth trying to resell and might as well collect dust in my safe waiting for the days I have kids.

I don't really need another gun, I have a Ruger SP101 3" .357 magnum and my two Rossis, so I'm covered on snub noses. I've got M19s so I've got good S&W revolvers along with the 15-3.

Can the 64 +P 3" .38 special find a niche, can with it's caliber still be a powerful and reliable firearm. Can it push a 158 grain JHP at 900fps on a regular basis without severe wear and tear after a short time. Is there a good IWB holster that I can wear comfortably.
 
Hello. I've frequently shot handloaded 158-gr. CSWC handloads in the 860 to 900 ft/sec range in my Model 10's and 64's for years and in copious amounts. I have not been plagued with either excessive end shake or timing problems. The all-steel K-Frames seem to be able to tolerate a huge number of .38 Specials in my experiences with them over the years. Certainly, the lighter the load, the less the wear per shot, but I've just not been one for the light target loads but have opted for something more "street-worthy" over the decades. Even so, zero problems because of it. (S&W advises that any of their steel K-Frames having a model number designation is fine for +P.) ammunition.

At this moment a 2" Model 64 loaded with Remington 158-gr. LHP +P is less than two feet away as this is being typed.

SW3inM64rock002.jpg
As has been noted, your friend's 3" is a most desireable version of the Model 64. It my opinion, the 3" heavy bbl (10, 13, 64 or 65) is one of the best-proportioned "carry revolvers" ever made. I find the extra inch of barrel to make the thing about as easy to shoot accurately as the 4" service size versions. The ejector rod is long enough for reliable "one push ejection" for easier reloading. (This one has been converted to DAO with a "NY-1" style factory hammer.)

If it might be of use, here are some average velocities, each based on 10 shots fired 10' from the chronograph screens from my S&W M64 3":

Corbon 110-gr. DPX: 1118 ft/sec (replaced with a +P version)

Federal 147-gr. +P+: 911 (I don't recommend +P+ since there's no SAAMI rating for it; had this and chronographed it. Only just sharing the results.)

Remington 158-gr. LHP +P: 883

Handload: 158-gr. Red Line CSWC/4.8-gr. Unique/WSP Primer/WW Case: 891

I normally use the Remington 158-gr. LHP +P for anything "serious" but practice with the handload listed below it. I have had no problems with either the Remington or the listed handload in any of my K-Frame .38 Specials.

Is it "enough" for self-protection? I don't argue it either way. You decide. I feel it is capable of doing the job if a solid hit (or hits) can be made, but then I don't particularly trust any handgun caliber commonly associated with self-protection duties and expect any of them to fail. At the present time, my primary home defense handguns are .38 Specials loaded with the LHP +P. There are certainly more powerful defensive handguns to be sure, but I personally do not feel "undergunned" with my .38's loaded with the LHP +P, aka "FBI Load". (Neither do I feel "overgunned"; it remains but a handgun cartridge.)

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Humble 38 Special.htm

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/38 Special 158gr LSWCHP.htm

Again, I am only making a suggestion, but for $200, I'd buy the gun in a heartbeat if at all possible! As you say, you "can't really go wrong" at that price!

This link below focuses on the 2" Model 64 but might possibly be of some use to you as you make your decision:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/favorite_handguns-S&W Model 64 Snub.htm

I cannot advise you on which holster will be comfortable for you as we're all different, but I have had good luck with Kramer.

http://www.kramerleather.com/home.cfm

There are plenty of holsters made for the K-Frame and hopefully others will be able to provide you with more choices and share their personal observations.

Best and good luck.
 
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Please don't abuse that Model 64 with over pressure loads.


If you don't think a .38 Special is enough for you, sell it to me and use the funds for something more towards your need for power. I like .38 Specials just fine.
 
One of my most frequent carry guns is an old Model 64 3".
Damn accurate with every load I have tried and a easy carry piece and it only cost me $350.

I've heard not to use +Ps in the gun so I shoot standard pressure mostly and
I fire two loads of some Speer GoldDots +P ammo for practice once and a while.
Its my carry load: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=427026

View attachment 121981
 
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Look. If you want a small revolver that can handle real magnum loads, use your SP101.

Buy this gun as an investment if nothing else. Oil it up and put it in the back of the safe. Some day, it'll be a classic (and relatively rare) gun you can pass on to your kids.

At $200 you really can't go wrong. You do know that right?
 
I've a Model 65 LadySmith (okay...my wife has it) that is a pure dream to shoot. While the 65 was built for full .357 loads, she carries hot .38 Special +Ps and it hasn't loosened a tad. I don't believe you could seriously harm a 64 with +Ps. It'd be a bargain at $350.
 
I'm mulling it over, I thank everyone, I've got some potential throw away money coming in so I'm waiting to see if it comes in. If so then I'll grab it. I'm sure I'll want to buy a hundred rounds to test it out. If I get it I'm keeping it, I can't bring myself to sell any of my Ruger P90s, so I highly doubt I'll let a quality S&W go short of wolves growling at my door.
 
That is a real nice model that they don't make anymore. 3" is very handy and is the minimum barrel length to get a full length ejector rod. I would pay 350 for it assuming it is stock. .38 +P is nowhere near the actual limit of what a k-frame can handle, some of that stuff is actually quite mild.
 
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It is a nice revolver, but if you don't really want it, you are under no obligation to buy it. Tell your friend to sell the gun on the open market by advertising it, taking it to a gun show (being sure to follow all state and local laws) or setting up a GunBroker account. That way he will get the best possible price.
 
MagnumDweeb said:
A buddy of mine's dad has a 3" 64 he hasn't shot in years that he's looking to sell to make his next car payment.
Click to expand...


Lone Haranguer ^^^^^


It doesn't sound like he can wait that long to get the cash.

If he posts it here for sale, I'm sure he'd get it sold at a fair market price within a weekend.
 
Magnum,

Do your friend a favor and have him post it here. No I won't buy it, but alot of people here will and he will get a fair price for it. It sounds like he needs the money bad and, well when you have a house payment and family to feed....

So do him a favor and get him a good deal.

Deaf
 
Not much to add, but much to reiterate:

$200 is nothing.

The 3" round butt K rules.

I used to use cor-bon +P+ as both a carry and training load out of an NYPD-spec K; it ate it all with seemingly no wear whatsoever. I could post a direct quote from Mas Ayoob on the subject, if not for the language; essentially, he told me not to sweat it and that I couldn't really mess it up with any factory load extant.

I would feel very well armed with that exact gun and, say, buffalo bore's spiritual successor to those old RCMP-spec cor-bon lead SWCHP loads.

For that matter, I have a 3-inch K laying around at the moment with Remington's version of the old standby in it, and I'm not worried about ammo performance in the least, should the extremely rare emergency actually come up.

I'd buy it today, but I'm also a bit redundant in my purchasing, owning more K-frames than any other single platform.

Just one more opinion.

OBTW, I used to lug mine around in a sparks-type IWB by Elmer McEvoy of leather arsenal in Idaho. Fat, but no harder to conceal than a service auto, IMO.
 
The way things are going, the prices of guns may drop nationwide. If the stock market drops, the economy worsens, job losses continue and banks fail, guns may be dumped by people to get cash at unheard of prices.

I hate to say it, but people are talking about the country going into a deflationary cycle. If that happens, people won't be able to afford $800+ revolvers.
 
MagnumDweeb - Wolves growling at the door is *exactly* when you want this revolver in hand!
 
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