Just how rare is such a critter?

I think I want one but am afraid it would be next to impossible to find.

I have only seen one model 19(don't remember the dash) pre-lock with the round butt in 4 inch. I bought it, but later sold it. The letters "SCSO" were stamped on the frame and I figured it was a special order for some county's "Sheriffs Office" but that is just a guess. All of the 2 1/2 inch models were round butts but I think the 4 inchers are rare, or had barrel changes.

The very latest production 19s and 66s (1996 on) were all RB. There may be earlier ones that were special runs, or you can assemble one.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The 19-7 range is where the switch to RB for all barrel lengths happened... the dash switchover happened in '94, and the Delete Square Butt happened '95-'96. The 19-8 is the MIM pre-lock, all of those are RB's, and those were introduced in 1998. M19 discontinued in Nov 1999. So no such animal as a 19 with a lock, and anything produced '96-'99 should have a round butt, so it may not be a totally futile search.

In a model 66, you're looking for a later -4 or any -5. Those are probably the easiest to find.

All this is per SCS&W.

Thanks, Charles. I have a SCSW on my wish list for Christmas.

And there just happens to be a 4" 66-5 in my state on GB currently going for 313.25. But with 6 bids so far I figure it'll run way up before it sells.

This not-rare-at-all 66-5 has a heavy barrel and a round butt. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I have a Model 19-5 four-inch Round Butt--not "Pinned and Recessed", but Firing Pin on the Hammer and NO "MIM"--that was supposedly one of a "Run" of guns for the US Dept. of State. No idea on the number of those guns produced or their VALUE, but it IS a nice variation. Hope this helps. Paulie686.

Model 19's aren't that rare that I would feel bad about getting an ex-PD 4" and having a custom shop round-butt it.

S&W 19-4 78K49XX round butt rebarrelled from 2 1/2" to 4"

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20 years Mil, 18 yrs Sac P.D.

Making the K and L frame round butt standard is the best move S&W ever made!

Paulie,

Your 19-5 (R/B) was a run that the Department of State specified for DSS and the Marines overseas at our Embassies and Consulates General.

I would presume yours has a serial prefix of AYY####? They were the ones we had in the 90s overseas.

They were finished in a 400-600 grit "Service Blue" and had a plain black front sight with no white outline rear. Many of us changed out the Magna grip panels for R/B Hogues or Uncle Mike's grips.

We carried/qualified with the now-discontinued Federal 125gr NYCLAD HP +P. It was a great round that opened-up and was easy to shoot, even though it was travelling about 950 fps. Very accurate.

I saw one of these guns several years ago on Gun Broker, but passed when the price was over $850. Whoever was selling it, knew what they had.

It isn't expensive to have a square butt converted to round, but does anyone know how nice they are? Cylinder & Slide does it.

I took a new early issue, 2 1/2" M-66 back in the 70's and had a four inch barrel installed. Had a sweet set of Farrant stocks on it (that I wish I STILL had) and ahd the acction worked over.

Great carry piece for that time. Ended up selling it and moving on to a Colt Commander in .45 acp. That carried a lot easier.

I have seen several RB, four inch guns over the years. I'd hazard a guess that the majority were reworks like mine.