My first centerfire handgun was an MDL 19 S&W 357 MAGNUM 6" Barrel Target Trigger & Hammer target sights, its action was smooth as glass, I received when I was 16 years old. I must have put thousands of rounds thru it. I hand loaded the ammo and made my own lead cast bullets, I went to tire stores or gas stations collecting old wheel weights melted them down, and filled the bullet molds hollow base wadcutters and round nose after swedging load with 2.8 grains of Bullseye powder was target load of the time. I hunted with that load taking home many Rabbits and Squirrels. Years after I came to own many Mdl 19 revolvers from 2 1/2 " barrels to 8 3/8 " barrels and also the Mdl 66 stainless steel version of the model 19. The K frame revolver was the issue weapon to many Law Enforcement Agencies of the time with the Mdl 10 .38 special being the most common, Also some departments issued the larger N Frame revolvers like the Mdl 27 & 28 Texas Department of Public Saftey issued the Mdl 28 Highway Patrol and many are still out there floating around . The Connecticut State Police issued the Mdl 66 blued stainless steel and many were on the surplus market in the '80s When they went to the Beretta 9mm pistol.
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