A few weeks ago, I got a great deal on a 19-4, 2.5" barrel that I bought for concealed carry. The gun shows a little use but is one of the finest shooters I've ever had the pleasure to handle. Serial 80K8xxx. The little Combat Magnum had goodyears on it when I got it but I replaced them with the correct RB stocks today.

At the suggestion of Roy Jinks, I had the gun lettered and was extremely pleased to find that it has a little government history attached to it. The gun was shipped March 27, 1980 to the State Department as 1 in a shipment of 50 guns in this configuration that were ordered.

The Iranian hostage crisis started in November of 1979 and this gun was shipped about 1 month prior to the failed rescue attempt in late April of 1980. Carter was president and 1980 was also unusual in that the U.S. had four different Secretaries of State that year.

I presume it may have been issued to a DS agent but the invoice didn't identify who was to get the guns. I'd love to know "the rest of the story".

My 3rd gun to letter.......and the best one yet.
Enjoy....
Craig S&WCA 2380

A shrouded-rod, round butt K-frame in .357 is interesting enough by itself, but the State Department association is icing on the cake! Very cool score. Congratulations!

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David Wilson

Great find! I love a great revolver with history.

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J. Mark McCarver

makes me want to get my 19-4 lettered

I know what you mean. You just never know where some of these guns have been regardless of age.

Craig....

What a coincidence. I have K8XX, only X away from yours.

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No life story has happy end.

Craig, nice pistol and very cool history. Too bad you weren't in Salt Lake City this week since Carter was in town signing some books. You could have shown him the gun and seen if he could remember who had it. Oh wait, maybe not a great idea.

Honestly though it is very, very nice. I love federal LEO guns so this one's history really appeals to me. Congrats on a the great news. This definitely puts a 19 on my must have list.

Heh, heh, heh... Good one, Dr. Pig.

Nice catch, Craig! It may be just be the photos - but the gun looks like it was hardly used.

Thanks for the post & pic,

Jerry

Jerry, the gun does have some blue loss on both sides of the barrel end and a little under the trigger guard. The pics just don't show it well. The guy I bought it from told me it was his "truck gun".

Apparently the short 19 was used by a number of federal agencies.

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No life story has happy end.

Very nice SaxonPig!

Nice piece and history. Makes me want to letter my 19-3, 2-1/2". It would be my luck to find out it was shipped to some store in Nowheresville!

The rear sight on that first gun is wound way up! What load are you shooting in it that requires that much sight adjustment?

T-Star

Good eye! Truth is that I had just completely disassembled the gun and cleaned it (including the rear sight leaf).
Craig..

Thanks. Good luck sighting it in with your chosen load. Looks like a really nice gun.

It may smack your palm pretty hard with the service grips. Goodyears help, like Pachmayr's compact version for round butt K-frames.


I once had a M-19 snub, and recoil left the checkering imprint in my hand for a few minutes after shooting .357's in it. Smooth wood or rubber grips would avoid that.

T-Star

It had pachmyers on it when I got it. Right after I brought it hojme I shot around 20 .38 specials and about the same .357 mags. The pachs worked great. I just put the RB walnuts on it yesterday but haven't fired it with them yet. I'm sure they won't be nearly as comfortable as the pachs.
Craig..

It's been a long time but IIRC the internal designation of State Department Security was "DY". So if you were State Department Security you would have been referred to as a DY Agent. They provided protection for the Secretary, conducted investigations into forged passports and other matters of interest to the State Department.

I've read about DS (diplomatic security) and DSS (diplomatic special security) but haven't heard of DY. What's the "Y" stand for?
Craig...

Diplomatic Security Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How do you go about getting this letter of history from S&W?
I recently picked up an excellent 19-3 w/ 2.5 bbl in a trade.
Ser. # 8K87---.

Here is a link to download the form requesting the letter.
Smith & Wesson Collectors Association

Send the letter along with $50 to the address on the form. It takes a few weeks to receive the letter from Roy Jinks due to his huge workload. The letter, at minimum, will give you the general history of the model gun, tell you the exact ship date and where it was sent. If there is more detail available, Mr. Jinks will include that as well.
Craig...

