First DA Shooting With My 66-2
 

Did my first double action shooting yesterday with my 66-2. Truthfully, I was rather pleasantly surprised. This is one accurate pistol and I bet a real shooter could do amazing things with it. I do have one question. I shot 200 rounds of WWB 130gr .38Spl FMJ and I thought I'd never get the pistol cleaned today. Must have took me 2 hours (well, that may be stretching it a little) to get it like I wanted it. So, is the just a dirty range ammo to shoot or what's the deal? Of course, being stainless steel, you can see every little smudge. Nevertheless, it was fun and I still love the 66. Any help with the date on this serial number AJM3XXX? I think I've missed getting the 629 I mentioned earlier. I really want a 27 or 28 now. You guys have really started something at my house, collecting pieces of Americana.

Looks like sometime in 1985. Glad you had a chance to shoot some double-action. Once you get used to it -- single-action feels weird.

I rarely shoot 200 rounds at a time, so my cleaning takes just minutes. The chambers and the barrel I clean with solvent and a brush and cleaning patches. In the places the black soot collects around the forcing cone and the recoil shield I take a fine bronze brush and brush through the accummulation. The rest of the gun's exterior I can just wipe with a rag with some gun cleaning solvent on it and it looks fine. After that I wipe it with a alcohol pad and then put a light coat of wax on it.

I fired 100 rounds of WWB this past weekend through my 4 inch 66-3. It was MUCH dirtier than I recall. There was a black laquer like residue on the muzzle crown, barrel and forcing cone that took me 30 minutes to clean off. Never had that happen with WWB before.

I used a nylon brush with CLP and finally sprayed it down with Ballistol and let it sit for an hour. The Ballistol did the job.

Good on you for shooting DA. Thats the only way to shoot revolvers, IMO. Regards 18DAI

Glad to hear you had a good time with your M66. By the way, I would never thumb cock a S&W in public view and never in front of a lady or impressionable youth. If you were to do such a thing, you should always apologize and wash your hands. ;-)

Vern

What is the...
 

Length of your barrel on that 66-2? Is it a 2 1/2? I saw one today and he was asking $495.00 for it. Just wondering. Thanks.

heyyyyy you spoke of your new 66 on your 66th post here!

Well, when I got home yesterday I didn't feel like getting into a prolonged cleaning job so I just left it until today. Man, I've never seen WWB leave something that dirty. 18DAI's description is right on. I didn't think I'd ever get it clean. In all honesty this is just the second trip to the range with the 66 but I don't remember the first trip leaving it that dirty. Both outings were 200 rounds each. Makes me wonder if I want to keep shooting WWB. And I picked up an additional 300 rounds at Wal-Mart prior to getting on the range. They do have the market on the lowest price range ammo though, as far as I can find. I can't stand to leave a pistol dirty, especially a stainless steel where you can see every smudge. Just don't notice it on my Glocks. 4" barrel on my 66, Rapidray. Got it for $400 even. I'm proud of it. Thanks also to Ashlander for giving me the 1985 date. Mine has a few scratches on it but they're not bad. I really love shooting it. Now, on to my quest for a 27 N frame as my 629 acquisition seems to be dwindling.

Revolvers are addicting, you'll have more. Get yourself a Birchwood Casey leadaway cloth. It will really help with the cleanup.

dwp---..
now yer talking like a wheel gunner. even Jerry M. would be proud of you. Keep on shooting, your skills will always improve every time
you get out and shoot. I will never go back to semi autos. If you want
some inspiration now and then---look up a good Jerry Miculik video. He
is unbelievable. Every now and then he will have a segent on "Impossible Shots" on Wednesday nites on the Outdoor channel. He
is a S&W man and masters every type of weapon, but his first love
is S&W revolvers.
good luck and keep shootin.

