WHEN WAS THE SMITH AND WESSON MODEL 18 MADE FULL
It is the subject of a full review found here, but for now I will say that I really like the holster and Rudy. I resolved to order an IWB holster, custom built by Rudy Lozano at Black Hills Leather. The thumb break strap does not reach around the back of the grips. Thumb break type holsters which are designed for the snubby boot grip will not work with the Uncle Mikes Combat Grip even though the actual frame of the gun is the same size. It doesn’t work with the Galco shoulder holster for the snubbies because of the difference in the shape of the grip. It works with my other snubby holsters that are open on the bottom, like the Galco Speedmaster, Galco Deep Cover, and High Noon Secret Ally. Kramer, DeSantis and El Paso all claim to build IWB’s for 3″ j-frames but I’ll bet you they couldn’t do overnight delivery on one. Everyone makes leather for 2″ snubbies but very few build them for 3″ versions. I would imagine that it would be awkward in a jacket pocket as well.Īfter a considerable amount of surfing on the web, I have noticed is that it is hard to find holsters for it. The 60-15 doesn’t disappear into a pocket like the classic snubby. For these benefits, you lose pocket carry. It has a better sight radius, better muzzle velocity, more reliable spent case ejection, and less punishment to your hands. The 3 barrel and longer grip gives you a gun that performs better than the classic snubby. The longer extractor rod makes it considerably easier to knock the empties clear of the cylinder during a reload. Where it differs is in the longer grip, longer extractor rod, and the beefier barrel. Comparing the Model 60 with a Model 637, everything lines up exactly, down to the smallest contour and detail of the frame: the frame, hammer, trigger, trigger guard, cylinder, and cylinder release are all identical. And it has the slim ergonomic contours which are so appealing about the J-frames. It is, nevertheless, absolutely a J-frame. It has the semi-bull barrel with full length extractor shroud and sights of the S&W magnums. This gun feels more like a 5-shot Model 66 than a lightweight snub-nose.
The 3 barrel of the Model 60-15 allows the gun to have a 5 sight radius. The frame notch sights on the classic snubby really aren’t much use to me, although I have proven that I can use them if I really slow down and get my glaring blurs lined up right. The front sight leaf is black and is pinned to the barrel. The 3 Model 60 has real sights which are adjustable, the ribbed top rail between the sights, the tapped and screwed-in black rear sight and rail along the top of the frame, and all surfaces are serrated to cut the glare. I eventually replaced the Uncle Mike’s Combat Grip with Hogue Monogrips because the Hogue grips are relieved better for speedloaders. The black rubber Uncle Mikes Combat Grip on the Model 60 fills your hand and gives you much better support for firing hot ammunition. While I like the boot grip on the small snubbies for concealment, it has always been a problem for me in shooting because, like the baby Glocks, I can only get two of three fingers onto the grip and the little finger is left flapping in the breeze. and balances nicely, although it seems just a tad nose heavy. It’s just a smidgeon longer than the boot grip used on the smaller snubbies and it fills my whole hand. 357 Magnum, the characteristic which initially appealed to me about this gun was the grip. With its longer barrel and grip, it is as if the traditional short barreled snub-nose has been stretched for better performance.īesides the fact that it was an all-steel J-frame revolver chambered for.
It is available in 2 1/8 barrel, 3 barrel, and 5 barrel versions. It was the first regular production all-stainless steel revolver, and it was an immediate success. Introduced in 1965, it occupies its own special niche in handgun history.
The gun under consideration here is the Smith & Wesson Model 60 J-frame with the 3″ barrel in.