OK, I had a senior moment. It wasn't DY it was SY. The reason I remember it is because it didn't make any sense to me and when I asked I didn't get an answer. But the SY agents I ran into provided protective services to the Secretary of State and other visiting dignataries that didn't qualify for Secret Service protection. I looked at the link about DSS and there is a list of Directors of SY. I only met a few of those folks, but I'm certain they would have been carrying M19 2.5's just like most of the federal agencies of the day. Sorry sometimes I need a memory jog. Ch

If you are unsure about what to carry your new Model 19 in, consider this hand-carved Threepersons model I had Ray at LoboGunLeather whip up for my 19-3. I wore it to the local stop-and-rob under a loose fitting pull-over shirt just a couple of hours ago.Eminently practical as well as being a work of art. A revolver as beautiful as your 19-4 is deserves such finery.

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Georgia On My Mind

Redlevel....
That is one fine looking piece of hand worked leather! I may just have to do that. Thanks..
Craig...

Redlevel,

Is your holster lined? Does it ride relatively high? Can you post a pic of the back?

Thanks,
Craig...

Ask and ye shall receive . . . . .

Yes, it is lined.

Better pictures, including one on an old EP Saddlery belt I have had for years, and one comparing the Lobo rig with a Galco holster.

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Georgia On My Mind

Thanks for the pics. Very nice set-up for sure. Must be my old age but I am way more attracted to the Lobo hand tooled leather; more so than the smooth high ride. But I bet the Galco is a bit easier to conceal.

Thanks,
Craig....

I wanted to try making a Tom Threeperson style for my M28 4", because that would have been a popular style when it was new. Here's a pic of mine, I found the pattern in an Al Stholman book that was originally published in the late 50's or early 60's. I usually make a modified three person style with a thumb snap retention system, that's the second and third picture. I'm just a hobby maker, but I do sell a few now and then but it never seems to cover the cost of my addiction. The one pictured above is truly a faithful copy of a true classic. CH



Oh yeah, I want a bowl of that gumbo too. CH

Beautiful leather work. I've made several holsters (mostly for autos) but never tried tooling except basket weave. This makes me want to give it a shot....
Craig...

dnonac
be forewarned that it can get quite addictive, you never seem quite satisfied and always need to make another to try this or that tool or pattern I've enjoyed it. I've made a lot of pancakes for concealled carry and even thou no one ever sees them I still like to tool something on them to experiment with something or other, on the one below I just wanted to work on my Sheridan style flowers on K frame holster above I wanted to experiment on scroll patterns, it never seems to end CH

CH.....very nice. Yep, I'll post when I get do my first tooling job. I'd be happy if I could do half that good.
Craig...

Great 19. I have two 2 1/2 inchers and love to shoot and carry them.

Enjoy!!

I put Pacs on mine for ease of carry and better grip with magnum loads.

+1 on the Pacs for shooting and carry. I've ruined some pretty nice walnut checked grips after a few years of carry.

Craig...

Very beautiful revolver with a neat history behind it. I love it sir. Have a 2.5" 19-3 in nickel. Now I need a blue one. Does it ever end?

Hope Not!

Please let me know if you're selling that ugly and decimated "Truck Gun". I'd be embarrassed to let it see the light of day.

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V/R
Roger / SG

Now you need a 2.5 M66 ATF issue to keep it company.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

I appreciate the offer....but I think I'll hang on to this one for a while. It's just too much fun.
Craig


I totally agree! I'll keep looking for one.
Craig...

I have a few things to add to this post:

- DS agents are currently issued SIG 229/R in 9mm
- DS agents going through the firearms instructor course still have to qualify on the S&W 19 2.5" among many other weapons previously and currently issued to agents
- DS still has racks full of model 19s in their inventory but are not usually issued. Some of them are a deep blue and a lot of them are in a bead-blasted or matte finish. Alot of them are P&Rd.
- 2.5" models were issued to agents, 4" 19s and 66s were issued to their uniformed division until recently replaced by the SIG
- There are still a handfull of senior agnets who are still packing their 19s and have "yet" to transition. I don't think they ever want to!
- The issued ammo for the 19s were .38spl +P Nyclad
- Agents assigned to the Secretary's Detail are known as SD not SY
- A lot of the 19s wear pacmeyer compac stocks

Don't ask me how I know ;-)
I hope this info might be of some interest.

Sounds like you have some serious insider info. I won't "ask you how you know". I'd love to have a couple of those "racks full of model 19's". Thanks for the details!.
Craig....