...ladysmith?

OOOPPS!! wrong props--



better!! What the heck, don't think anybody on the wrong side of this one is gonna laugh anyway!


Seriously, this 65-5 3" shrouded LS kinda fills the last slot in the assortment. I've looked at them a couple times the past few months (don't see too many) but didn't really want to Pay Up-- 'sides, I've always liked adjustable sights, and figured they're quicker anyway (hence the 66-3 3" I picked up last night along w/ this one). Got this one for my price tho maybe 10 days ago, and since have been practicing a bit (dry) w/ my 10-8 4" HB, and have been amazed to find (now that I'm used to the sight pix I'm looking for) that I can pull/aim/adjust/ready faster w/ fixed sights, at least on this one, than w/ adjustables. Happened fast. Cool. Certainly more streamlined.

Yeah I know it's MIM (this is the most-recent Smith I own) but I don't care-- options are rather limited for K-frame shrouded fixed-sight 3"-ers. Besides, I've always preferred dark hammers/triggers to flashchromed (or whatever the bright MIM alternative would be)-- yeah I know a lotta guys love 'em, but they look like they've been galvanized or something to me-- and the lack of contrast against stainless, let's just say I like contrast.

Favorite? I've had it for only 24 hours so I suppose, for now-- and a guy can always rotate haha-- too many cool Smiths, too little-- you know.

Icing on the Cake is that the most eyepopping piece of birdseye maple I think I've ever seen is sitting in Craig Spegel's shop w/ my name on it, patiently awaiting the proper Smith to adorn. Finally found it. Finish here is matte/frosted, like my 617 Ashland-- unlike the Ashland tho, on this gun I love it! I think the contrasting hammer/trigger has a lot to do w/ that. Normally I'm not a big fan of maple on stainless but contrasting w/ the matte finish I think it's gonna look-- saWEEEET!! Guess we'll find out. Put $$$ down last spring, Craig should be working his magic this fall. Patience, bro.


Thanks for looking-- R.

Have one that came with Spegel's-I put Hogue Bantam's on it-Spegal's in the drawer.

I would not be embarrassed with that in my hand, pocket, gun safe, or anywhere for that matter. 3" 65's are great, and that LS is a beaut! If I ever run across one....

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Randy
Provenance nerd

I would be proud to carry that little lady. Anyone that would think less of you for carrying it doesn't know what it is. Congratulations.
Also, really like your choice of knives.
Frank.

I bought the same gun for my Wife for our 1st Anniversary years ago. Very nice & classy gun. The Full underlug and Matte Bead Blast really look good.

Marked 65-6. Came with Rosewood boot grips (I think) and the Maroon colored flip-top padded hard case.

She did not like the wood grips, they look pretty but not good for shooting. So we put a Houge grip and helps greatly with recoil.

Yours looks good too. John

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John

I've never had a problem with the Lady Smith and the 65 is a great gun. Mine is a dash 5 and I'm proud to own it even if others don't care for them due to the script. IMHO S&W has been making LS's for decades and they will always have a place in my safe. It looks right at home with other 3" 357's.

Great looking 65LS and happy shooting!

Attached Images

	65-5 LS 001.jpg (74.1 KB, 171 views)
	Lady Smiths 002.jpg (85.9 KB, 150 views)
	002.jpg (94.4 KB, 175 views)

Very nice, missed out on an unfired NIB one that was still in the labeled cardboard shipping box over the clamshell case that was consigned at the LGS a few months ago by about an hour... ugh.

You must have the prettiest nails at the range. Joking aside, that's a beautiful gun, congrats.

If it didn't have 'LadySmith' inscribed on it people would hail it as the ideal SD pistol. And what is it besides a small, trim gun.?

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Nothing wrong spending a little time with a favorite lady.

Hey... I got one of those!





Not a speck of MIM in mine OR YOURS!

Mag-Na-Port professionally removed the Ladysmith and refinished it to original - glass bead blasting.

It is pretty much the ultimate carry 357. No sights to snag, ejector rod shroud, enough weight to soak up the recoil, perfect size to CCW.

