Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire S&W Old School Cool

Dug my old S&W Model 13 out of the safe for a too long delayed range trip. I carried this gun for years, till about eight years ago when I switched to carrying Glocks.

Such a sweet shooting handgun. Double action like butter. The K-Frame in this FBI configuration (three inch bull barrel, and round butt frame) just hits the sweet spot in terms of being large enough to shoot well, but lightweight and compact enough to be a great daily carry choice.

This one was made shortly after they stopped doing the pinned and recessed thing, but it's still from the time when all the metal was forged steel, the firing pins were affixed to the hammer (where God meant them to be), blueing/polishing was still done right, and barrels weren't two-piece sleeved affairs. In those days, large police and Federal agencies depended on these guns being made right, so they were.



This is a two and three-quarter inch ten yard group, fired double action.

It's true what they say, once you learn double action (which I did back in the early 1980s), it's like riding a bike. No matter how many years go by, you can still pick one up and shoot it at least competently.

Very cool. Nice shooting there.

Weren't these also made in .44, or was that a different model?

That was the Charter Arms Bulldog, neat guns, but a handful even with mild factory loads. They were/are 19oz. of handful, at that.

Nice!

S&W also made a 3-inch version in 44 Spcl, believe that would be the 696, which was an L frame, or the 24/624-3, which would be an N frame......put some Culina combat grips on them, and they make for an awesome carry gun.

My Mod 13-1 is my packer..


Jayco👍

That must've been it. I only remember that it was a limited short term S&W 3" snub .44. That was my favorite revolver I ever shot. A friend let me trade when we went to the range. Surprised how concealable and ergonomic it was. It was the smaller L frame then. It was the same as the.357

That's super light.
I think Timz guessed it because I remember it being a Smith. Extremely nice finish and details.
That Bulldog sounds like a good trail gun.
I would like a LW 1911 or something like that for a trail gun when out mowing or hiking.

Very nice gun!

I always thought the model 13 was a very good idea. I especially like your 3” model round butt model.

Nice gun and nice shooting. I do love my wheel guns too!

Standard FBI issue. Agent Starling shot Buffalo Bob with one. F u c ker had NVD on.

Yep. She did. First she fired a round to light up the area (it was pitch black in the room after BB shut the power off), and then she used that flash image to aim her second shot.

Replaced the model 27 3 1/2" model for the Feebs.

That was the 58, an N framed M&P

Glad y'all mentioned the FBI gun thing!

Not many even know that.

Cool handgun, RH!

Hawk, you've got some cool guns in your safe(s).

Very nice. Good shooting.

Replaced by the 10mm Smith and Wesson.

What year was your 13 made? I don’t have a 13 but I do have a 65, a 10-5 snub and a 15-3 snub, a K frame action is hard not to love.

Another lesser known fact is that the original M13s were M10s. They were built on contract for a highway patrol agency and while they used properly stamped barrels and probably M19 cylinders, they for some reason used frames that were on hand that had already been stamped M10. Pretty certain it was the Oklahoma Highway Patrol who requested and received those first guns.