[QUOTE=Avery11;136337526]I thought the K frame was shunned by folks who think it's too light for the .357 magnum.

Yes, it is shunned for .357 Mag usage by some, but not by all of us by any means. I carried a M-66 for the first 10 years of my career all of the time on duty, and first a 2-1/2 then a 3 incher off duty and plain clothes, and Magnums were pretty well all I ever shot them with. It is a matter of proper technique, grips that fit you and practice. The vast majority of K frame .357's held up just fine.

For a gun to carry for serious purposes, the lighter weight of the K frame .357s over the L and N frames is a big bonus. I have always felt that the three axes of power, portability and shootability cross at the K frame Magnums.

Maybe if you only want it for a range gun for fun, there may be no need to shoot Magnums in a K frame, but many still find the recoil, muzzle blast and fireballs with the shorter barrels to be quite entertaining.

I bought my 3 inch Model 66 early in 1985, out of the first batch of 3 inch 66's made, for Ashland Shooters Supply. I never carried or shot my 2-1/2 inch Model 66 again! I paid $278.00 out the door for it then. I could probably get my money back out of it!

As for which revision or dash number variant is better or most desirable, S&W started the 3 inchers with the 66-2, so none of them will be pinned and recessed, but most S&W fans seem to feel that the earlier, the better and more desirable.

If you want to get spendy, there were limited production versions of the 3 inch M-66 called the F-Comp and the Super K, that have non-regular features like porting and differently shaped barrels, but then you are starting to get into the expensive realm for a shooter.

I always advise folks to buy the version they like the most.