If it didn't say Ladysmith on it, I'd get one...haha

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Still just a kid at heart

Congrats, great score. Who cares what its called. I'd have one in an instant! Where the 66?

your gonna have to name her she is a "lady".

Too Much Fun!! I see the LS shown a couple posts above this one does a different trigger, there must've been a few runs. Does anyone have any idea how many of these were made? Reading old threads it appears there are somewheres around 9K+ total of the various 66-2/-3/-4 3"-ers. I'd been looking for many months, and it sure seems like there are quite a few AS 66 3"-ers out there for every 65 3" shrouded FS LS.

And regards all the nail polish, let's just say I found all that stuff in my Halloween bag. Yeah-- that sounds good haha....

Carry with pride, beautiful handgun. Always wanted one but don't want to pay today's prices for one. Good find.

Nice piece, don't give the name a second thought. I prefer the ladies myself.
Gary

According to the SCSW the 65-5 LS was introduced in 1991 with forged parts, the end of the dash 5 revision had a change to a MIM trigger in 1997, (MIM triggers are easy to ID as they have a channel in the back).

Says the 65 LS was discontinued from the catalog in 2005 during the 65-7 series but was still in production (IL began app 2002).

I have an early one of these (never knew they were made for so long though). It's my favorite DA revolver bar none.

I like brushed / matte stainless and fixed sights, in fact there's nothing I don't like about this gun... at the range people finally notice the "ladysmith" and most are like "ladysmith, really???" I let them shoot a couple rounds of warm 357 and they sheepishly hand it back LOL

That's funny! I fully understand why some would want the logo removed, but as this is one Serious Smith I'll live w/ it. And thanks Engine49guy-- didn't realize 65-5 LS started in '91, as the 66 didn't move from -4 to -5 IIRC correctly till a couple years later.

Nice revolver! I don't understand the concern about the name...no one gives me any grief when I carry my Ma Deuce .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

...so get in touch with your female side;-) The only thing better would be a 586 L-Comp.
Keith

My first carry gun in 1994
Still carrying it most of the time



Currently using a Barami HipGrip

That sir is a nice revolver!

Don't let people give you grief over the name, they're just jealous!

Nice revolver...just don't limp-wrist it!

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No good deed goes unpunished.

Ah, yes, A Ladysmith. Named after the famous battle of Ladysmith in South Africa Battle of Ladysmith - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Color me totally jellies

There ain't nuthin' wrong with wrappin' your hands around a little Lady and she's a beauty.

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Keep on Chooglin'

Interesting. Mine is a 65-5, but I do not know the mfg date.

AFAIK, MIM S&W's have the firing pin in the frame, the cylinder stop is also the long cast variety and easy to distinguish. The OP's appears to be like mine and not MIM.

You do know that lady's don't go anywhere with out their lip stick right. First picture still nice.............

but those blades in the second are very interesting...........

Got to love a 3" tube.

Very nice.

Ill be darned-- this 65-5 I've shown ISN'T MIM after all-- it has both forged hammer and trigger-- cool. Could've sworn I saw a channel behind the trigger-- it was either a shadow or I was remembering the wrong gun. Also, hammer has the firing pin. Truth be told I wasn't looking for forged anyway, as it was my assumption (that I'm quite happy to be wrong about) that they all were MIM anyway. MIM-less-- but not for the lack of trying!

Also explains the older-style latch-- I'm wondering if the later MIM 65-5s didn't have the newer slanted one.

Near as I can tell the MIM trigger appeared around 1997 and could be found in dash 5's with serial # prefix starting with C but not all C's for sure...some grey area there. The dash 6 came along in 1998 to include the MIM hammer and change of internal lockworks (not the "hole").

My dash 5 has a B prefix and dates to 1993 or 94. I don't know when the flash chroming stopped on the hammer and trigger.

Congratulations

I think you are on to something here. A great carry piece sounds right, I hope it serves you well.

I have not had any luck finding one for sale online. A bet a few other people who read this thread will be keeping an eye out for another pretty lady.

