Hello I'm new to the forum and first time gun owner of a S&W and i recently purchased a smith and Wesson model 19-3 snub nose nickel plated .357 magnum I'll try to make a long story short so bear with me. I wanted a colt python I've always loved revolvers and wanted a .357 mag to be my first gun so I sought out the python after I discovered it, that and the walking dead had a lot to with it but the prices for one of those IF you can find one can send a man into shock. Needless to say I tracked two down at my local gun/pawnshop and fell in love with her but once I saw the price I knew I couldn't get it anytime soon no matter how hard I tried so I would keep coming in for the next few weeks not just to keep staring at the beautiful crafted piece but because I also like they're revolver section and they have great costumer service to add with that. After some asking I was leaning toward the S&W 586 but didn't want to deal with a blued gun so I sought for a 686 as I was getting a job as a security guard, and wanted to carry my own firearm but couldn't make up my mind on which one to pick so finally one of the owners showed me the S&W model 19-3 once I held it and felt how well balanced it was I liked it and even the store owner said that gun fits me very well so after a couple more weeks of during as much research as I could find on the firearm I think it will do just fine for my first gun so I went back and put money down on it and am waiting to go pick it up so what I want to ask is since not only is it my first Firearm but my first nickel gun I've handle and wanted to know has anyone owned a S&W model 19-3 snub before and what do you have to say about it and two what's the best kind of nickel gun cleaner I can use on it for the outside and inside of the gun? Be my first time cleaning a gun I heard not to use hopes as it will damage the nickel over time I've heard flitz and mother polish works the best any suggestions or guidance for a new gun owner?

I have a nickel 19-4. Unless the finish needs polished I just wipe it off with a clean rag. I use standard gun cleaning chemicals just as I would with blued or stainless guns. Nickel is not delicate.

What 357 loads do you use I heard some can crack the forcing cone model 19 were know for that any you would suggest

Mothers mag polish makes them look really good but dont do it every cleaning.

Pete

It's the full power 125 grain magnum rounds that do the damage. If you stick with 158 grain standard .357 Magnum rounds, you'll be fine. By the way, when S&W introduced the K-frame magnums, the accepted knowledge is that the company presumed shooters would generally practice with .38 Special (80/20 ratio in favor of .38 Special). That makes sense -- the Model 19 (66) was not all that much beefier than the Model 15 (67) -- they mostly just added a little weight to help manage the recoil. The difference between the 10 (64) and the 13 (65) is even less.

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Enjoy your 19 snubbie! It's my favorite revolver.

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158 gr. JSP's. They run very well through 19's. Anything hotter can cause forcing cone problems in K-frame .357's.

Anyone know of some good holsters for it

Galco Combat Master is a good owb holster.

I recently picked up a nickel Model 37 from 1976 with a few surface scratches, but in great shape otherwise. Using Mother's Mag Wheel Polish, and a soft cotton tee shirt I sat in front of the TV and softly applied the Mother's for about an hour. When I finished the gun looked brand new again (whish I could post pics but don't know how). Another coat of liquid car wax and this is a real show piece.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Nice gun, I would have gone for the 586 as a duty gun however. If possible go back and get that one too.

I heard most cops carried the model 19 as a duty gun so I figured for my first gun start off with something simple and get use to it then go for bigger I would love the 586 but I don't like the locks smith puts on them something I would look over for the right price if I come by again other wise I would love to find a pre lock one also was considering a ruger gp100 6 inch as a substitute for the python but it was a bit heavy but a nice gun

And how is taking care of a blue gun I heard it's difficult and rust easier, seems like stainless and now nickel is the way to go luckily the 586 comes in nickel so I'll have to be on the look out for one of those.

I had one in the early seventies. One of the sheriffs in my area of responsibility called and was in need of a handgun. I let him have my 2 1/2" nickel 19 which he carried until his death by natural causes. His son still has it. For some reason, I never replaced it.

To my way of thinking, you have one of the nicest 19 variations ever produced. Enjoy,

Jack

The blued guns show bluing wear on the edges and contact points with holsters after a lot of wearing (especially around the muzzle). It's part of the charm. Wipe them down with an oily rag every now and then and after each range trip and rust should not be a problem.

One hint though -- if you cut your hand, don't bleed on a blued finish. It strips it like nobody's business.

Hoppe's can cause the nickel to peel. It was developed to clean the bullet plating out of the bore of a gun. If it can get to the copper under the nickel it eats the copper away and the nickel peels off. I've used Ballistol for years and really like it.

I use Flitz on my nickel 19-3:

Renaissance Wax works great on my blued 19-4:

I prefer to carry mine in suede lined holsters; my preference is for the vintage Safariland 28 or Bianchi 8L

Posts are easier to read when more periods, less randmly inserted, are included.

