If you were born before 1990, chances are that you remember seeing police officers wearing a holstered revolver. If you were born before 1975 and served as a police officer, it is highly likely that it was your first handgun out of the academy. For nearly 100 years the .38 Special was the “go-to” cartridge for law enforcement officers.
In this modern era of polymer-framed, striker fired semiautomatic pistols, revolvers seem a bit dated. However, the Model 64 by Smith & Wesson may be the greatest incarnation of the .38 caliber police revolver.
Basically, the Model 64 is a stainless steel Model 10. The blued steel Model 10 is a design with roots at the turn of the 20th century and fourteen or fifteen versions, one of which is still in production. The Model 64 hit the market in 1970 as a no-frills stainless-steel double-action revolver chambered in .38 Special.
It was the first stainless steel revolver approved for NYPD, and the last authorized service revolver as the department transitioned to semiautomatic pistols in the 1990s.
Built on the K-Frame, Model 64s can safely handle +P ammunition and are marked to reflect this (since at least the 64-4). Originally offered with a 4″ taper barrelled square butt or a 2″ round butt, a 4″ heavy barrelled version followed in 1974 and became a favorite with many police agencies.
But they were strongly favored by the NYPD, and Smith & Wesson made five variants for the brave boys in blue. Unlike other department-issued pistols or revolvers, NYPD Model 64s are marked “NY1” inside the yoke or on the side plate as opposed to the more common “NYCPD” marking. These were intended to be purchased by individual officers as opposed to department issue wheelguns.
Recently a slew of firearms wholesalers has been offering police trade-ins for sale, making the Model 64 a common sight at many shooting ranges. When the price dropped below $300, we picked one up. Although it was not an NYPD gun (ours was marked INOP, which we think means Indiana Office of Probation, in reference to Indiana County, PA as opposed to the state), it was definitely issued to some department and the condition was more “like new” than the advertised “very good”.
This was not one of the more common DAO (Double Action Only) guns as it had a full checkered hammer. It was outfitted with factory rubber grips and has the infamous “Hillary hole” (a keyhole for a cylinder lock). The 4″ barrel was not tapered and is of Smith & Wesson’s latest design involving two-piece construction. Sights are fixed and the SA trigger pull comes in at 4.5 lbs with a crisp DA pull of 11.75 pounds.
Some of you may be thinking, “How is this great? Fixed sights, two-piece barrel, Hillary hole, no rails and less than .357 Magnum in power?”
Note, we did not call it a target revolver, hunting revolver, or, heaven forbid, a tactical revolver. In this day and age, most .38s are snubbies that hold five shots and ride in a pocket holster as a backup gun. However, when your local flatfoot walked the beat with a revolver, this was the best of its kind.
As for the two-piece barrel, it starts out relatively thin and threads into the frame for ease in manufacturing and assembly. It lacks the flat spot at the bottom of the forcing cone, which eliminates a weak point in the K and L frame designs (more so with the .357 Magnum caliber revolvers like the Model 66, but in this case it ensures a good service life for a steady diet of +P ammunition). The thin barrel is then encapsulated by a shroud that covers it from the outside. This method of construction is used on the powerful X-Frames such as the S&W 460 and S&W 500. The only downside to this barrel other than eliminating the classic lines of a pinned and recessed barrel is that they are not user-serviceable. Again, this was intended as a police revolver and not a target piece or a revolver that could be easily “bubba’d”.
The factory rubber grips and the relatively heavy stainless steel frame soak up much of the recoil in +P loads, but when you load it up with light target loads, you will find these to be some of the most accurate revolvers Smith & Wesson has turned out as a service weapon.
We find just about everything in the Model 64 makes a winning combination as far as a .38 Special revolver. If you look at its lineage to the first DA swing-out wheelguns S&W produced in 1899, you could say it only took them 90+ years to finally get it right. Unfortunately, by that time the world had moved on.
Where to Find a S&W Model 64 For Sale
This article originally aired in December 2018.
For more information on the Smith & Wesson Model 64 revolver, check out the article at The Truth About Guns.
⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang
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Snicker – just reread the sub header ‘born before 1990’ – I was 14+ years into my 40+ year civilian/military LE career by then (yep I’m old!) and never did manage to carry either a Model 64 or 10, nothing against either of them, I just somehow managed to acquire or was issued 19s or 66s – I wouldn’t turn down a 64 if I stumble across a serviceable one at a reasonable price. Isn’t that why we go to gun shows.
On the plus side, revolvers lend themselves very nicely to dry firing. One can practice with speed loaders and your duty ammo doesn’t get all beat like loading magazines for your wonder nine if you use dummy rounds and load your mag for dry firing and cycling your maxie nine. One can fire single action strong hand, double action strong hand, single action weak hand, double action weak hand, the same routine two-handed, each time using a speed loader to get the speed loader technique down. That gives one lots of trigger time and none of the expendables get beat up and you always know where your empties are, unlike an automatic where they flew in the air and you know not where they landed.
I carried the S&W Model 64-2, 38, six shot revolver for 23 years as a Police Detective in Virginia. The department gave me the gun when I retired and I still carry it concealed on certain days. I did modify it to double action only. I didn’t know it would handle +P until I read this article.
I will hand this gun down to my Grandson who is going into law enforcement.
I have the 64-4 2″ round butt as well. However the stamp on the gun just says 38 special but I’ve seen that +P is ok. Unsure why other 64 models actually have +P stamped but this 64-4 does not.
I’ve carried a model 64-4 2 inch for many years as EDC. It has shown to really like the Remington 158 Gr LSWCHP +P. It served in the Detroit Police Department, I call him Eddy Murphy(Beverly Hills Cop).
I have a model 64, I purchased in 1971. Still in collection. Like new condition, great shooter. I like wheel guns. I have S&W Models 66,27,642 Ruger Police Service Six, GP101
I just purchased a model 10 made in 1987, the girl at smith & Wesson information center said only model 64 & model 10 that were made 1989 and up are +p capable. But she also the serial number might say different. Of course I didn’t have the serial no. At the time. Confused!
Carried a 64 2″ in a shoulder holster under my uniform coat while in uniform with the Chicago PD all through the 70’s and ’80s. I traded it off 10 years ago. 6 shot revolvers were boss then. Bought a 66 when they first came out.
A lot of guys put there Pythons in storage and carried on of the stainless Smiths instead. Nice flashback!
I own revolvers precisely due to my deep-seated faith in mule-headed democrats. Once they’re done with DJT (and republicans have pissed away control of congress), you better believe ‘gun control’ will be at the top of their twisted agenda.
This “golden age” of 18-round polymer wonders” won’t last forever.
“Once they’re done with DJT (and republicans have pissed away control of congress), you better believe ‘gun control’ will be at the top of their twisted agenda”.
How right you were.