New (OLD) G D.....

[One Ping Only]

So over the last few weeks, a few wheel guns have been added. One of them I mentioned a few months ago. My dad, a few days ago, gave his unfired, pre 1982 (it has the pinned barrel) S&W model 36 with Bianchi Lightning Grips. Sadly, it didn't come with the box. A collector's widow sold it to my dad for an unspeakably low price; her husband had collected MANY firearms as investments, and the son inherited them all but this one. This one still has a wee bit of cosmoline I need to clean off, and get the SN as soon the grips are removed for inspection. It also is equipped with (popular at the time) a trigger shoe. Never been fired, aside from the factory (if they did).

 

[no4mk1t]

If memory serves, S&W test fired every other chamber of the revolvers they made. Open the cylinder and look at the front of it. You should see a carbon ring around each chamber they test fired.
There is also the drag mark on the cylinder from the locking bolt. Someone has fired or dry fired it to leave that mark between the locking notches.
Nice vintage piece.

 

[One Ping Only]

Yes I'm familiar with the drag mark (line). It has indeed been cycled, both by my dad and myself. That is a telltale sign of handling/dry firing...OR live-firing. In fact, I recently picked-up another S&W I had on order (brand-new), and it already has a faint line developing likewise from the few dry-fires I've done with it.
Thanks for the tip on the cylinders- I'll look more closely, but I do think I remember seeing that and thought it curious with the every-other chamber....I'll look again.

But this has not been fired (with ammo) since the factory, according to what the widow told my dad. Dad had initially cleaned-up some of the cosmoline/factory brown stuff that it had, but having limited dexterity, didn't get it all. There is still some traces on the crane & cylinder area.

Interesting enough, it seems S&W doesn't ship their guns today with that some cosmo/protectant. The new one I had picked up last Friday, while still in the nice brown S&W oil paper inside its case, does not have a bit of that brown stuff on it. I did wipe-down the new one with a silicone cloth, but I'll check its chambers likewise.
Thanks, no4mk1t!

 

[One Ping Only]

Welp, no4mk1t...I did find carbon rings on the face of all 5 chambers, & dirty towards the front inside so that says it all right there, as I hadn't checked last week, and just took the story as gospel. Who knows how many rounds were fired post-factory, but it does appear very, VERY minimal. 99.9%+ bluing, etc.

Just maybe all 5 were fired at the factory. The widow was adamant it had never been fired since her husband bought it. And my dad had cleaned out much factory cosmoline years ago when he got it. I just cleaned-off the rest of it. Shrugs.

I did also get those grips off and got the SN# 723,XXX (a 'year-wise' SN) somewhere between 1968-'69, as that series started low in 1950 (1) & ended in 1969 = 786544.

So rather than 'unfired after the factory', I have a sweet, mint, extremely low round-count specimen. I'm still jazzed. No rust, pitting, nada. Thanks for the help and clarity!

Right now I'm looking for some other grips. The Bianchi's serve a purpose and do a stellar job in that, but I'm not putting this thing in my pocket...and those grips are UGLY.

 

[Bobster]

Right now I'm looking for some other grips. The Bianchi's serve a purpose and do a stellar job in that, but I'm not putting this thing in my pocket...and those grips are UGLY.

They ARE fugly but there might be a market for them... Do they even make them any more?

 

[One Ping Only]

They ARE fugly but there might be a market for them... Do they even make them any more?

No they don't. Some allege they bring a pretty penny, but I've seen them online pretty cheep.

 

[no4mk1t]

Might look at a set of Pachmayr compact grips. I have a set and like them.

 

[One Ping Only]

Might look at a set of Pachmayr compact grips. I have a set and like them.

View attachment 34194

I put their Diamond Pro grips on my wife's Diamondback SDR. Considering the 36 is a steel-framed .38 I may go with Altamont (or another brand) wood grips, in lieu of rubber. Maybe not. Thanks!

 

[One Ping Only]

Might look at a set of Pachmayr compact grips. I have a set and like them.

View attachment 34194

no4mk1t- that's a schaweet unit with the bobbed-hammer (DA-only). I DO wish my new 629 came with the case-hardened trigger and hammer, like my 36 and yours above. That Pachmayr on yours has that nice pinky extension, much like Pachmayr's Diamond Pro (for J-frames) on my wife's SDR.

I'm tempted to go that route as I know how it feels and handles (nicely!), but some nice beautiful wood stocks (ie such as combat variant for J-frame) would be a deserving upgrade- and even +P .38 should be manageable....though I plan to shoot 148gr wadcutter standard loads through it. They are so under-rated for SD.

I'm tempted not to holster/carry it at all considering the condition, even though it's not "unfired". Hmmm. Advice?

After some considerable online reading at various S&W forums and sites, it seems that S&W never deviated from the "Test every other cylinder" test fire regimen at the factory (as your trusty advice & info stated) so that means the widow who sold my 36 to my dad was unaware it HAD been fired, because 5 holes have the telltale circle on the front cylinder face as well as 5 dirty chambers. I DO know my dad has never fired it, and gave me the only box (full) of Winchester PDX1 ammo he ever had for it.

Whist I don't know how many rounds (or dry-fire cycles) it takes to achieve that drag line around the cylinder it has, I'm content to know it's a mint-condition but fired Model 36 with 99.9% of its beautiful bluing, no rust or pits anywhere, and I now am the keeper of it. hehe

 

[no4mk1t]

The little S&W above was a pic that I snagged from the net because the drive with the pic I wanted had to be rebooted and I didn't want to mess with it.

This Colt Detective Special is the one with the Compact grips on that is mine.

 

[One Ping Only]

I ordered a nice set of grips from Altamont last week for this little gem. The Bianchi's will be set aside.
Hopefully in about 2 more weeks I'll have some nice grips for this.