Great revolvers although this one is a little later (-6). The script never bothered me either (like the idea of it being named for a battle in Africa though). Sometimes even carry her little sister.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Attached Images

	65-6 3 inch LS.jpg (39.0 KB, 37 views)
	631 32 H&R Mag LS.jpg (78.9 KB, 34 views)

Really sweet, nice looking revolver for sure.

How did you get your dog to lay still long enough to get your photo, with all those knives and a gun on his back?

Oh, she's sweet! Great find.
Have fun at the range with her.

P.S. I'd love to know the brand/color in the bottle right under
the ejector shroud.

How 'bout some pics of the 66 too? I've got that on my list.

Don't let the name bother you, they are great revolvers. As you can see below, I like them... alot!
I'm secure enough in my manhood to not care what is written on a good revolver. In fact it is good
many will not buy them because they say Lady Smith. Leaves more for those who know how nice they are.
They are addictive!

A 65-5 3" barrel, I like this gun better than my 66-2 3"



A 65-7 3" MIM and IL, still a nice revolver.



A 60-9 2" Great little J frame magnum. Nice carry gun.



A 60-14 2" A christmas present for my wife, the one that started it all.



A 66-4, 2 1/2" an oddball I can't find much about.

Doggonit-- forgot to paint my toes this morning! Threw in a couple more modded Benchmades to make up for that:



Gotta Love 3"-ers!! Top down, all 3"-- 66-2 I purchased on this forum maybe 2 months ago, 66-3 I picked up the other night, 60-4 (J-frame) I bot new 20 years ago (you can drive golf balls w/ that thing) and lastly the 65-5 LS.

Bot a 36-6 3" (full lug/target/blued version of the 60-4) day before yest'y, and I now realize I forgot to include my 3" 36-1 HB in the family photo-- that makes six.

60-4 has a set of raw walnut Spegels, no finish. I putz w/ guns like I do w/ knives, so this one still needs a little sanding to fit my hand perfect. Then 10 coats/10 days handrubbed pure tung oil, which I put on all stocks, handguns and long guns both (Craig uses spray lacquer).

My 3" and 4" Smiths will get (or have already gotten) Spegeled (Spegelized??), also Spegels will end up on a Baby Chief. I've got 2x5"-ers and an 8", on those I like the more traditional target-style Ahrends Tacticals-- Retros look nice but as a lefty I need both sides scalloped. Just today I received in the mail my first set of Tacticals-- I sent them a sweet piece of padouk back in mid-April. Gorgeous. Need a couple more.

When I found out 20 years ago how accurate that little 3" J-frame was it was EZ to fall in love w/ the larger 3" K's. Yeah I know these things are spendy but if you're patient, you'll find something. Just don't Fall in Love TOO much-- those are the stratospheric prices.

66-4 intrigues me w/ the more-"finished" look on top, I'm guessing a 3" will join the lineup eventually... and all but the last few have forged H/T, the looks of which I prefer over flashchromed.

Lastly (in the SD lineup but not pictured) there is my 3.5" 27-2, which I got--

just to make everything else look SMALL!! hehe-- R.

Evenin', ryxlyx. If you don't mind a suggestion.
That bottle of pretty purple-ey polish with the spangly sparkles (just above the front sight)
would dress up those 'lil piggies peekin' in the picture juuuuuust right.

Just tell people that it's named for a town in South Africa that became famous during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902.

Oops. I later found the reference to this in an earlier post above. But if anyone misses it, they may see this one.

Actually, think of it this way: The revolver isn't "like" a "Lady," it IS a "Lady!" That is a very nice-looking, well proportioned piece well deserving of the moniker, "Lady!"

I see a business opportunity; producing sidecovers that say Mr. Smith.

I want one of those real bad!,
I dont care what it says on it I woild carry it with great pride.
Smith and Wesson needs to listen to us on this fourm and put the model 65 Lady Smith back into production along with one in blue oh and also the good old 3 inch 38 special model 60!!!