I picked it up yesterday and immediately took it to my former agency's armorer for inspection. He had a huge problem with it's very stiff cylinder lock-up. He screwed with it for a long time. I wasn't sure whether he'd approve it. He did. I qualified with it with the first 15 rounds I've fired through it.
When I got it home, I looked more closely at it. I couldn't find a single bur. I was impressed with its quality. I have no clue of how much of it was made it America.
It there were a suitable euphemism for exceedingly bad, I'd use it. It's single and double action trigger pull are like a Corvair among Benzes. But I get it. I paid $650. for it, brand new. That is less than $275 in 1985 dollars. Inflation. We can't forget inflation.
For the money, it's a decent handgun. It's a hiking, fishing, trail handgun. For bipedal self-defense, I'd go with my Springfield Armory EMP 3 9MM. That handgun is 100% reliable (as close to it as any mechanical device can get to 1), is more accurate, and far easier to carry. My SA EMP 3 is a work of art. My Model 66-8 had aspirations of becoming a work of art.
Hand fitted revolvers seem to be all but gone with Korth as the lone holdout. From memory alone, a Korth revolver goes for about 5k. That's a whole lotta simoleons for a revolver, a handgun design that too many shooters believe is becoming obsolete. Anyway, for a manufacturer to produce a Model 27-2 (might be the last great revolver produced), it would be unlikely to recoup production cost.
I paid $650 bucks for a handgun that would have cost less than a C-note in 1970. So I knew going in I wasn't going to get perfection. However, it does appear to be well made, especially considering its price. I knew that if I wanted Korth quality, I would have to shovel out custom made handgun money. I wasn't willing to comply for a trail/hiking/fishing handgun.
For self-defense, which is just about 99.9% point shooting, sights are useless. Out to 10', a survivor ought to be able to empty all rounds from magazines/cylinders into silhouettes without sights with both eyes open and compensating for tunnel vision with head swivels. However, for a trail gun, my Model 66-8 sights, which are barely marginal, need upgrading. With excellent sights and practice, a lost pilgrim in deep wilderness ought to be able to easily kill a deer for survival within 50 yards with a 158 grain .357 Mag round fired from a 2.75" Model 66. With factory sights, it won't happen. It needs better sights.
My take is the Model 66-8 is related to the 70's era Series 70 Colt Government Model. It got a shooter into the game. To become a competitor, a shooter needed to drop a lotta $$$ in upgrades. The same principle is true with most guns on today's market. The upside is computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing have eliminated production errors. If an error exists, it's assuredly caused by a human inputting bad data. Without digital technology, most shooters probably couldn't afford to buy handguns, which would have caused manufacturers to stop producing them.
Overall, for the $$$ (Always remember the evil, hidden tax known as inflation that robs with with such precise stealth that 95% of people have no clue they're being fleeced while shears are robbing them blind.) my Model 66-8 was a fair deal. I do have a soft spot for S&W revolvers. I'm screwed because when I was a kid I shot many S&W revolvers that possessed almost as much elegance and grace as Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States of America.
Caveat: do not buy a new S&W revolver with the impression you're buying S&W's legendary perfection. It no longer exists. If it did exist, we couldn't afford it. Who the heck would be willing to drop 5k (possibly more, a lot more) on a Korth revolver??? On the up side, for the $$$, the Model 66-8 is an honest deal. If you like your sugar sweet, be prepared to invest more $$$ to rekindle the sensation of S&W's legendary perfection.
For my liking, the Model 66-8 2.75" is way too heavy for every day concealed carry. It might be the perfect trial/hiking/fishing handgun provided it's in an excellent holster in a top shelf gun belt.
I use this resource a lot. It helps me assess purchases and values from a far more accurate perspective:
Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar's Value from 1913-2019 When I hear someone tell me that they own a 3 mil home, I think, "He owns a 115k house in 1913 dollars." The Fed Reserve, AKA: Creature from Jekyll Island, was spawned in 1913, and it has devoured and enslaved Americans since it was foisted upon us.
First Impression, Part I:
First Impression Pert I, S&W Model 66-8 2.75"
Linear Mode