I have a bunch of Model 19s, from 2 1/2 to 6", blue and nickel. Stay away from 125 grains, which hurt like hell on the shooter's end, too. A 2 1/2 incher is best fed a diet of +P .38 specials. It is then easier to control, thus lending itself to faster and more accurate shooting. In short-barrel .357s, a fair amout of velocity is lost; one of our Gurus can tell you how many FPS per inch that may be. If you must use hot .357 in a model 19 with a 2 1/2 or 4" barrel, keep in mind that at short range, all of the powder will not have been burned prior to exiting the muzzle. This is actually an advantage, as, at short range, you may set your adversary afire.

[QUOTE=Lt JL;138895963]Posts are easier to read when more periods, less randmly inserted, are included.


thats my bad i was excited and wasn't worried about punctuation

let me say your gun is beautiful looking and im goin to look into getting that holster.

The Hoppe's thing is a myth. The old timers around this forum frequently make reference to Roy Jinks (S&W Historian), who stated via the SWCA (S&W Collector Association) that S&W never used the nickel plating process of putting a copper substrate under the nickel.

Hoppes will not melt your gun. It even says right on their site that it is safe on nickel.

Now, would I let my nickel gun soak in Hoppes for a week? NO! but I wouldn't do that to ANY gun of ANY finish.

No one seems to know if Colt ever used this method. For all I know, that's where this myth originated. Personally I think it is all a bunch of BS.

What's something I can use that will really make the nickel shine again?

Nice snubies here

Welcome to the FORUM! another polish that was not mentioned, is SIMICHROME. I have never used it on a nickel gun, as I have never owned 1. Works great on stainless. Regardless of what you use take it slow & easy. Bob

I use Simichrome and Renaissance polishing wax on my Nickel Smith. Works GREAT !

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thank you for the tip! im gonnna take all of these into consideration, be my first time shooting a snubby gonna take it to the range next week any tips on how they handle?

Ah yes, great choice my friend. You can’t go wrong with a Model 19. May not be-all and end-all but you cannot go wrong with it for sure. Started with one, then spread to a collection that spans to about 6 Model 19’s. I really appreciated the mechanics, frame size, rich history and its success in law enforcement.

What I have chosen to carry is the 2 ½ inch Model 66-1 or basically the Model 19 in a stainless steel version. It is the exact gun, just in stainless steel finish. I am sure there are people out there that carry a nickel/blued model 19 and know how to take care of them. Awesome but I personally feel more confident knowing I can holster the model 66 without getting holster wear. I can sweat on it without worrying about rust. Bang it up a bit and cleaning it with any type of gun solvents/degreasers without being concerned about the stainless steel finish.

What lead me to this decision was the fact that yes, some stronger solvents/degreasers can remove the blued/nickel finishes off these classic model 19’s. So for sure do your research on the cleaning solutions you plan to use. I am not a gun cleaning expert by any means but I personally use basic mineral oil and clp breakfree for cleaning my blued/nickel plated model 19’s. For long term storage I give them a healthy coat of renaissance wax. I have heard of other stronger solutions beginning to eat away at the copper that holds the nickel in place on these guns. Especially if there is a scratch or ding that has begun to show the inner copper layer so be very careful my friend. On Flitz, go to the website because I just looked and it says to Note: “Not for: Electroplated finishes.”

Welcome to the forums and I hope you find your new model 19 to be a great piece and hope you enjoy learning more about it as your quest goes along.

thank you for your info and thank you for welcoming me to the board. i haven't got a chance to shoot it yet i'm going to next week, but how is the handling on the snub noses and what is the preferred amo you put through yours?

For target practice, basic mix of .38 special 158gr Federal lead round nose and full metal jacket. I keep the brass because I may start hand loading soon.

For self-defense ammo I go with the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammunition .38 Special +P 135 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point’s. I reviewed many ballistics videos and charts and liked the Short Barrel gold dot’s ammo the best for my needs. The ammo is engineered for snubby’s or short barreled revolvers.

The snubby handling for me, with mid-size hands is great. K-Frame really does the trick and the short barrel is still heavy enough to withstand the 357 magnum blast and .38 special rounds for sure. I’ve had lots of practice so I can confidently shoot 3 – 5 inch groups from 5, 10 and 15 yards with those loads.

Again there are going to be many different variables and this is based on my experience. Take your time and remember to practice for sure. The best gun/ammo is the one you can shoot the best, remember that

I talked the guy out of this chamois lined Lawrence when I picked mine up.....i love it....

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Mark

Oh and here is a pic of my Model 66-1 I was talking about. Black hogue grips and k-frame night sights.

^^^ thank you all for your helpful advice im gonna take all of them to mind and will post how i'm taking to the gun shortly. And Mr. cisco thank you for all your info your model 66-1 is a great looking piece. i love the sights i would love to get sights like those for mine any tips on how i can do that?

Your very welcome sir. The night sights are:

Meprolight Smith & Wesson Tru-Dot Night Sights K/L/N Frame Revolvers, with Red Insert Front/Adjustable Rear
Model# ML22770

Price for the night sights can range but I got a good deal on them on eBay. I had my local Gunsmith perform the install, I am sure your local gunsmith can take care of this job with no issues as well. I felt more comfortable having a true professional install them instead of me. Didn’t want sights falling off after a while due to my wrong use of the correct glue for the front ramp sight etc…