The term “police trade-in” has been part of the firearms industry lexicon for decades. Police trade refers to guns that are no longer used or have been replaced by law enforcement departments, then refurbished and sold to the civilian market. These firearms include handguns, rifles, and shotguns in conditions ranging from unfired and unissued to rode hard and put up (really) wet.
Lots of us are constantly bombarded with police trade-in offers from online dealers. Sometimes the prices are reasonable and sometimes they’re downright hard to pass up.
In the past 25-plus years, I’ve acquired my fair share of police trade-ins in all conditions. Some came to me in “as-is” condition requiring me to conjure all kinds of magic to get them back to safe working order.
The Story
A few months ago, a member of my church’s security team, who happens to be a retired Glendale, Arizona police officer, asked if I could help him re-home some of his handguns. Among them were a Gen 2 GLOCK 22, Smith & Wesson M&P40 (1st generation), a GLOCK 27, a Colt Lawman, and two Smith & Wesson 64-3 4-inch revolvers.
After a few phone calls and emails, I arranged for the parties to meet and most of the handguns were successfully “adopted” by loving new owners in good homes. But a couple of the handguns were never offered to anyone. Why? Because I had fallen head-over-heels in love with the two Smith & Wesson 64-3 wheelguns.
Specs
First, the Smith & Wesson Model 64 is the stainless-steel version of the Model 10. These two K-Frame Model 64-3s feature serrated fixed front sight, a gutter rear sight, square butt, pinned bull barrel, chromed plain trigger, and a chromed, hammer-mounted firing pin.
They’re classic Smith & Wesson revolvers from an era when these guns were built to last.
Details, Details
The most notable detail on these two revolvers was the “Glen. AZ PD” marking stamped on the frame, under the cylinders. That denotes Glendale Police Department issue, and that detail in itself is pretty cool (at least to me).
One of these revolvers came to me with the factory grips. The other had the large Pachmayr Presentation grips. Even though I was a huge fan of Presentation grips back in the mid-’80s, I looked high and low to find factory grips for that revolver. What I found were either the wrong vintage grips or ridiculously over-priced examples.
One day, a good friend from my local PD heard me talking about my search and said, “I might have what you’re looking for in my desk drawer.”
The next day, he found the correct grips (and the screw). The sides of the grips didn’t perfectly color-match, but they were perfect for the revolver.
The front sights on both revolvers had been painted with glow-in-the-dark yellow-green paint, which I promptly removed. I would come to regret that decision later. More about that later.
All in all, these two revolvers came to me in great shape. Old, but in superb condition. They showed moderate holster wear, but being brushed stainless steel, there was no finish to wear off. They simply looked polished.
Age
According to my research, the Smith & Wesson Model 64 .38 Special stainless-steel revolver was produced from 1970 through October 2021, with several changes and upgrades throughout its production.
No Dash — 1970
Model 64-1 — 1972
Model 64-2 / 64-3 — 1977
1982 — Pinned barrels deleted across production
Model 64-4 / 64-5 — 1988
Model 64-6 — 1998
Model 64-7 — 2002
I plan to purchase the complete history of these revolvers in the very near future.
Cleaning and Prep
After a couple of hours of inspection and cleaning, the only concern I had was the screw that retains the cylinder crane on the right side of the revolver.
After a little polishing with a Dremel tool, the screws looked as good as new.
I dunked both revolvers in my ultrasonic cleaner filled with Lucas Oil Extreme Duty Bore Solvent & Ultrasonic Cleaner. After 20 minutes per revolver, they were nice and shiny. I applied some Lucas Oil to all the moving parts and I was ready to hit the range.
Trigger Time
It was time to hit the range. With temperatures in the Phoenix getting close that of a spring day in Mustafar, I decided the indoor range was the better part of valor. C2 Tactical in Scottsdale was the perfect choice. Nothing beats a nice, air-conditioned range in the desert to make a guy like me happy.
Even though I already had the replacement factory grips for one of my Model 64s, I decided to leave the Pachmayrs on for the first test. I wanted to compare the two grip styles. For ammunition, I used Federal American Eagle 130-grain FMJ. At a moderate 890 FPS, it wasn’t too hot and was a perfect starting point. For my target, I used the USCCA silhouette. That’s when I regretted removing the yellow-green glow paint from the front sight.
The USCCA target is gray. During my presentation, I noticed that the front sight looked…gray. And my rear sight looked…gray. I couldn’t tell one thing from another, so I just pointed the muzzle in the right direction and hoped the rounds would hit somewhere in the general vicinity of the target.
I started with double-action shooting with the revolver that was still wearing the factory wood grips. Even though I could barely distinguish the sights from the target, I was fairly accurate at 10 yards. I did the same thing with the revolver wearing the Pachmayr grips and had the same results.
I eventually replaced the Pachmayr grips with the factory wood grips, basically just for looks. I still love the Pachmayrs, but you can’t beat the looks of the original 1970s Smith & Wesson wood.
Parting Shots
I’ve always been a huge fan of the pre-MIM, hammer-mounted firing pin on Smith & Wesson revolvers, in all calibers. Finding these two in the great condition they were in, with the provenance and history they had, was a (near) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s something that’s getting hard to find.
Not only is the previous owner a church brother, but he also had a long career in law enforcement. Did I forget to mention that one of these revolvers belonged to my friend’s wife and was her duty revolver Yeah, that’s a plus.
There are guns that we acquire and eventually fall out of love with. It’s almost inevitable for most of us over a lifetime of owning and shooting guns. We usually either sell them or trade them to our shooting buddies.
These two revolvers will only be going to my family when I’m gone. There’s simply too much history and nostalgia attached to them.
I hope you get an opportunity like this one day. They don’t come along that often, but when they do, jump on it if you can.