In 1967 I was a freshman in high-school. I was working on a farm for $5.00 a day during the summer. I don't think I had ever seen a real handgun, much less fired one. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a "gun magazine." My grandfather handed down his Field and Stream and Outdoor Life magazines, but there was almost nothing there about handguns.

One of the guns I think I would have liked would be this Model 28 Smith and Wesson in 357 Magnum. Yea. That would have gotten my attention.

Model 28-2, S/N S288XXX which as best I can read in the book makes it a 1966-67 Model.





It came to me with a set of Pachmayr presentation grips that I replaced with the Altamont "Cokes" it's wearing now. Not period, but not bad.

Flash forward a couple of years, and it's 1969. I'm a junior in high school now, still dreaming of actually owning a handgun. I'm still working on the farm, but before too long I'd be working downtown in an office.

I had discovered gun magazines by now. Jeff Cooper, Bill Jordan, and by now I had discovered Skeeter Skelton. Skeeter had convinced me that a medium frame, 357 revolver, with a 4" barrel is the "best" handgun for someone who's only going to have one. Well, one was about all I could imagine in those days, so it was going to have to be a Model 19.

Sort of like this one. A 19-3 which according to the S/N (K916xxx) left the factory in 1969. With the target hammer and trigger, it too came to me wearing Pachmayr Presentations grips. I had a set of smooth target grips stashed away that seem to work well.





They're not the only ones I've owned over the years, but they're a couple nice examples. I have fired the 28 before. The 19 is still waiting it's turn.

No particular reason for this. Just it's cold out, and it's starting to snow. Just something to do really.

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John 3:16 .

I'm glad you were bored CB, those are very nice to look at on this boring day at work. (well I'm officially off the clock now) I wish my 28 looked that nice, but even those grips wouldn't do it. Very nice indeed.

Ok. I got a question for the braintrust. I just picked up the Model 19 today. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't notice the cylinder is not recessed. Nothing else seems amiss. It has a VERY nice trigger. It is marked as a 19-3, and the S/N puts at 1969. The barrel is pinned. 357 rounds chamber with no problems.

Any theories?

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John 3:16 .

Snow in.R.T.P. area as well, this evening.

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Always Stay Strong!

I am older but no wiser. We do have similar taste.

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How is the fitment to the frame lug? Any excessive fore and aft play?

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Tony

It’s tight. Everything else seems perfectly normal.

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John 3:16 .

Strange. If the original cylinder was replaced with a non recessed one and the frame lug not modified it would be sloppy. But, to modify the frame lug to fit a non recessed cylinder would most likely require refinishing. Head-scratcher.

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Tony

Cylinder was replaced and probably the yoke arm as well.

I was a latecomer.

My 1996 M640-1 was the first gun that I ever purchased. I bought it in 2008, new unfired with the money Obama gave me with his stimulus package. I'm pretty sure that's what he wanted me to spend the money on.



I added some Combats and it was my EDC for the next 6 years.




In 2014 my brother gave me this 1978 M28-2 and the M642-1 that he had carried as his backup for yeas when he was in LE.

The M642-1 replaced my M640-1 as my EDC.

He also gave me the original Magna stocks. He bought the 28-2 new and told me I was the only one who had ever fired it.



Today this is how it rests on my nightstand.

I've put more .357 rounds thru this one than all the rounds thru all my other guns combined. And its killed a bazillion rabbits too.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

That’s what I’m thinking.

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John 3:16 .

Most likely it went back to S&W after the supply of recessed cylinders was depleted.
The 19-3 had the gas ring on yoke, the 19-4 revision moved the gas ring from the yoke to the cylinder, The 19-5 eliminated the cylinder counterbore and barrel set pin (although late "transitional" 19-4's are found without barrel set pins).

So unless they reworked the original 19-3 yoke arm to fit a 19-5 cylinder its probably likely they just replaced the yoke and cylinder at the same time.

For a shooter gun the change isnt a big deal but it does hurt the value for collectors.

Well, to hop on the first Smith wagon, here is my 19-3. First bought, last to go...bought used in 1977. Mrs Raljr1 has been around only a little longer.S&W M-19 357 (1).jpgS&W M-19 357 (2).jpg

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Excellent choice sir.
Ive owned this one for a number of yrs.


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That's what it looks like has been done. The thing looks so well done that I didn't even notice the lack of recessed chambers until I went to drop snap caps in.

Since I got it to shoot I doubt I'm going to worry too much about it any more.

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John 3:16 .

