Talk:Smith & Wesson Model 36 / 38

Other variants of the Model 36 / 38

File:S&W '3 inch.jpg

Smith & Wesson Model 36 with a '3 inch barrel - .38 Special. This is not a common variant of this revolver.

Gold plated Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolvers with pearl grips and erroneous sound suppressors - .38 Special.

Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver with square butt - .38 Special.

Smith & Wesson Model 36 (nickel) - .38 Special. This revolver was used by Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in the film Die Hard with a Vengeance. (see http://www.propstore.com/products.htm?movieIdForm=&productsKeywordSearchform=revolver&pageNum=&show_all_items_form=&isSubmitSearch=0&isNewAdditions=0&isArchive=0&categoryIdForm=0&genreIdForm=0&productsSortType=0&recordsPerPage=15).

Nickel vs. Stainless

There seems to be some confusion in this article, since two of the images of nickel-plated variants are actually stainless variants. Aside from the significant difference in the appearance of the finishes, you can look at the trigger and hammer, both of which are of a stainless appearance on older Smith stainless handguns.

Model 36 vs. CDS

How does this weapon match up against the Colt Detective Special? The most obvious difference is the Detective Special's 6 shot capacity as opposed to the 36's 5, but are their other advantages the Colt has or does the S&W have benefits that outweigh the Detective Special's capacity advantage? -Anonymous

- I'm a bit Smith & Wesson biased myself. But objectively, I would have chosen the 36 over the earlier DS because of Smith's ejector-rod socket (I never like exposed ejector rods, myself, they look goofy and are a bit of a damage hazard). However, later DS's have shrouds, so that problem is solved. Other than that, I'd have to say that the Smith has to be slightly smaller (and therefore easier to conceal) because the 5-shot J-frame has to be smaller than the 6-shot DS. Performance-wise, I'd say they'd have to be about even, though, but I'm not sure. As for the capacity difference, well, I don;t think it means that much - As I alluded to somewhere else, if whatever the problem is can't be solved with five shots, I doubt the sixth will help that much. StanTheMan 02:29, 30 September 2010 (UTC)