Here's what $320 worth of Model 19 looks like:





I've never used these kind of rubber grips before, but they feel surprisingly great.

Probably not worth a thread but just a reminder to always be hunting for deals, the po-surp smiths aren't as common as they were (and will be getting less so), but they're still out there.

I have those on my M29 38 special but......
my hands are so big, I kept the big wood grips in my M19.

Enjoy that work of art.

A shooter for cheap! Rejoice in your good fortune!

Nice, now you won't have to worry about getting the dreaded first scratch/ding!

What rear sight is that? Sort of looks like a Bowen.

Looks like it was once evidence of a crime and lived part of its life in a police property room.

__________________
Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I happen to love the looks of that BUT if you really wanted to have those numbers buffed out and the gun re-blued you certainly could.

It looks good to me!

Hey I'd like to find a deal like you got there..that's a perfect ram around shooter.

Not sure, I'll have to look into that. I was interested that the sight picture is different (one vertical line below the notch).


Close, it's part of a batch of police trade-ins similarly equipped. Neat gun for sure.

Or a police holster. That could be a badge number or property number.

Wow! Great deal on that 19! Congrats!

Like this?

Rough Country Sight with V-notch/White-post Blade [RCSWSV] - $114.95 : + Bowen Classic Arms +, Parts Store

Those look like Davis grips from Sacramento.

Not quite, I'll take a picture tomorrow with the proper sight picture. Also for whatever reason the adjustment screws are Philips head, but look original to the sight.

Yep, my understanding was they were Bill Davis grips, this model or similar

BILL DAVIS ENTERPRISES CUSTOM S&W K&L GRIP | Brownells

I've bought lots of posurp guns and strangely had never come across this type.

If it works and has no rust or operational defects, it is a thing of beauty. I would take care of it as is.

The 19 was my first gun, now retired. not ugly, just retired.

Congrats !
Nice M 19...bit modified for shooting:
Davis grips + Millett sight

The sights are out of production, but
you still can get
BROWNELLS MAGNA-TIP(R) MILLETT REAR SIGHT BIT | Brownells

P.44

Attached Images

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Years ago I bought a Model 19-3, blue, 4-inch barrel for $150. I managed to get a set of Herrett's Shooting Star stocks with it. Mine did not have any evidence numbers or id numbers scratched into it, but it sure looks to have been an LEO sidearm. Holster wear, some exterior rust and light pitting, the backstrap so pitted and rusted that it looks more like it has been given a stipple treatment. The insides were pristine and it shoots like a $800 revolver, but it is not exactly pretty.

Enjoy that ugly duckling 19. Treat it well and it will serve you well.

Looking at the top of the grips behind the trigger guard, I notice a screw that appears to go completely through the frame and sideplate. I supppose it is to add extra support to retain the grips. Am I seeing this correctly?

Sweet deal congrats!

__________________
Life is short,live it fully.

Dead on! Those are indeed the sights.

I think you might just be a bit thrown by how large the grips are, the upper screw goes under the frame, not through it thankfully.

Nice!

Tackle box gun!

What year is it? Any known history on it?

Only known history is that it was a police gun that was traded in.
Serial is ABL73xx which a cursory googling suggests should give me a manufacture year of 1983.

I bought a new in the box 4 inch blue 19 for a little over $100. And I traded it later for a nickel 2.5 19 which I later traded for a Python. That I sold for about $200.

In 1977......

I like it! Love guns that have a story to tell.

Finally got it out and it shot like a laser, very happy with it, though I'll be swapping out those Davis grips when I get home. They feel great in the hand but they make the revolver sit way higher up which leads the gun to flip up much more than I'd prefer.

It's a nice gun, a little worn but still nice. If it were mine I would probably have it hard chromed though and it would no longer be an ugly duckling.

I've had a few worn guns and sent them back to the factory for refurb. Have always wanted one hard chromed.

My thoughts exactly as scratching a case number into the sideplate was a common practice back then or even now. Usually there are more numbers but it could have been from a small town with little crime. Or it could not be anything evidence room related at all. Even still, that's a hot revolver OP! I'd switch the grips to something more traditional but that's just me. Nice score either way!

Looks like a police trade in from Kings Firearms Online. Yes-No?

It's some PD specific number, it was part of a batch of issued police trade ins similarly equipped and marked.

I'm generally of the opinion that Smiths produced in numbers as large as the 19 have nice examples cheap enough that it's not really worth refurbing/putting a new finish on this versus just selling it and buying a nicer one if I hated the finish. Luckily I don't mind having one somebody's already put the first scratches in.

Looks more like a Millett.

__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961

I swapped out the grips with one of the many in my bin of po-surp takeoffs, and the ugly ducking is doing a great job in the camping gun role.