But when I started shooting PPC in 1974, it was instantly obvious that, trying to do it on the cheap, a Model 10 simply wasnt going to work. The variety in Smith & Wesson's catalog has only increased throughout the years from the little all steel Model 36 and 60 to the latest alloy framed lightweights like the 637 and 642. I see these S&W wheel guns and it all comes back from my impressionable youth, One Adam-12, One Adam-12, see the man.. Considering the caliber, the Model 19s recoil is very manageable. The deep illustrious bluing found on all of the Classic revolvers from Smith & Wesson is simply one-of-a-kind. The revolvers cylinder is fluted and holds six rounds of .357 Magnum or .38 Special ammunition. It is hard to describe the appeal of revolvers. Over the years I used 4,6,2 1/2 19 and various others as assignments needs required. First time I took it to the range, it malfuctioned after maybe 30 magnum rounds. But I am often surprised by the stupidity of others. So you get some advantage, but not much. This is one place where this revolver absolutely shines. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. With the right load a .30-30 can take deer out to 300 yards. Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! Given these parameters, the Smith did a very good job on the Model 19 Classic. They walk into a gun shop and buy whatever they think looks great and makes them happy. I started my 43 year Law Enforcement Career with a stainless model-19 4 barrel. Whilelarger departments could afford to issue Model 19s as duty weapons, many smaller PDsgave their officers guidelines asking them to buy their own weapons. $695.00: 0 $695.00 $795.00: 4d 20h 13m 17173144. Thats a pretty substantial improvement in stopping power. Usually 1 @ 25 and sub 2 @ 50. Using a wide variety of ammunition, none of my five-shot groups shot from a sandbag were larger than two inches at 25 yards. Kudos to the gunsmiths making the sweet old guns even sweeter. Smith & Wesson. Brian Pearce's article in the December 2014 issue of Handloader Magazine, (issue 293), was quite favorable to the new "L-frame" S&W model 69. I dunno. Try to get a gunsmith to remove the lock and they will decline because of liability concerns. We were later issued the stainless M-66 and were happy to move up to the vaunted .357 magnum. You have entered an incorrect email address! (Unfortunately, I didnt have any speed loaders.) The Model 19 was also offered in nickel finish. The Model 19 for this review is a used gun, manufacturedsometime between 1967-70. The .357 cartridge was created by Winchester for S&W in the 1930's and used in the "N" frame S&W. Joseph Von Benedikt visits with Aaron Oelger from Hodgdon about the unprecedented demand on the shooting supply industry. Now both the P09 and VP9 are capable of 1 groups @ 25 but no way do they run sub 2 with a bunch of various SD or other loads. Model 15s, 13s, 19s, 586s, 27s, 28s and 29s. Unlike most of my reviews, I had to leave the gun idle for a couple of weeks between sessions, so I did a basic field cleaning at round 150 and a full detail strip and clean once I finished. I found it to be gritty and not even close to the smooth function of the older guns. Out of 50 shots pistol failed about 15 times. With the 158gr Double Taps I carry Im getting ~600ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle which is about 50% more than +p 9mm and higher yet downrange. Yep. GDHP. The pre-1971 Model 19 is a classicthat earned its reputation. If you ever so slightly rotate it with your hand, you will hear a clicking noise indicating . Back then we were required to qualify at 50 yards and this weapon never failed me. It put my finger in an ideal position on the trigger, and gaveme a great platform for my thumb for either hand. Models 10 and 64 have a heavy barrel and fixed sights while the Model 67 adds an adjustable rear sight and red ramp front sight. which I would avoid in the J and K frames. If you used TIG to add material to the area, the length of the top strap will tend to shrink which will throw your cylinder out of alignment with the breech (or, actually, the breech will no longer be coaxial with the bore of the cylinder). $800-900. Even though this is a 4 pistol with square butt stocks, the frame has a round butt contour. To each his own. Loved my first Dan Wesson so much I had to get another one, Twins, Ruger Blackhawks .357 Mag 50th Anniversary Edition. http://ruger.com/products/gp100/specSheets/1740.html, shoot range sessions with .38 specials, carry .357 Magnums for hunting and self-defense., And watch the bullet sail right over the deers back because the .38 specials are going to hit 8 inches