Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 60-3

Idholton's post about the three inch Ruger got me to thinking. Went back to the safe, and dug out this old Smith 60-3. It is chambered in 38 Special, factory DAO with a three inch barrel. Makes a great carry piece.

very nice piece.
a model 60 with let's say the inch and 7/8 barrel versus a model 36 inch and 7/8 barrel is the only real difference stainless versus blued or?

Very nice

That is a dandy! I had the 2" version of that gun years ago. I carried it as an ankle back up gun but switched out to an Airweight humpback M38 and later to a Airweight M642. I sold the bobbed hammer M60 to a young deputy sheriff that worked in a very rural county. Back up was a long way off and a long time coming for him most times and at the time he wasn't carrying a back up gun. I convinced him he needed a back up and let him have the M60 with an ankle holster. That next summer he was flagged down by some river rafters at a river access point who reported a drunk guy was beating the hell out of a woman down on the gravel bar below the bridge. The young deputy went down there and was immediately jumped by the drunk dude and a couple of his drunk friends. They beat the hell out of the deputy, stripped his Glock out of his duty holster and one of them dragged him into the river announcing that he was going to drown him. With his head under water and being pressed down on the bottom of the river the deputy as finally able to get that model 60 out and he jammed it up against his attacker and pulled the trigger. The drunk was drunk but he recognized that stainless revolver and jerked his head aside in the split second before the shot was fired. The little .38 fired as it was pressed sideways against the head of the drunk and the muzzle flash scored a burn streak along the drunks skull just above his ear. That sobered him up and I guess he realized he was f'ing up pretty bad as he pulled the deputy up out of the water and started apologizing. The deputy managed to get his air and recover his Glock, then radio for help and hold them at gunpoint until back up eventually found him. That guy still has that bobbed hammer M60 and holds it as the best money he has ever spent on a firearm.

I think a few runs of those were made of maybe 2,000 each in the late 80's. I have one as well.

Yes same but stainless and blued.
S&W 60-7 & 36-7

👍👍👍👍

Dang nice.

Both are dash 7s that have the heat treat enhancement. Ironically I bought them both on gunbroker and they didn’t have 50 rounds through them when I got them. Both had at 1/2 what a new one would retail new.

I think that the m60 was one of the first handguns to be offered by S&W in stainless. I bought the first one I saw as they were .38 Special only back then and until I started reading here, I never realized that they came in a 3" version and adjustable sights too. I'd have kept mine if it had been a 3", but at 22 ounces I thought that it was just too heavy for a pocket J-frame after I fingered the Scandium J-frames. A 9 ounce, 12 ounce loaded with +P m337 PD replaced it for a pocket carry piece.

I've got a couple of three inch J-Frame .38s. One is Scandium-framed with a Titanium cylinder, and fiber optic sights (no key lock), and the other is an old one (fixed sights), pre-82 (pinned barrel), but in like-new condition, also a lightweight, but with an aluminum frame (before Scandium was a thing) and square butt frame.

I used to have a third that was all blackened steel (no key lock), had conventional adjustable sights, and a full length barrel underlug. Very cool gun. Always been sorry I sold it.

I did not know about the heat treatment that was on the dash 7s. I looked in the gun safe and mine is a 60-7. I had the hammer bobbed and a fabulous trigger job put on it by a LE armorer that is the best double action feel I have ever seen. It still can be cocked to go single action with some care. I added a Hogue grip to it and loved that combo. I was amazed at how accurate that revolver was probably due in part to the trigger job.

I carried it in an ankle holster for awhile and then became award of the only 5 holes in the cylinder one day !!!! Where I was travelling a lot, lead to an area nearby that was a hot bed for crime and went with a G26 for the added rounds.

Mrs. Redhill now claims it and shoots it very well thanks again to that trigger.

I've carried a Model 37, 3 inch for years.
For heavier handguns, I need suspenders!
Damm frog-butt!

Have wanted a 3" adj sighted 357 forever.
Not enough to buy new, never see them used here. And the numbers keep climbing.
Being cheap is a beotich!😁😁

Dillonbuck here ya go. Model 60 in .357 with adjustable sights. South Florida pawn shop find. $500 out the door with the original box.

Windfall: I was alive and well in 1965 when Smith & Wesson produced the first stainless steel revolver - the Model 60.
It caused a bit of a stir among gun types as I recall - various opinions on the "new" metal in a revolver.
I soon owned one and even bought one for the wifey - as she made cash deposits from the large firm she worked for and we lived in "rain country".

Following is from that great source "Wiki-Pedia": "The Smith & Wesson Model 60 revolver is a 5-shot revolver that is chambered in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum calibers. It was the first revolver produced from stainless steel".

Long live the Smith & Wesson Model 60.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mannlicher: What a cool revolver you have there.
I have never seen that model.
I have owned a couple of D/A only Smiths but never the Model 60. Is the barrel on your pistol a bit heavier than the standard original 2" Model 60?
It looks heavier.
TIA
Enjoy.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

yes, it has a heavy barrel. By the serial number, it was made in 1989. I bought it in 2003, used, for $250 at a LGS. Leather is by Sam Andrews.

Mannlicher: Thanks for the information and reply.
That was an excellent purchase/price - even back then.
Is it for sale?
Enjoy and thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks for the kind words, but I am keeping this one. 😎