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Blogging to you from the Northeastern Badlands of The County of Lake, in the state currently known as Fatmanistan, DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP inside the heartland of the Banana Republic formerly known as the USA, WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! WARNING! ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE ADDICTIVE; EXCESSIVE USE MAY LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, REDUCED JOB PRODUCTIVITY, INSOMNIA, SOCIAL ALIENATION, GENITAL ULCERS, BLINDNESS, POLITICAL EROTICISM, AND / OR DEVIANT FUNAMBULISM. NOTICE: NO GUNS OR AMMUNITION ARE FOR SALE VIA THIS BLOG. (No, I will not trade my Colt Python for some lubricious adventures with your trophy wife and a future first-round draft pick.) CAVEAT: This blog is not suitable for viewing while at work, while inside a public library, while inside any public or private school, or while inside any public or private restroom. Do not view this blog while driving a motor vehicle or while piloting an aircraft. Viewing this blog may be illegal inside the EU, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the Third World. THIS BLOG CONTAINS (albeit often very childish) ADULT-CONTENT. DISCLAIMER: This blog is a hobby, it is not a livelihood. Even though much of what I blog about relates to firearms collecting and recreational shooting, I am not an expert (by any measure) on any facet of guns, shooting, hunting, or personal defense. Entries at this blog are akin to good old-fashioned campfire chats or post hunt bourbon-fueled barroom-bluster; I offer no opinion on what you should or should not purchase, or what you should be using or doing. What does or does not work for me could be rugged-country-miles away from your tastes and your needs. All products, places, and miscellany that I review for this blog are purchased / rented / leased at retail price by me. I do not accept payment, gifts, discounts, freebies, products on loan, distilled spirits, recreational pharmaceuticals, plea-bargains, probation, parole, Papal Blessings, Presidential Pardons, or sexual favors for doing any review or blog post. TRACKING COOKIES: Google et al stick tracking cookies on everybody. If you are online, you are being spied on via one method or another, for one reason or another; 'nuff said. You may be able to minimize your online DNA residue by using Tor and Duck Duck Go. Vive la liberté! Vive all y'all! Ante omnia armari. To each of you, thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Smith & Wesson Model 36 Chief's Special


I always wanted a S&W Model 36, but very few people that have them are willing to give them up;  finding one in good condition at a fair price has been a long term challenge.  Smith & Wesson does offer the Model 36 as a "classic," but it comes with that insufferable frame lock.

This Model 36 (vintage maybe around 1988 or so) recently turned up at Schranks Smoke'n Gun in Waukegan, so I filled out the adoption papers and took the little Chief home after the requisite Illinois waiting period.


The pocket holster is a left hand Del Fatti PH3 horsehide natural finish.  This revolver will keep the original grips; for the most part I prefer the rubber boot style grips on my J Frame revolvers but these nostalgic grips will suffice.


The Federal .38 Special Nyclad 125 grain standard pressure load is not a wimpy puff puff cartridge;  when fired from my alloy frame revolvers the load sometimes can be a wee bit punishing to my arthritic hands.  When using that load in a steel frame snubby (as is the Model 36), recoil usually feels just fine and dandy.

Merry Christmas to me!





8 comments:

  1. I am a big fan of the Model 36. I have owned several.(I preferred the 3-inch models; try to find one of those now!)
    I never liked the factory grips. I preferred the Pachmayr Compac grips or the S&W wooden J-frame "target" grips that could be used for the round-butt or the square-butt frames. I doubt if those are made anymore.
    You got yourself a nice roscoe. Enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey there Old 1811! It's great to have you stop in again. Thanks! Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey, sweet little buy! Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks EGD! Great to have you stop by.

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  5. One other thing: That hammer spur is guaranteed to snag on something during a draw from a pocket holster. If you don't want to have it removed (and I wouldn't), you should practice drawing with your thumb on the hammer spur till it clears your pocket. (Of course, all safety rules apply.)
    Carry it in good health.

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  6. Oh, what lovely things they are. I bought one sometime in the early eighties, as I recall, and though I really preferred 1911s it was like having toy-size dog: it couldn't really do anything but I carried it everywhere. Since the factory grip really is useless, mine had a Tyler T-grip which helped some. In a life filled with gun-trade regrets, that little .38 is nearly at the top of the list.

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  7. Had a .38 Air Weight at one point but treaded up for a nice .357 with fixed sights. Still one of the most consistantly accurate pieces in my collection. For a carry piece I switch between a Bersa Thunder .380 and an old Browning model 1910. Low profile sights and hammerless. Slides in and out of the pocket without any chance of snagging. Just make sure the saftey is on once it's chambered. No way to decock it except to drop the mag and eject the round. But it can drop 7 rounds in less than 2 seconds.

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  8. Joel and JWMJR, thank you for stopping by and thanks for you comments!

    Best,

    Zack

    ReplyDelete

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