My first Center Fire Handgun

Moderator: LAZY EYED SNIPER


.270 WIN
Posts: 452
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:07 pm
PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:41 pm
Alright fellers I promised you all over on the long guns section photos of my new S&W 65-3. For those who aren't familiar with the 65, here is what I have learned. The model 10 in .38 was the original M&P (military and police) K (medium) frame pistol. One of the best imho features was the heavy barrel. The NY state police later requested the revolver in .357, and the model 13 was born. Later the Kansas State police requested the model 13 in stainless for ease of maintenance and then the model 65 was born. It is a K frame, heavy barreled, 6 shot revolver. Mine has a 4 inch barrel. (I'm no expert, this is just what I have learned. If those of you all who are more versed than I am have better information please share!)

Mine was a LEO trade in sometime in the early 90's. A friend of mine bought it at a gunshow. He was transporting prisoners at the time and had to go "strapped". He said that he was young and newly married at the time and it was all that he could afford! He hadn't shot any .357 out of it, and only a handful of .38 specials since he had it. It was filthy, but the rifling looked as though it had never been shot.

Also evidently the law officer or the department armorer had done a trigger job on it at sometime. The single action trigger pull is somewhere around 4lbs., light and crisp like a glass rod breaking. The double action trigger pull is also pretty light, not too long, and will surprise you when it goes off. I was expecting a much longer and heavier pull, thankfully not so. It is tight, the timing is good, and after I cleaned it up, shines like a new penny.

It is a fixed sight model so I was concerned with how it would shoot. The windage is dead on, and I do mean dead on. I'm still getting the up and down dialed in. It takes about 1/8" or so of the sight to be dead on. I had no problem hitting a tobacco stick (piece of hard wood about 4 ft long and approx. 1"x1/2") dead center at 20 paces and that is a stretch for my poor shooting.

So without further ado, here is what a $300 model 12 Winchester is worth in a straight up trade.
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.270 WIN
Posts: 452
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:07 pm
PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:43 pm
Here are some more pics.....
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Location: Mobile, AL
PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:20 am
Very nice Col. If you had to pick your first one, this is a great choice. Nothing fancy, they just plain WORK
--Jim
PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:54 pm
Very nice looking K frame sir...!!

Here's a pic of my nickel plated S&W Model 13 ( K frame ) with 3" bull barrel and Pachmyer grips to help tame the recoil. I bought it used from the widow of a PA police detective. He had it plated at the factory on special order...as most M13's are blued.

Image

.270 WIN
Posts: 452
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:07 pm
PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:45 pm
That's nice, really nice. Isn't my 65 just a stainless model 13? I'm trying to learn the smith models. Mine had the 4 inch heavy barrel, and man does out balance nice in the hand.

How does yours shoot? I've really been surprised at how accurate mine is. This is the beginning of a new addiction!
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:17 pm
"Isn't my 65 just a stainless model 13?"

That is correct...a M13 is usually blued, and the M65 is stainless.

Here's another favorite S&W...

Model 629 .44 magnum ( N frame )...4" barrel in stainless

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:08 pm
Very nice shooter, I have to say it reminds me of my dumbass brother-in-law. Had to get himself a .44
So he gets it, proud as a two tailed peacock. I tell him, you need proper form to shoot it, use two hands, the whole spiel. Couple days later I see him with a big cut in his forehead. Taterhead apparently decided to shoot it "Dirty Harry" style and The hammer got him right between the eyes.

A few days later, it was sold. Why do they never listen to me? Worse yet, why would you admit it to me?
--Jim
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:44 pm
Good story...some people gotta do it the hard way !

.270 WIN
Posts: 452
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:07 pm
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:43 pm
Wow that is a great looking pistol. A friend from another forum packs a 3 in. 44 loaded with 44 special hands loads as his edc gun. He says that with the right load the 44 special ain't nothing to sneeze at in the power department.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:28 pm
SHOOTER13 wrote:Good story...some people gotta do it the hard way !



WHy do you think I call him taterhead?

I bet that smith shoots out some serious flame!
--Jim
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:35 pm
Very nice Colonel26! Great lookin wheelgun...
"We live in a society of wolves. You do not fight back by creating more sheep."

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