S&W Model 60

Back in the 1960's era S&W revolvers were in real demand. My first handgun was an S&W revolver that my Father bought for me and since then I have always thought they were super reliable and I always had one close by. I remember when S&W first came out with their model 60, which was stainless steel (evil Mojo to you uninformed people) it was a 5 shot revolver with a 2 inch barrel and a very thin ramped sight that was integral with the barrel. It was very hard for me to find one, I wanted one desperately, and when I finally bought one in Florida I was thrilled.

We did not have the luxury of super hot ammunition until Lee Jurras came out with his famous Super Vel ammo, things changed from that day forward. Super Vel was the pioneer company that I knew of in hot self defense ammo in their yellow and black boxes, I still have some put away. For a while S&W had their own line of high energy ammunition on the market. Most of you younger people probably do not know that S&W had all caliber handgun ammunition they sold in their traditional blue boxes.

We were at the beginning of an era in handgun and ammunition advancement. When I finally got my S&W model 60 that was the cats meow, it went everywhere with me and I used the original factory grips. I still own that very same revolver. We have been through some difficult times together but we are both still here. At this point in time it is the smoothest action you have ever seen, but it was not always like that, internally it is like a swiss movement. At one point in time I carried it in an ankle holster, but no one I knew made a decent ankle holster in those days.

I never fired it much but I was always interested in making hot ammunition for my model 60 using a fast burning powder because of the short 2 inch barrel. I tried all kinds of combinations of bullets and powders. I finally settled on using a hollow base wadcutter inverted upside down over 4.5 grains of Bullseye powder. That was a very hot and very devastating load for defense.

The S&W model 60 of yesteryear is very different than the current generation of S&W J frame revolvers. We did not have or need locks with keys to have a LAWYER PROOF revolver. The internal parts were far better in the old S&W model 60 than the current models. (my opinion only) If this old model 60 could talk or write a book about its history it would be a best seller. At times it was my best friend and it is one of my most cherished handguns that I still own. I know the serial number by memory, always have.

They do not make J frame model 60 revolvers like mine anymore, its a DIAMOND. If I could take apart my old revolver and take apart a brand new current S&W model 60 and I could show you each and every part and spring side by side you would then understand how the current models have cut so many corners. The old model 60 has a sear that is pinned and the current model 60 has a sear that sits in a cradle and rocks. The spring that operates the hand in the old model 60 is pinned in place, the current model 60 has a hand that is activated by a spring that is set into a recess, and I could go on and on.

There is no plastic and there are no MIM (metal injection molded) parts in the old model 60, it is all quality steel and it is rock solid, made to last a lifetime. Most all the manufacturers have changed their parts and procedures in order to be more competitive so they can compete with the competition. The end result is always the same, to make a bigger profit and in my opinion its not only the Lawyers its the marketing people and PURE GREED that set current trends. The publications and the people that write about these new products keep up with the same line of BS to maintain their job and career, you either play the game as per the rules or you are out.

We the gun owners can not win, the best I can do is to keep a piece of history like my old S&W model 60 revolver.


AUTHORS PERSONAL NOTATION: This commentary as well as all my previous commentaries are my personal opinion and my personal viewpoint only. I make no appologies for telling it like it really is because I take nothing and want nothing but truth and reality. If you can not handle it, get out, because you do not belong here. The hits on this commentary are growing daily up to 600 per day and climbing. So that tells me how much the real truth means to so many of us. Thanks to those sincere people that keep emailing me.


Teddy Jacobson
www.actionsbyt.com
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tjacobson@houston.rr.com
www.actionsbyt.blogspot.com/