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Smith & Wesson model 19 no lock!

They'll still get it done!
 

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The Smith and Wesson K frame is one of the all time greats. As long as you use it as intended. Back when the .38 Special round of choice for Police Departments all over America, line cops were complaining about the effectiveness of the typical 158 grain lead round nose bullets. The 200 grain flat point Police Load was better, but not by much. The flat nose helped, but it really needed a semi wadcutter bullet. In the 50's a hollow point bullet would not really perform at handgun speeds. Bullet tech was in its infancy, and the jackets were too tough. The .357 Magnum had been introduced in the 30's and was a big step in the right direction with a lead semi wadcutter bullet, but was only available in the heavy N Frame. Bill Jordan, Border Patrolman/writer/exhibition shooter (and hilarious story teller I might add) prodded S&W to chamber the K frame in .357 Magnum. Smith took the wonderful Model 15, added a heavy barrel with an ejector rod shroud for more weight to control the recoil and a special heat treated cylinder. They called it the Combat Magnum, later known as the Model 19. Jordan held one up on national TV right as it was brought out and called it "The answer to a Peace Officers dream". BUT, it was intended to be used as a .38 most of the time. Practice with the .38, even qualify back then, and carry the Magnum loads on duty. Times have changed! So the 19 or 66 in stainless is my favorite .38 that happens to also occasionally take a .357 Magnum round. If you are going to do a lot of magnum shooting, stick with the N frame or the newest L frame, which is arguably the finest carry .357 ever. I don't like the balance, so I am a K guy. Shop around enough and you can find a pre-lock round butt four inch barrel. Just as easy to hide in an inside the waistband holster as a snubby 19, but much less muzzle blast/concussion. Longer sight radius and faster bullet speeds are the icing on the cake. The N frame is very big and round for daily carry, I don't like the balance of the L frame but this is the Ultimate K frame carry gun in my book.

S&W 66.jpg
 
I have to admit, my heart belongs to blue steel and walnut. I just wish this had a round butt. So much easier to hide. But I do like the square butt on the range. So I will keep them both, the 66 to carry and the 19 to shoot to see who buys lunch. With .38 158 grain regular loads it is a real pussycat. If the competition is really tough that day at the range, slip in some 148 grain wadcutters. Recoils like an air pistol at that point!

KBlue.jpg
 
I'll stick with vintage. My FFL has seen two new ones come through with less than spectacular QC. Both had sharp burrs on the cylinder stop that made deep turn lines right off the get-go. He showed me one, and I could have cut my finger on the darned thing. Not a huge deal, but there's no reason for it. On a Raven Arms, yeah. Not S&W.
 
Winchester67 said:
I have to admit, my heart belongs to blue steel and walnut. I just wish this had a round butt. So much easier to hide. But I do like the square butt on the range. So I will keep them both, the 66 to carry and the 19 to shoot to see who buys lunch. With .38 158 grain regular loads it is a real pussycat. If the competition is really tough that day at the range, slip in some 148 grain wadcutters. Recoils like an air pistol at that point!

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That's a beauty. What year manufacture?
 
To tell the truth, I don't know. I am going to say the late 60's, maybe early 70's; the diamond grips were a pre-68 thing I believe. It came with the oversize "target grips" which look nice but are terrible for shooting...they get wider as your fingers get shorter! I got these out of my parts box. It has a very really smooth action, so it was before Bangor Punta really started cutting corners.
 
I have deep and lasting regret for every single S&W revolver I ever sold. I feel your pain. The Model 27 was always a bit big for me to carry since it was an N frame, but man, you get that big cylinder rolling when it was shooting .38 Special loads and the inertia made it sound like burp gun fire!
 
Winchester67 said:
I have deep and lasting regret for every single S&W revolver I ever sold. I feel your pain. The Model 27 was always a bit big for me to carry since it was an N frame, but man, you get that big cylinder rolling when it was shooting .38 Special loads and the inertia made it sound like burp gun fire!
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I hear you. Sold a 19-5 decades ago. Dumb move.
 
But if we had kept all the cool cars, guns and motorcycles we sold when we were young and foolish, we would not have been able to spend the proceeds on MORE cool cars, guns and motorcycles. So by selling stuff, I was actually buying regrets. Regrets for the stuff I sold the first time, then regrets for selling the neat-o things I got with the proceeds on and on. Good news is even with all those mistakes, I still got to play with a lot more cool cars, guns and motorcycles than any poor boy had a right to!
 
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