Looking for a SS 357 mag 4 inch barrel revolver. Considering a 65/66 or 681/686. Recently my LGS has a 66-2 available. Any thoughts or opinions about this particular model would be appreciated.

Other LGS have a 681 and a 65 available. The pricing on the 66-2 seems reasonable ($435).

Also what are your thoughts on fixed sights vs adjustable?

I am a bit biased because I like and have a few Model 66's... I love my 4 inch Model 66's, have a nice balance and just really shoot. I would give it a try..... For me, a K Frame Model 66 makes a great house/carry gun.....

The Moddel 66 is a great gun,
Light, powerful good looking and with a durable finish !
If you do ALOT of full house 357 mag shooting you might consider going for the heavier full underlug "L" frame 686 otherwise I like the little K frame Magnum Model 66.

My preference is factory Wood target grips, 4" length barrels and target sites.
The original 66 or 66-1 are the pinned / recessed versions,
66-2 and later are non P&R like the L frames.

I like K frames better than any handgun. I bought this pair of #66's and gave the 4" to my son, after adding the combat stocks to fit his huge hands. I carry the snubbie hiking.




Because the 4" had a TH, it would not fit either of the NOS Bianchi 5BHL holsters I had, so I had to give him this Bianchi Shadow holster, which did fit perfectly. I used the Shadow for my #64, and now am searching for another one.

Nothing points and handles as fast as a K-frame. The 66-2 is one of the finest revolvers to come out of S&W. Buy it, shoot it, love it!

$435 is a good price for a 4 inch 66-2. Regards 18DAI

66 -2 My friend has a 357m for sale, 4" good shape. ser#67xxx A 20 I would like to know value and mfg date

So where are the glory pics of your new 66???

I love my 66-2 shoots great, got it from my father in law for 250.00

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Deno, you owe your father in law about 200 dollars. I bought my 66-2
about 6 months ago. It is just like the one that I carried on the sheriffs
dept. before I retired almost 10 years ago. Took nearly that long to find
the replacement. This one will not get away from me. The 66 is a fine carry weapon if you can dress around it. Carry mine every day in a shoulder
holster.---with a 637 airweight in my pocket.

Light-weight, powerful, accurate, versatile, immune to the elements with reasonable care. If this was your only handgun, you'd get by pretty well.

66-2

Either would be a great choice. The L frame 686 was designed to handle a steady diet of .357 while the K frame 66 is happier with hot .38's for practice and .357's for carry.

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

Of that trio, you have a choice between fixed sights (681 & 65) or adjustable sights (66) and K-Frame (65 & 66) or L-Frame (681).

So it is up to you which features are most important in your situation. Everything you mention is stainless steel, so blue vs stainless is not an issue.

Frame Size:
The K-Frame is lighter and easier to carry. The L-Frame is stronger but also a bit larger. Both have the same grip frame, so shouldn't make any difference what size your hands are.

Most would say that the L-Frame is best for unlimited use of .357 Magnum loads. This gets debated a lot and I personally think the "weakness" of the K-Frame .357 Magnums is overstated. Most people will never do enough shooting to ever see a problem. But if you know you will shoot rip-snorting loads all the time, you might want to lean toward the L-Frame.

Fixed vs Adjustable Sights:
If you know you will be shooting lots of different power levels and bullet weights and it is important to you to always be hitting the center of the target, you will probably want adjustable sights. Also, if you shoot at all different ranges, say from 15 to 100 yards, (as in a hunting scenario) you will probably want adjustable sights.

So this would be especially true if you want to hunt with a handgun or engage is serious target shooting. The thing is, if you had those goals, you would probably be looking at some other handgun(s).

Personally, I prefer fixed sights for something that will possibly be carried or used for home defense. You have less risk of snagging on something as you draw it, and there is no chance the sights can be on the wrong setting. I think S&W went overboard putting adjustable sights on everything, including snub-nose revolvers, but other people must think it is a great idea.

For all-around use, I think the M65 would be my choice. But the M66 is more popular and would have better resale value should you decide to sell or trade it. If you really want the beefier L-Frame AND you want adjustable sights, you may want to hold out for an M686.

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You're shy a few manners.

All I can add is that I love my 66-2. Got it for $400 and I'm really proud of it.

The 66-2 is a very nice revolver. I really can't add anything more to what's already been said except that the price is good and here's a picture of mine.

Thanks for all the input. Looks like I'm going to go get that M66 this week.

I'll post some gun porn once I get it home!

Smith K frame 357s are great guns. Picked up this one yesterday at my local shop. It's a 66-2 with a 2 1/2" barrel, serial #248Kxxx.

I'm in the middle of move and can't find my gun books. Anyone know when this one might have been made?

Already have a 3" 65 so now I can choose adjustable or fixed sites depending on how I feel... Nice to have choices!

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