Yeah, I've seen Jerry shoot. He's truly unbelievable. I will say that I love my Glocks but since acquiring this 66 Smith something about it just feels different. It is just a different kind of fun and I feel like I'm shooting something that just screams history and America. Don't know if that makes any since at all but it does to me. Kind of restores my sense of pride in our country which is sometimes hard to muster considering how things are going. I won't quit my Glocks but I'm sure that more S&W revolvers are in my future.

I keep a quart jar 1/3 full of Hoppe's #9, when I get home from shooting I pull off the cylinder and crane and drop them into the jar, and wipe some Hoppe's on the cylinder window areas and run a wet patch down the bore, letting it stay wedged into the forcing cone. I let everything sit for 24 hours or so, then clean normally. Most of the stuff wipes off, and if there's any lead in the barrel it pushes right out with a tight patch. I have a couple Lead-away cloths but rarely use them, the front of the cylinder is the only place they're needed, and a brass-bristle brush will take the buildup off with a little elbow grease. You won't need a Lead-away cloth unless you're actually shooting a lot of lead.

Make sure you get all the grunge out of the cylinder's chambers........38 Special ammo (especially the dirty stuff) leaves a ring of crud that will keep a 357 round from chambering. Use a plain brass 357 case with the neck flared, just small enough to fit into the chamber. It makes a good scraper, and won't hurt the gun, as long as you don't use nickel cases.

Congratulations on the purchase of a fine example of S&W design and craftsmanship. WWB 130 gr. FMJ's work very well in my revolvers although I must admit that at extended ranges, I prefer a heavier bullet. In fact, in just a few minutes I'll take a few of my favorite revolvers and head for the range to fire several boxes of the WWB 130 gr. FMJ's at various targets, either paper of steel. Cleaning after any range trip is always wise. I'd suggest you buy some Shooter's Choice, a cleaning solvent that I have used with very good results on handguns, rifles and shotguns. A "Lead Away" cloth does a very good job of removing smudges, stains, etc. If you want your revolver to look showroom new/clean after each trip to the range, regardless of ammunition used, you will need to be prepared to clean using the above mentioned materials. With a good steel cleaning rod and .38/.357 brass cleaning jag, cotton patches and a quality phosphor-bronze cleaning brush, cleaning your 66 should not be a problem regardless of the ammunition you might use. Do buy brushes with brass cores, not steel. Why? There is no possibility that a brass brush can damage a steel bore. But, there is the possibility a steel core could cause some damage to the bore of the face of the recoil shield if you should inadvertently allow the brush to exit the throat of the barrel and hit inside the frame. Kleenbore makes a good line of cleaning materials. I have used them with complete success for over 25 years. JMHO. Sincerely. brucev.

Thanks Bruce. Sounds like good advice to me.

Congratulations on your Model 66, one of Smith & Wessons greatest in the opinion of many.

Stainless, it will ALWAYS show up dirt where a blued handgun won't. Kind'a makes a fella wonder just how dirty some blued handguns are and people just don't realize it. But with stainless, there is no doubt. You can see it in every little crevice of the gun. I always clean my mine where the dirt/grim is obvious. You can drive yourself insane trying to get one clean just above the barrel inside of the frame, and on the front of the cylinder. l

Shooting double action. The great Ed McGivern made a statement in his bood 'Fast & Fancy Revolver Shooting' that has stuck with me for over 30+ years. Simply stated, the vast majority of double action handguns are kept handy for self defense. This being the case, learn and train with it double action for just about everything other than deliberate, slow fire target shooting.

Now about that Model 28 or 27...you're on a slippery slope there my friend! When I'm ready to roll for the sticks, be it 4 wheeling or just rambling one of my 28's usually goes with me. They're the work horse of .357 S&W's. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing a 4" Model 28 that was too ugly for me unless the price was way out of line. While I don't intentinally abuse mine, I won't fret or lose sleep if I accidentally let it hit the ground. This is where proper holster selection is strongly recommended...grin.

Murphy2000

Thanks for the response, Murphy. Can't find anybody to make me an offer on a 27 or a 28.