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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Pre-lock Smith & Wesson Model 63 Kit Gun



.22 Caliber
Stainless Steel
4’’ Barrel

Also shown in the photos above is a brick (500 rounds) of long rifle ammo. As you can see, a fair amount of .22 ammo does not take up much room at all.

This revolver does not see the outside of the gun safe very often nowadays. There was a time when it was a common item found in my tackle box, truck toolbox, the trunk of my car, the cuddy of my boat, or inside a backpack. As its name implies, its use was as a kit gun, as an accessory. Now, it rarely sees any action except for some range time when I am tuning myself up, or when I am breaking in someone new to shooting handguns. It is an ideal gun to teach with, having low noise and negligible recoil. It also is fun and affordable to shoot. You rarely will find these older revolvers on the gun store shelves; Smith & Wesson quit making the Model 63 in 1999 and people who own them tend to cherish them. In late 2007, Smith & Wesson resurrected the
Model 63 with an 8 round cylinder and a 5’’ barrel, along with the controversial internal lock.

Click here for a Jeff Quinn / GunBlast review of the NEW Model 63.
Click here for a Jeff Quinn / GunBlast review (Little Big Gun) of the OLD Model 63
Click here for a Kim du Toit review of the OLD Model 63


19 comments:

  1. What has replaced it as your kit gun?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmmmm ... maybe a good topic for another blog entry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Steve, I forgot to say "Thanks for stopping by!"

    The short answer is NAA Gauardian .32 ACP. A change in Illinois gun law a few years ago made any "carry errors" a felony, so I usually just have pepper spray and a prayer in my kit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just purchased a model 63, barrel 5", stainless steel. What is the real value of this gun. I paid
    $295.00 plus fees. Hardly used. Joan thank you

    ReplyDelete
  5. If it was the pre-lock with the six-shot cylinder and I saw it sitting on the shelf, I probably would have paid that amount for it. It probably is an okay price for the newer 8-shot cylinder revolvers (the one with the internal lock, but I would have taken a pass simply because I am an old geezer who does not like the internal locks... they are ok guns, I just am kinda cranky at S&W for putting them in.

    I'd say you did OK Joan.

    Happy shooting,

    Zack

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Zachery. Forgot to mention that it is a
    five shot and it is pre-lock (1999) I think. Have not picked it up as I am in the 10 day wait period. Is your opinion still the same with the new info?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey Joan, thanks for stopping back in.

    Are we talking about a S&W Model 63 .22 revolver? I never heard of one with a five shot cylinder (just because I never heard of it does not mean much). The Model 63 .22 is a J-Frame, the same basic frame as many S&W .38s that have 5 shot cylinders (the Model 36, etc). S&W was able to squeeze 6 rounds into the .32 J-Frame cylinders. If it's a .22, I'd be very surprised if it does not hold 6 rounds instead of 5.

    In any case, you can always find someone on the web saying they paid less or more than you did. I'd say you did just fine. I'd be very surprised if you don't like it.

    10-day waiting period? Goodness; I thought Illinois was bad with their 3-day wait.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wait until I get it home then maybe I can communicate in a more intelligent manner. Love the little revolver -no safety which is great. The 23rd is the big day. Thank you for your help. Joan

    ReplyDelete
  9. Joan, if I have been of any help it is my pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mr. Zachary -Got my revolver and was able to do some practice shooting. I am quite a good shot! My
    Smith & Wesson, model 63 has a four inch barrel and holds six rounds. I previously told you five. Does your opinion still hold that I got a pretty decent deal? I really like it as it is simple and easy for me to use. (fairly easy) Joan

    ReplyDelete
  11. Joan, you now have yourself a fine revolver, a twin to the one I have. I say you got a good deal, a Model 63 is a rare find; few people part with them so it is hard to find one on the used gun market.

    The .22 is affordable and fun to shoot. Good to hear that you are already a good shot with yours.

    Did you get yourself a cleaning kit? Revolvers are easy to care for. A bore brush, a little cleaning solvent, and some small patches (they make small ones for .22 barrels / cylinders). Some folks let their revolvers get real dirty before they clean them, other like to clean them after each shooting session.

    Thanks for checking in!

    Zack.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for the info and advice. I take good care of anything I have, so I will endeavor to get ahold of the items you have mentioned. It is exciting that you have the twin and that they are a rare find. He didn't show me the consignment sheet, but I was able to fix on the name and it had belonged to a woman who probably received it as a gift and then never used it. I am most pleased as I do not have extra strong hands and I find it fairly easy to use and simple to understand. I am most pleased and plan to avail myself of any opportunity to responsibly practice. I am finding some of the gun laws lacking in practicality and sensibility. Thanks for your communication. Joan

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Joan,

    I posted a quick blog entry with a link to a great article on cleaning revolvers; the site has great text and photos. You won't need to take the revolver apart, just scrub the inside of the barrel, the cylinder, etc.

    Keep in touch; let us know how you are doing.

    Best of everything to you,

    Zack

    ReplyDelete
  14. I own both the S&W model 63 and the .22 revolver that replaced that model which is the model 317 ,there is no comparation between the two guns , the 317 is an airlite and 8 shots while the model 63 was 6 shots and stainless steel which was the same as the model 34 , the blued version . The model 317 feels almost like a toy rather than a real firearm , the thing I dislike about the model 317 , after firing about 40 rounds it becomes increasingly difficult to eject the empty shells out of the cyclinder , I have to use a handerchief to push the shells out with the ejector rod , after the gun is cleaned and oiled the problem will go away until I fire about two boxes of ammo and again it becomes difficult to eject the shell ! My opinon the model 63 was a far superior gun and I wish Smith and wesson would bring it back along with the model 34 .

    ReplyDelete
  15. The other week I took my S&W model 63 target shooting and I will tell you that the model 63 is prbably the finest and most accurate .22 revolver ever made ! I made a target a black circle drawn about 3 inches in diameter on a paper tacked to some wood , I walked away from the target 100 paces , I shot at the target with just one hand and not resting my shooting hand on anything ! I hit the dead center of the target , right in the middle ! I couldn't believe it ! The S&W model 63 is in a class by it's self !

    ReplyDelete
  16. They are quite the nice little pistol. For home defense, Aquila makes a 67 grain long rifle round that will make anything you hit with it hesitate before coming any further. This particular round is not for distance shooting since it has a tendency to tumble unless fired from an overlong barrel with a slow rifling twist. I have not tried any of the sabot shotshells in it as yet since I normally shoot them through my Charter Arms 6 inch barrel Pathfinder. Harold

    ReplyDelete
  17. If I do sell one of my S&W .22's it will most definately be the model 317, I'll keep my model 63 !Now after shooting just 8 rounds extraction is very dificult,I do not know why, as I clean and oil the weapon, possibly because the model 317 is not steel but an alloy, does anyone else have an extraction problem with their S&W 317 ? Soon it will take Charles Atlas to extract the empty shells, no problem with the model 63 which is all stainless steel !

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really love my little S&W model 63, and God forbid if there were ever a world wide disaster, this would probably be my number one srvival gun, why ? Because it is very well made, it's stainless steel and ammo is easy to locate and relatively cheap ! A .22 can save your life ! This little gun has adjustable sights, more people are killed with .22's than all the other calibers put together ! A well placed shot will even bring down a deer !Some people laugh at the .22, there is a storey of a young Indian girl in Alaska killing one of the state's largest bears with a .22 ! The S&W model 63 a great survival revolver for the wildreness or the urban jungles !

    ReplyDelete
  19. I would say you got a steal getting a little big gun(6 round 63) Average is $1000.00

    ReplyDelete

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