for about 10 hours i did!
Rolled through the pawn shops today looking for s&w j frames when i stumbled across this model 66-1 marked for $399.99. Something had to be wrong wit h it. There where some causes for concern. Rust on the hammer, on top of the forcing cone, on the front of the cylinder, and on the bottom tip of the trigger, Broken rear sight leaf, and if you want to be picky, some light sctratches. Went home and got some q-tips and some of my cleaner and looked up sight leaf replacements($10, so $15 shipped?). Went back up to the pawn shop and told them if my q-tips and cleaner could start to wipe some of the surface rust off. The rust started to come right off, so i looked for signs of pitting and there were none, and if there are, I can't tell. So i bought it on the spot.

$400 even out the door. got it home, got the side plate off, with very light surface rust on some peices, scrubbed it off real quick like and BAM! now all i need is the rear sight leaf which ill hopefully get by next tuesday.

I think I may have made out like a bandit!

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after the cleaning!

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The recessed cylinder and the lockup, timing and all that was what sold me on it to take the chance. I'm real glad i did.

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Congratulations! Yeah, I think you made out like a bandit. :-)

I had a similar experience several years ago with a Lew Horton 624. It had evidently been fired and then stored in a closet for many years. When my LGS had it for sale, it looked terrible: very dirty and dusty, the stainless steel was dull, and the finish was flaking off the grips...but there were no dings or dents in it, and no scratches, and it was only $350!

I got it home and like you, I disassembled and cleaned it, and then stripped and refinished the grips. After polishing it with Simichrome, it looks at least as good as new.

Amazing what a little elbow grease can do, isn't it? :-)

Yes, the external finish is pretty good, but it could look better, i may polish it up, but i had just sold a pristine, and i mean pristine 66-2 4" yesterday for $625 and now i got this -1.
May leave the finish as is for now an not pretty her up just cause when i had the pristine one, it was kind of a chore making sure it stayed that way.

Seems like the pawn shop saw the rust and broken sight and super low balled the poor guy that brought it in, and just got lucky i guess.

Nice find, and a good job restoring it.

Since you put it out here - why did you get rid of all your S & Ws?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The first line of your post confuses and alarms me: I had just gotten rid of all my smiths...

Nice Model 66!

Nice, but honestly $400 could have bought a better starting gun. It's a shame someone let a P&R 66-1 go down the tubes like that.

well, i got rid of the first smith as a decision to make my handgun collection be more well rounded. I had a glock and two model 66's, a 2.5" and 4" 66-2(pristine, picture is of that pristine 4") The 4" pristine was by far the favorite of the two. So i sold the 2.5" to buy a the SA loaded also pictured. So my handgun collection had all the bases covered. Glock, 1911, model 66

Well, my friend talked me into an Ak-47 and i was hoping to get a used one for $450, but ended up with a new one $598 out the door. So i made two swift sales of the model 66 and a ruger 10/22 to fund the ak, and give me some money for hopefully a really nice j-frame.
Why i sold the 66, well I'm hoping to be getting on with local sheriffs office for the volunteer force and i already have a glock thats on the approved list, and for them you have to buy your gear including gun. So i wanted to loose the glock first, but i simply couldn't get rid of it for that reason.
There, kinda long winded, but thats whats happened.

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Who said it was a starting gun, this will be the 4th k frame magnum I've owned. This gun is my first that required some work and a little tlc. Also this gun was likely a steal, and i can't wait to get that rear sight leaf in. Yes i know the screw that breaks and i got the leaf and screw on order.

I didn't mean it was your first gun. What I meant was it was in pretty rough shape for $400. I have seen 66's in much better shape go for less than that. In fact I bought a pristine early 66 no dash for $375 recently. Better "starting shape" I guess is how I should have worded it.

ah, well s&w and colt revolvers tend to pull a premium around here. Saw a korth .38spc for $1200

Wow, Tampa must have an amazing Gun Market. $400.00 for that 66-1 is a great deal here in DFW. P&R revolvers command a premium here. Great pickup dude!


Might have to make my way down to Florida....Panama City here I come!

congrats on a great find.

66-1's without rust can be had for around that. Like I said, I got a 66 no dash in great condition recently for $375.

Not dissing anyone's area, but I dont come across too many stainless guns which are as rough as that one was before he cleaned it up nicely.

Well, if you are only going to have one, thats the one to have. Congrats! Regards 18DAI

What did you use to clean the "donuts" from the front of the cylinder? You did a good job even if they do come back after shooting.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Nice work. The ones that need a little extra attention make them more "yours".

I got a 10-5 that I've been working on. The original owner was a reserve policeman and stored it In a leather duty rig in the basement and it had a fair amout of surface rust on it. It cleaned up nice with a few small pits, but it a tight rarely fire 5" barrel and shoots great.

parisofthewest

i use a birchwood casey lead removing and polishing cloth, due not that its only intended for stainless guns and will ruin blued finishes, they make a different one for your blued guns.

well if the rust was on the external finish, that would have effected my decision greatly.

I'm in louisiana, and high end revolvers command a premium around these parts as well.

In the OKC market that would have been a good buy. 66s are just darned hard to come by in this neck of the woods, in any condition!

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13