Coldshooter
Member
Are there any estimates at % of 6 inch M19 with each type of front sight? Were both available on 4 inch versions? Please excuse spelling in title.
M19 ramp vs partridge sight
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All I can tell you is I don't recall seeing an ordinary (not special order) Model 19 6-inch with a red ramp until the -4 ECO guns came out. I am sure some were made earlier, but I don't remember seeing one. I don't recall ever seeing a 4-inch Combat Magnum with a patridge blade.
Mind your spelling or Saxonpig will be along with his switch!
Mind your spelling or Saxonpig will be along with his switch!
Engine49guy
Member
Member snw19 keeps a database of all the Model 19's variations and could answer this.
I have not seen the Patridge front site blade on a 4" Model 19 only on the 6" barrel one.
I have not seen the Patridge front site blade on a 4" Model 19 only on the 6" barrel one.
Mind you these are only my observations but oddly enough the question of a Baughman ramp front sight with a red insert came up recently with another member so I had already looked.
My estimate is that 80% of all 6" Model 19's, blue or nickel, had a Patridge front sight. The other 20% had a Baughman RR front sight.
The Baughman ramp with red insert was a cataloged item in both blue and nickel, product codes 100712 and 100723.
I have not seen a 6" Model with a Baughman ramp that didn't have the red insert. They also have all had a target trigger and hammer, even though those could have easily been swapped out.
[Interesting (to me) side note, even after the Model 19 came standard with a .312 smooth combat trigger, the 6" version with a Patridge FS still had a .265" serrated service trigger]
The Model 66 is different. I have yet to see a 6" Model 66 with a Patridge front sight.
I have seen only three 6" 19-3s that had a Baughman RR front sight and they were all from the time that they still had pinned front sights so could have either been ordered that way or replaced later. All the rest are either 19-4s or 19-5s, except for the two 19-6's…
My estimate is that 80% of all 6" Model 19's, blue or nickel, had a Patridge front sight. The other 20% had a Baughman RR front sight.
The Baughman ramp with red insert was a cataloged item in both blue and nickel, product codes 100712 and 100723.
I have not seen a 6" Model with a Baughman ramp that didn't have the red insert. They also have all had a target trigger and hammer, even though those could have easily been swapped out.
[Interesting (to me) side note, even after the Model 19 came standard with a .312 smooth combat trigger, the 6" version with a Patridge FS still had a .265" serrated service trigger]
I have seen a couple, even a 3". But, they were earlier models with pinned front sights and could have either been special ordered like that or changed later.
The Model 66 is different. I have yet to see a 6" Model 66 with a Patridge front sight.
OP
Coldshooter
Member
My current model 19 is a 19-2 with the red ramp pinned. The rear is a thin white outline around the notch. K6213xx if that is of interest. Narrow serrated trigger and rather small hammer spur. Very dark wood on the grips. The old gent I got it from bought it here in Fairbanks and I am sure he did nothing to it. My first model 19 had a Patridge FS, no white outline and I do not remember the - number though I am sure it had a 3K as the beginning of the SN. I will try to get a picture of both as I know the current owner of the one I used to own.
Yes, it is. That only the 2nd 6" M19 I have heard of before the K70xxxx's (but I have only heard of a tiny drop of them).
Can't wait to see pics of it. Until then, is the ramp pinned to the base or are the ramp and base one piece, pinned to the barrel?
OP
Coldshooter
Member
The ramp and base are pinned to the barrel two pins about 1/2 in apart.
OP
Coldshooter
Member
The pins that hold the sight on should be finished flush with the side of the rib on the barrel and blued afterward, so that they almost disappear. For that reason, I would say the front sight on your Model 19 has been replaced. It's entirely possible it might have been replaced by S&W, but I wouldn't think so. Likely it was replaced once the gun was out in the field. It is not a difficult operation as long as you are not trying to make it look like factory work. To do that, you would have to remove the barrel from the frame, install the new sight, fit and polish the pins flush, then re-blue, and re-install. It's a bit of a job to do it the way the factory did it.
Guys.... It's really important to feed any information you have on your Combat Magnums to snw19_357. Especially those of you who have unique or unusual Combat Magnums and other K frames in their larger collections...
S&W factory production numbers specific to so many of the earlier models and their options are difficult if not almost impossible to uncover any way other way than how snw19_357 is attempting to do it with his research.
We can all contribute to the knowledge base by helping him out, and eventually not have to rely on pure speculation and opinion as we do today...
We are so lucky to have people like snw19_357 and Doc44 who are so committed to the history of their particular S&W interest area... and be willing to share what they know with all of us.
Just sayin'
S&W factory production numbers specific to so many of the earlier models and their options are difficult if not almost impossible to uncover any way other way than how snw19_357 is attempting to do it with his research.
We can all contribute to the knowledge base by helping him out, and eventually not have to rely on pure speculation and opinion as we do today...
We are so lucky to have people like snw19_357 and Doc44 who are so committed to the history of their particular S&W interest area... and be willing to share what they know with all of us.
Just sayin'
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
The 19 was never available with a partridge sight.
I sense a "bait" post...
For those who may be unaware a Partridge is a bird. A "Patridge" (leave out the first R) is a type front gun sight blade commonly used on target guns.
It's a frequently seen and predictable error.... like my spelling and opinions....
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