Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Smith 63 or bearcat

Thanks!

The 1911 works like your pointing finger. Haven't you heard?

I'm just the opposite.

I shoot my bone stock Black Hawk 44 Special and Model 10-8 pretty well but I really struggle with the 1911.

So much so that I actually replaced the 1911 with a Model 64 (SS model 10) for home defense.

I suck with a flat mainspring 1911 but can dot your eye with an arched one

Yea, about the same number of people who leave their Glock triggers and sights stock...

Bob

I own both and concur with the rest, an M63 with proper grips.

Who made the grips Ed? ^^

No idea. I bought them out of a gunshow junk box many years ago. They have the look of Herrett's though.

Thanks Ed. I recall asking this once on another site, did't remember getting an answer. Now it seems the answer in familiar. If you've told me already, please excuse my forgetfulness.

I'm gonna try a set of Hogues without finger grooves that look surprising close to yours. With a different mounting system of course.

Phone man,

Something else you might look at is the ammo your using.

I find Remington rimfire ammo to be quite poor in quality, and has been for 30 some years.

Besides quality some guns, particularly rimfires can be picky about what they will shoot accurately.

Worst case I had was a 9 1/2 inch barreled single-six that shot lousy with everything I tried in it, one day I tried of all things CCI Blazer which it shot extremely well.


Jerry

You are wise.

I have/had both a 63 and a Bearcat. I had the 63 worked on by a LE gunsmith and it turned out to have the smoothest lightest trigger drop either single or double action, of any revolver before or since. I gave it to one of our sons with the instructions that he was to never to sell it or he would be cut out of the will. Our other sons and I loved to shoot that revolver and the round count was into the 5-7k range at least when I gave it to him. Absent giving it to one of our sons I would have never parted with it. Accuracy was superb and I put some Hogue grips on it that turned out to be a premium move. I've thought about replacing it with the same model but.......................................

My Bearcat is one of the second round of manufacturing with that line. A Bearcat was a revolver that I dreamed about as a teenager when the first came and was convinced that if I had one that all tin cans, pop bottles, rabbits, squirrels and any and all small game was as good as dead, I only had to pull the trigger to realize that outcome.

I came across one and bought it and even found a holster for it at a holster maker that was in a pile from the first go around of the release of the Bearcats. I have practiced and practiced and now don't practice with it any more as it has defeated me in the accuracy department. If I really bear down hard and focus on paper I can usually shoot 5-7 inch groups off a rest at 25 yards. All pop bottles, tin cans and etc are now safe when I'm shooting that handgun.

I have a Single Six that I tuned up that was superbly accurate with 2-3" groups at 25 yards that would take the place of the Bearcat whenever the need would arise for a carry revolver for a deseret episode. That gun also was gifted to another son who dearly loves it and carries it all the time when out in the deseret shooting. He also was warned to never sell it or he would suffer the same fate.

I would never sell my Bearcat because as it sits in my safe it has fulfilled a teenage dream and for me that is all it will ever do or be. If I want to hit stuff with a .22lr handgun I've turned my choices to others particularly autos that are super accurate.

I would also suggest a look at a Wrangler and after some trigger work see if that works out for you. Good luck

I, too, am a fan of no grooves.

My hogues came in yesterday. It is ALOT better but i think its still me a little. Like redhill and the bearcat I have to seriously concentrate. Ive faced fact that mine dont like winchester ammo

I have a bearcat worked over by Dave Clements. He did a trigger job and adjustable sight conversion as the original fixed sight set up left much to be desired for me. It's a wonderful little gun! Mine is capable of good accuracy but is certainly more sensitive to consistent grip and trigger control than my bigger .22s such as the Bisley single six or K-22. I had a high ride kydex cross draw holster made for it which keeps the grip above the waistbelt of a backpack. Clements uses a pretty narrow front sight, which I find very helpful for accurate shooting.

My experiences with 63/34s are limited to one example of each. For some reason the 34 had a terribly heavy trigger which was compounded by the small size of the gun.

Apologies for cherry picking your post but that sentence focuses in on the one and only thing that I found lacking in the traditional 4" Model 63. The red ramp front sight is too wide for the rear notch. My 63's all grouped okay but it was really easy to get horizontal stringing. With so little daylight around that sight you really had to concentrate to keep it perfectly centered. The thinner black blade of the 34 was much easier to center and keep groups nice and round.

That's definitely a handgun looney's nit picking since both are fine firearms but the difference in sight picture is noticeable. Kind of wish I had bought one of those 5" Model 63's, that had a much improved sight setup, but with that barrel you're kind of getting away from the whole compact kit gun idea plus it had the wart and I was still mad at S&W for doing that.

Exactly Jim! I was pleased to recently discover Dawson Precision makes a .100 front sight for my S&W 69 that has a fiber optic. I've had a regular .100 blade from them on the gun for a few years now (a great improvement over the OEM blade) but the fiber optic will be a great improvement for some days around here.

i have one of the early bearcats, back when they were selling for about 40bucks a piece. it is a real little gun, and does have small grips.
but i like shooting it once in a while.
It was being used by my great grandson, who is 4years old, with assistence, this weekend. He loved it.
His father at about the same age started with that gun, except i think he was still in diapers at the time.
daddy and i use to go on walks where he was allowed to carry the unloaded holstered gun, walking in front of me.
as i got more comfortable with him, one round was allowed to be carried in the gun.
eventually as i figured he was safe, he carried it completely loaded.
Great grandson has a new baby sister. If i am around in a few years, hopefully it will be her turn.
If not, her dad when appropriate will expose her to it if she wants to go that route.
Come to think of it, i introduced my daughter in her teens to that little gun.

Do a Google search for Model 60 Pro grips.

I learned about them on the S&W forum.
They are beautiful wood grips that make the j frame grip much larger. (K frame size?)
I have them on my 63-5 but don't have pictures available.

They really fill the hand better than the rubber combat or small J frame grips.
I think they are made by Altamont, but you can occasionally buy them from S&W.

I recently purchased a New Model Bearcat, and a Shopkeeper.
I'm really struggling to hit pop cans past 10 yards with either of them.

Model 60 Pro grips are Altamont. Different patterns & colors are available. About $50 a pop.