and Whoop, there it is! Smith Mdl 64

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
I am diligently trying to keep from buying another one... Ben must be intentionally ignoring this too! He is close enough to come up and get one! lol!
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Nice shooting!

Looks to me like your ready to back the target up with that gun & load.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
13.5/2400 is a 38-44 load, not a 38 SPL +P. In a 38 Spl gun on the mid-sized frame I would use it sparingly. I do use it a lot in heavier revolvers built specifically for 357 mag pressures, or in N frame 38 SPLs when I can get them. I do understand that the K frame was also offered in 357 mag, and I've had a few of them over the years. Mine all suffered from heavy wear at the hands of full power 357 loads. This worked out in my favor over the years because I learned how to cylinder hands (pawls), and how to correct cylinder & yoke end shake. In the end, I went to L frames & Rugers for shooting the train-stoppers. The L frames lasted considerably longer between refits, and I have only had to retime one solitary Ruger Security-Six in my life, and no GP100s at all. And I abused that Security-Six horribly.

There was no such thing as "+P" anything when the Skeeter load came along. Call it a 38-44 or 38+P+ if you want, it's the same thing. That load was published in several older manuals in the 60's before the lawyers got involved. As with ANY LOAD, you start low and work up to what the gun likes an you're comfortable with. If the load suggested seems too hot, don't use it. Personally I've watched the expectations of many rounds go lower and lower over the past 4 decades. No one pushes the older rounds like the 38, 7x57, 44 spec or 6.5x55 anymore. Now they just go buy a different gun chambered in the latest oversized magnum something or other and leave the old numbers to die. Maybe that's the smart thing to do, I'm not going to say one way or the other. I do know that you can get a lot more performance, if you want it, out of a lot of the old standards without killing yourself or blowing up a gun.

Like I said, if you want to push the 38 the Skeeter load works. It's for hunting or social purposes, not an every day paper and rock killing load.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
If anyone is looking for a nice hot 38 load that stays just under 20K psi, 5.5 Unique and a 160gr. bullet will get you over 1100fps. I use 5.0 gr as a "standard load" with the 358477.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Bret - reading more on the +P/hotter 38 loads. Seems in the proper (ie, newer, NOT the old Colts and Smiths) gun, you can get a lot more out of them. I will just have to play and work up. And looking at that Unique load above also. Thanx
 

dbh1956

New Member
Haven’t shot mine yet but I’m very happy with it. Tempted to get another at that price.
 

Attachments

  • 88481EE2-6B23-4250-A078-1939F00023FE.jpeg
    88481EE2-6B23-4250-A078-1939F00023FE.jpeg
    503.5 KB · Views: 9

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I picked up that one's Blue brother ins similar condition (grips nearly beat off of it from
banging into stuff, holster worn on the outside a lot, and double speed loader pouch with speed loaders,
included) recently. Has an aluminum disk glued to the left side with "DC" and a number. I wonder if
District of Columbia or Dept of Corrections? Maybe Denver Colorado? No idea, but a duty rig
with a lot of years on it. Online source says 10-8s built from '77 to '82, IIRC. So if just seeing surplus,
that is 35 or more years "on duty". No wonder the factory grips are beat.

I shot mine with some ordinary loads......5" high at 20 yds with original fixed sights, 158 gr SWC
at normal pressures. Not so good. Will try different weight bullets. Says it is a Model 10-8.
HB and other than your much nicer grips and SS finish, the same.

Bill
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Bill - I had a 10-8 blue LEO turn in. Son had one from same lot that FIL bought. Neither shot anywhere close to this 64-5. But, big diff - the two Mdl 10s were nowhere near as tight as the 64. I think they were true Police guns, and shot a good bit. The 64s in this lot are coming from a prison. Carried and beat around on steel and keys, etc, but barely shot at all. Cylinders are as tight as new, and there is really no gas cutting/checking on frame/throat at all. These are a great shooter's lot.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Bill, try the Lee 358-125-RF with Bullseye, Titegroup, HP-38, etc. to fix that poi problem, it worked great for me.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Yeah, Ian, that is what I was going to try next. I do know that the last time KCMO
officers were carrying revolvers, the standard issue ammo was Rem scalloped jacketed
125 HPs. The guns may have been set up specifically for 125 JHPs.

Bill
 

Ian

Notorious member
Could be, Bill. I have four .38 Spl revolvers and every single one shot 3-4" high at 10-15 yards and 6-8" at 25. I was told to learn how to shoot them (???) because .38s are regulated for 50 yards with 158 grain loads. Whatever. Reducing the bullet weight took care of my problem with all of them and shoots to the sights with all sorts of medium-fast to fast powders at 3/4 to full-throttle load levels...at the distances I shoot. The Lee 125rf happens to be a really good shooter and comes in a nifty six-cavity version for cheap.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Broke................

HAH! Not as much as me after today! Been in the market for a 32-20 and a 32 S&W Long. And then bought a pair of airline tix to Italy to visit the kid stationed there. bread and water for the next 4 months!