I have a line on a Model 66-5 with a 3 inch barrel. No box. The gun is in excellent condition with no obvious problems. I need to let the seller know what I have decided by tomorrow. I think I can get the gun for about $600 OTD. Is this a decent deal?

Thanks,

Bill

Well, I bought it tonight. It has been fired recently and is not clean. I apologize for the I Phone Photo, I will try to clean it up and take better photos tomorrow.

The gun is in great shape. It came with Uncle Mikes finger groove grips, that look more like square butt than round butt grips. I replaced them with Hogue Bantams for now. The action is as smooth as any gun I have ever shot.

Bill

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I think its about $100 high but the 3 inch guns are bringing a premium. you could probably sell it for more than $600 on Gunbroker.


I miss read your post. thought it was a 65. Buy it now! a 3 inch model 66 is easily worth $600!

I realize the 3 inch brings a premium, but is the dash 5 as desirable as the earlier models?

This is a hard decision.

I would think 600 would be a good deal. I would get it as a shooter. I bought a nib 66 3" a while back but will probably put it on GB if I find a 686+ 3" as I don't want to devalue such a nice older new gun and I don't mind the il

Yes, $600 for a 3" model 66 is a very good deal.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Buy it, assuming it is all original.

YOU HAD BETTER GRAB IT NOW!

Not only is that a fantastic shooter but that is the "wholesale" price in my book!

I have two. One is new in the box, and then my original that I carried through the 1980's and 1990's.

My very favorite pistol for all time. They are that good.

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Death? Smile back...

As others have already said, $600 is a very good deal for that gun. Buy it, and if you don't like it, there are hundreds of people on this site alone that would take it off your hands for what you paid.

maybe not as desirable to some people. i have a -5 4 inch and 2.5 inch and would love to add a -5 3 inch.

My 66-2 with 3" barrel is my most carried revolver. I figure I put $600 in mine, and I was very happy to have found it.

Your 66-5 is worth $600 easy. My local dealers would have it priced at $800 - $900.

I put $600 in my last two snubs a 15-5, and a 10-5. The 10-5 has some blue wear, and I still put $600 in it.

They do not make a 3" 66 any more, and they are not all that common. They are the shortest barrel length with a full length ejector stroke.

Show us the pictures when you get it picked up.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

I just noticed that the ramp on this gun is different from photos of other 66 3 inch guns I have seen. On all the others the ramp seems to start at the frame. This one starts mid way of the barrel. I think I am confused.

Bill

It's one of the later Dash Model 66's after they started using MIM.
The rear sight is the new style. The sight leaf doesn't go all the way to the front of the frame and the barrel rib doesn't match up to the frame like the older Dash models did.

This odd looking "gap" between the sight and the barrel rib make these later S&W's look ugly to us old timers.
Somehow the dip in the top profile between the sight and the barrel rib just looks "wrong".

I have looked at many photos of various iterations of the 66 3 inch and have not seen one with a sight like the one I bought. I did find a photo of an early Model 19 3 inch barrel with a similar sight to my gun.

I have also found photos of guns listed as 66-5 3 inch that had ramps that started at the frame, even though the frame steps down.

I am curious if this is an anomaly or if there was just a change in barrels/sight ramps during the 66-5 production.

The serial on this gun is CDC-56xx.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill

That is definitely curious. My 3" 66-5 has the new style rear sight, but as you've encountered, the front sight ramp runs the full length of the barrel. Also, my front sight is grey, with red ramp, not black like yours. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in. Either way, congrats on a fine weapon.

You can call customer service and they'll confirm the barrel length.

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Sure you did

Congrats on your 3 inch 66. Fair price for an outstanding revolver, IMO. My 3 inch 66-4 was my duty gun for several years.

There were quite a few 3 inch 66-5's made in your barrel length and with the same sight set up. The majority were exported, having been made by S&W for Walther. Google the Walther R99 La Chasse revolver.

The R99 La Chasse was simply a 3 inch 66-5, similar to yours, with Walther markings.

Enjoy that fine revolver! Hope this helps. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Thanks for the information. Would this variant be more/less scarce than the RSR three inch series?

Also, not wanting to cause a stir, I googled the LaChasse and blew up the photo and the sight ramp is actually different from my gun. On mine the ramp is a bit shorter than on the Walther. The more information I get, the more confused I get. That is what I like about S&W, nothing is in stone and also what I like about this forum, somebody will know the answer.

Thanks,
Bill

Yours is less scarce than the RSR guns. The non ported RSR 3 inch 66-4's were the 3 inch 66 variant made in the smallest numbers, IIRC. I don't have my notebook handy and can't recall the exact amount. Off the top of my head I want to say 512 made.

Yes, your sight ramp is slightly different from the R99s, thats why I said similar. The 3 inch barrels on the 66-5's were done in a few different configurations, including a 3.25 inch barrel. The contours of the barrels, as well as the sight ramp, were done in three different configurations - again IIRC.

You might browse through member Allen Frame posts. I think he did a thread some time back which showed the various differences in the barrels and sight ramps of his collection of 3 inch 66's. Maybe one of the more technically proficient members here can find it and link it for you. Or maybe Allen Frame will see your post.

I'm just a shooter/end user, not a collector. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance. Good luck! Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Thanks for your help. I appreciate your wisdom on this issue. Your assistance has been enormous. Shows that we NC LEO's always stick together.

I will look for the the suggested posts (hopefully I can find the one you reference as my search skills are severely lacking) and I have sent an e-mail to S&W asking them about the gun.

As I said before, that's what I like about this forum, the members unselfishly share their knowledge. I find the more I learn about S&W revolvers the more I have to learn about them.

Thanks,

Bill

I took your advice and called S&W Customer Service today.

The gun was shipped in January of 1999 to Lew Horton Distributors. It was shipped with a 3 inch barrel. Customer service had no further information, so I do not know if this was a one off order or one of a group of a larger special order.

Edit:

I called Lew Horton. It was one of 300 in a special order. It shipped with red ramp front sight, white outline rear sight and white grips (I assume faux ivory) with S&W medallions. The retail price in 1999 was $540.00. So at $600 for a pristine gun I did not do so badly.

thats interesting about the white grips. never heard of them before. i assumed the uncle mikes were factory issue.

I'm not at all sure its worth it, but I'll give you $750.00 for it, and I won't even ask you where you got it!!!!!!!!!!LOL!

I bought it with the idea of reselling it; however, I have found that I like it better than I thought. It came with rubber grips (that are way too big for my hands) and I have now ordered replacement faux ivory grips to make it as it shipped. Looks like I will be keeping it, at least for now.

The grips must be the same/similar to those shipped on the "Super K." I found and missed a Super K earlier this year and that's what put me on the hunt for a 3 inch 66 of any variety.

Neat. Sounds like you found one of the product code 102719 Lew Horton's.

Haven't seen many of them (but then there were only 300...).
The others I have seen start with CDC. Does yours too?

Yes, mine is CDC56XX.