Smith and Wesson model 19-3 snub nose

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Justus1213

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Hello I'm new to the forum and first time gun owner of a S&W and i recently purchased a smith and Wesson model 19-3 snub nose nickel plated .357 magnum I'll try to make a long story short so bear with me. I wanted a colt python I've always loved revolvers and wanted a .357 mag to be my first gun so I sought out the python after I discovered it, that and the walking dead had a lot to with it but the prices for one of those IF you can find one can send a man into shock. Needless to say I tracked two down at my local gun/pawnshop and fell in love with her but once I saw the price I knew I couldn't get it anytime soon no matter how hard I tried so I would keep coming in for the next few weeks not just to keep staring at the beautiful crafted piece but because I also like they're revolver section and they have great costumer service to add with that. After some asking I was leaning toward the S&W 586 but didn't want to deal with a blued gun so I sought for a 686 as I was getting a job as a security guard, and wanted to carry my own firearm but couldn't make up my mind on which one to pick so finally one of the owners showed me the S&W model 19-3 once I held it and felt how well balanced it was I liked it and even the store owner said that gun fits me very well so after a couple more weeks of during as much research as I could find on the firearm I think it will do just fine for my first gun so I went back and put money down on it and am waiting to go pick it up so what I want to ask is since not only is it my first Firearm but my first nickel gun I've handle and wanted to know has anyone owned a S&W model 19-3 snub before and what do you have to say about it and two what's the best kind of nickel gun cleaner I can use on it for the outside and inside of the gun? Be my first time cleaning a gun I heard not to use hopes as it will damage the nickel over time I've heard flitz and mother polish works the best any suggestions or guidance for a new gun owner?
 
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I have a nickel 19-4. Unless the finish needs polished I just wipe it off with a clean rag. I use standard gun cleaning chemicals just as I would with blued or stainless guns. Nickel is not delicate.
 
Ashlander said:
I have a nickel 19-4. Unless the finish needs polished I just wipe it off with a clean rag. I use standard gun cleaning chemicals just as I would with blued or stainless guns. Nickel is not delicate.
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What 357 loads do you use I heard some can crack the forcing cone model 19 were know for that any you would suggest
 
It's the full power 125 grain magnum rounds that do the damage. If you stick with 158 grain standard .357 Magnum rounds, you'll be fine. By the way, when S&W introduced the K-frame magnums, the accepted knowledge is that the company presumed shooters would generally practice with .38 Special (80/20 ratio in favor of .38 Special). That makes sense -- the Model 19 (66) was not all that much beefier than the Model 15 (67) -- they mostly just added a little weight to help manage the recoil. The difference between the 10 (64) and the 13 (65) is even less.
 
Ashlander said:
I have a nickel 19-4. Unless the finish needs polished I just wipe it off with a clean rag. I use standard gun cleaning chemicals just as I would with blued or stainless guns. Nickel is not delicate.
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^^^^^^^
This...

Enjoy your 19 snubbie! It's my favorite revolver.
 

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158 gr. JSP's. They run very well through 19's. Anything hotter can cause forcing cone problems in K-frame .357's.
 
I recently picked up a nickel Model 37 from 1976 with a few surface scratches, but in great shape otherwise. Using Mother's Mag Wheel Polish, and a soft cotton tee shirt I sat in front of the TV and softly applied the Mother's for about an hour. When I finished the gun looked brand new again (whish I could post pics but don't know how). Another coat of liquid car wax and this is a real show piece.
 
Nice gun, I would have gone for the 586 as a duty gun however. If possible go back and get that one too.
 
I heard most cops carried the model 19 as a duty gun so I figured for my first gun start off with something simple and get use to it then go for bigger I would love the 586 but I don't like the locks smith puts on them something I would look over for the right price if I come by again other wise I would love to find a pre lock one also was considering a ruger gp100 6 inch as a substitute for the python but it was a bit heavy but a nice gun
 
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And how is taking care of a blue gun I heard it's difficult and rust easier, seems like stainless and now nickel is the way to go luckily the 586 comes in nickel so I'll have to be on the look out for one of those.
 
I had one in the early seventies. One of the sheriffs in my area of responsibility called and was in need of a handgun. I let him have my 2 1/2" nickel 19 which he carried until his death by natural causes. His son still has it. For some reason, I never replaced it.

To my way of thinking, you have one of the nicest 19 variations ever produced. Enjoy,

Jack
 
The blued guns show bluing wear on the edges and contact points with holsters after a lot of wearing (especially around the muzzle). It's part of the charm. Wipe them down with an oily rag every now and then and after each range trip and rust should not be a problem.

One hint though -- if you cut your hand, don't bleed on a blued finish. It strips it like nobody's business.
 
Hoppe's can cause the nickel to peel. It was developed to clean the bullet plating out of the bore of a gun. If it can get to the copper under the nickel it eats the copper away and the nickel peels off. I've used Ballistol for years and really like it.
 
Posts are easier to read when more periods, less randmly inserted, are included.

I have a bunch of Model 19s, from 2 1/2 to 6", blue and nickel. Stay away from 125 grains, which hurt like hell on the shooter's end, too. A 2 1/2 incher is best fed a diet of +P .38 specials. It is then easier to control, thus lending itself to faster and more accurate shooting. In short-barrel .357s, a fair amout of velocity is lost; one of our Gurus can tell you how many FPS per inch that may be. If you must use hot .357 in a model 19 with a 2 1/2 or 4" barrel, keep in mind that at short range, all of the powder will not have been burned prior to exiting the muzzle. This is actually an advantage, as, at short range, you may set your adversary afire.:cool:
 
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