higher than the .357 magnum rounds. It was a 4 inch blued model 19 the had Idaho State Police on the side of it. My most accurate load was the Black Hills .38 Special 148-grain SWC ammo, and it averaged 2.47 inches for five, five-shot groups. I stopped and empited the gun. As American forces fought in the Philippines, US troops made an unfortunate discovery about the performance of their standard-issue revolvers chambered in .38 Long Colt. It features a 4 barrel, with checkered stocks that are very similar to the original Magna stocks. MIM parts I can deal with, Im a gunsmith by trade and know how to smooth the trigger up so that MIM parts are unnoticeable. I noticed the other night, if I pull back on the cylinder, just a tad, it open as smooth as silk every time. We show you how. 1. Only pre mim.pre Hillary hole smiths for me. These are both polymer frame one being a hammer fired DA/SA and the latter single stage striker fiire meaning the striker is fully cooked by the slide cycle not trigger pull. the .357 Magnum offers relatively little stopping power improvement over the 9mm+P.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. For most applications, I would recommend a good .38 Special +P load. S&W Model 19 Classic .357 Magnum "Combat Master Reborn"!Re-Introduced after 19 years, the Classic has upgraded features but still keeps the Spirit of the ear. I have a Model 66 no dash 4 made in the early 70s. There may be a gunsmith out there who doesnt care about the liability, but I havent found him, yet. But for serious business, lots of times we wished for something a little stouter. Using the factory Hornady 125gr. My dad was a right handed shooter, and routinely carried his duty revolver on his left side, with the butt of the gun facing forward, so he could easily Cross Draw for just that reason. Regardless what I shoot, the best I can do is to stay inside the 5 bullseye of a B-16 target at 25 yards. Mine, bought new in the early 1980s, looks just like this one. Inadvertent? Capacity: 6 rounds For that kind of shooting, I like to begin by working on making a smooth draw from the holster and putting two shots on target at a distance ranging from about five yards to seven yards. . Still, the Ruger gives you more bang for the buck (back then, and now). I really enjoyed this review and appreciate such a classic. The flat part of your forcing cone is normal for this revolver and is one of the reasons the guns fail when one puts a steady diet of .357s through their guns. If it jams unloaded, it is probably a burr on the cylinder face that took a few rounds to raise up. Ive never cleaned a gun Ive reviewed before before, but I felt duty bound to put this one back in same shape in which I got it. I should mention that S&W brought back the stainless-steel Combat Magnum, known as the Model 66, in 2017, and it, too, had the newer two-piece barrel design. Smith & Wesson discontinued the production of the Model 19 in 1999 and the Model 66 in 2005. I had an old Rossi .38 that did something similar. No flame cutting, erosion or apparent weakening of the frame. I tend to replace guns when I find something better. The current Smith & Wesson info page lists the Model 19 as having a barrel length of 4.25 inches, an overall length of 9.875 inches, and a weight of 37.2 ounces. Finally, they are solid you can rap them with your hand or shake them and nothing rattles or shimmies. They provide a reduced profile but still allow for a full grip on the pistol. S&W made some great revolvers decades ago, but the model 19 while having a great fit would crack forcing cones. A similar situation exists with .44 special in a .44 magnum revolver. .357 magnum smith & wesson model 19-4 combat magnum revolver mag box manual west boylston, ma: used: 8/3/2022: $795.00 .357 mag. I never cared for the way the magnum grips spread my fingers at the base of the grip and I wear a size 10.5 surgical glove! Only a few years ago you could buy this gun for $500-$600. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The reviewer tested a 6 inch barrel, and claims theres significant stopping power difference at 25 yds over that of a 4 inch barrel. I look forward to seeing what Smith does in the future. Estimated New and Used Values for a Smith & Wesson Model 19 Values are based on a basic model with no options or colors. I even had a Class A engraved Model 19 with a 6.0-inch barrel during the late 1980s, but I decided I didnt need any of my barbeque guns and traded off all my engraved S&Ws, Brownings, Remingtons, and Rugers. But when you despise the Hillary Hole that makes it a lot easier to consider a Kimber instead. My best time with this 6 revolver, from the draw, into an 8 circle at 15 yards for all 6 .357magnum rounds was 4.17 seconds. The best thing to be done is make the cylinder gap as tight as possible, so as to limit how much heated gas can escape the gap. Let the new gun owners have their space in time. It takes some work, you might pay a bit more, but with a little effort there are Model 19s out there for sale from before the Hillary Hole was introduced. Loved the article JW. Great shooter i carried one as a officer and i still have it , it feels natural in your hand i love the k frame 19. I do all right in my gun clubs practical pistol matches. All accuracy testing was conducted at 25 yards with the revolver mounted in a Ransom Rest. Related Tags: Wide, thick, and with a great shelf for the thumb, the standard wood grips look good and provide excellent control of the gun. I do miss that gun. The Gold Dot averaged 1,372 fps while the Agulia load averaged 1,178 fps. BOTH ARE IN 100% condition. The Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum, The Second AmendmentIts Not About Hunting! What I cant decide is whether the Model 19 is $300 better than the Ruger. For more information, please visit Smith-Wesson.com. Back to 1954. Ill be checking out the best deal on the new 19 for sure! Over the years the blued K-Frame Model 19 has been offered with 2.5-, 4.0-, and 6.0-inch barrels. First pistol I bought in 1965 when I started on the police department. If I have to wear nice shoes, the gatsby does too. The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. Trigger feels wonderful. Smith & Wesson Model 19 Classic (the new re-issue): It looks cool with the classic new design and the blued finish. The L frame 586s make great guns for duty and walking around the woods and I use my 4 586 for just that. That K-Frame 357 might have been the all time favorite revolver for law enforcement for 30 decades when revolvers were mostly used. Hope this area was strengthened in the new model? All the way out to 100 yards, they are only 3.6 apart, if the gun is zeroed at 25 yards. The pull is smooth, with some stacking just before the hammer breaks. Ships To Store. Behind-the-Scenes at SIGs Electro-Optics Factory, Previous post: The What & the Why: Cowitnessing Sights. It is a beautiful paperweight, though. I sure wish that I could get a new Ruger GP-100 in .357 Magnum with a 5-inch barrel. 357 Magnum . We found them to be satisfactory and just as strong and durable as parts machined from steel bar stock. View Deal . When Smith & Wesson dropped the last of the K-Frame double-action Combat Magnum .357 Magnum/.38 Special revolvers from production in 2004, Shooting Times said that they went out in style. Those guns were the stainless-steel Models 65 and 66. No speed loaders, no trigger pull gage, and no 4 barrel which is the length everyone carried back in the day when the Model 19 (and Model 66) was the preferred duty revolver for many in law enforcement. Right. It's the high-velocity loads that are most prone to crack the forcing cone, which is the issue with the older M19's. Shooting .38+P and lightly loaded magnums are okay, and enjoyable. K-Frame. S&W also provides this synthetic grip, which completely transforms the personality of the gun. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Fire shots more accurately with a Smith & Wesson revolver. So many guns, so little money! That is a lot of cash. If it functions OK unloaded, the problem is most likely powder residue glued to a chamber wall with factory lubrisludge. Great deals on Smith & Wesson Hunting Gun Cases. The Model 19 Classic is a great addition to the Smith & Wesson line and will hopefully renew the interest in wheelguns for new shooters. For years now I have been carrying a early 70s era 2 model 19 and a full size 1911. And give us the shining gems of the earlier days. Keep your firearms safe, secure & in prestine condition. Absolutely not. No Smith with Hillary Hole for me. Im looking at a revolver after I make some more optics purchases. If you are so good, write your own article for us to enjoy. I was in awe. The six-inch K-framed 19 weighs six ounces less. And a small, light cylinder would weigh less and turn easier when you pulled the trigger double action. Three years later it was chambered for .38 Special. Of all the guns to pass through my hands over the years, that is the one I most regret letting go. Truly, the Model 19, 686, and all of the other Smith & Wessons during that time were exceptionally well made and great pistols. Feature Articles, They were traded in on the Sig Sauer 225 in .45 cal. They had over a 90% one shot stop record. 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