Hello there Mr CajunBass,

As many of your posts as I have read, this is the first time I’ve noticed you’re only about a day’s ride East of me (by a sufficiently fast horse.) I came along about four years earlier than you, and although born in the City of Monuments I followed Horace Greely’s advice when I was about 10 years old and moved with my family to the Hill City.

Anyway, I dreamed of guns even earlier than you, but didn’t get my first revolver (a High Standard Sentinel) in 1970, and my first S&W a few years later. As Jerry Garcia sang, “What a long, strange trip it’s been'”

Froggie

PS Where was the farm? I used to hang out with my cousins out on Beulah Rd when that was “way out in the country.” Right after WW II all of my uncle’s friends said his was crazy to buy land “that far out from Richmond!”

I have your 19-3s smaller siblings.

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SWHF #595

I grew up in Hanover County, the Cold Harbor area. I went to Lee-Davis back when Lee and Davis were still there. I moved south of the river after high school.

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John 3:16 .

I like the "All in the Family" deal too...here are my others.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I get all that, but it looks like there is an extra "step" on the frame lug to properly retain the cylinder and prevent excessive fore and aft movement since a non counterbored cylinder is shorter.

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Tony

Well, is there a re-work date on the grip frame?

That might be a clue.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

From the year I graduated high school 1965. A 15-2

Skeeter was right

I kind of like them myself...

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

I've got a 15-2 also...from 1966,

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John 3:16 .

The only thing I see that might be a date is the number 08009. No idea if that's an inspectors mark or what. It's on both the grip frame and the yoke.

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John 3:16 .

I was enjoying the story about CajunBass 60’s experience, which reminded me of handling a new model 15 at the Gibson Discount store in Las Cruces, beginning of my freshman year at NMSU September 1969. Then, saemetric shows us some 15-2’s from southern NM. It’s time I find a model 15 of my own, for sure.

Man you must have some bad ***** rabbits out there

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

They are.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I understand what you are saying about the lug ,
While its kinda hard to tell without the gun in hand...after zooming in on the lug it does look like they left it original for the original recessed cylinder (which is slightly longer at the rear)....but as long as the cylinder closes without any issues a shorter cylinder at the rear would not affect the position of the case head.

I had a 19-2 that I bought used for $200.00, I needed a duty gun to go through Armored car guard training. When I shot factory magnums in it I would have to hammer the empties out of it, .38's were no problem. I got to looking it over and saw the cylinder lock notches were expanded out, the prior owner must have been shooting some real elephant stompers out of it. I got to know the S&W rep for my area and talked to him about having the cylinder replaced and it converted to double action only. He said no problem, give him the gun and he would take care of it. I got a call from the gun shop asking if I had a pistol shipped there and when I stopped by, there was my gun with a new non recessed cylinder, double action only and the frame lug replaced.The yoke was the original to the gun. I sold it about 10 years ago and really wished I had kept it now.

It was much more fun growing up in the 60s than now being in my 60s.

The 19 snub and a 4” 28 my 2 favorite revolvers. My Fathers department issued him a Colt D frame when he became chief but large hands ended up with it as his bedside pistol. When I came on somehow the new chief authorized the 28 as my duty weapon & 19 as a backup. They were carried until the 9 & .45 semiautomatic was ordered by the state. My 39 & 4506 were carry until they got a deal on Glock’s they didn’t even allow us to purchase our carry weapons due to a deal with Glock. I was able too find out the dealer that they traded them with he was retired LE felt bad for us & let them go back to their original home at cost if they wanted to. Nearly all bought them back. He felt that plastic was inferior to the metal frame. This was in an area that it might be 2 ft snow or 100*. After 2 years and a new chief went to 40 caliber 4006 or 1006 if you qualified. Have a 4006, 1006 and 1076. Kept the 4006 until retirement. Moved back South and ended up with a 229 Sig in 40 until full retirement. Still carry it as a reserve. Just had it engraved with the councils names so it accidentally ended up with cerakote. Personally think more agencies should go to wheel guns again. We knew we weren’t in the military and treated citizens as respectful people unless you got other wise.

Amen, Brother Grey Fox! But wait until you hit 70!!! It seems like I enjoyed being in the 1970s a lot more than I am my 70s. I guess part of it is the amount I enjoyed myself in the ‘60s and ‘70s. “Ve grow too soon oldt und too late schmardt!”

Green Frog (with a grey beard)

Ahh, the ‘60s, when Americans still built quality products in factories, and most of the workers were proud to be there. Now it seems guns are one of the few such products made here.