My Smith & Wesson Model 19-3 snub-nose

MagnumForce73

MagnumForce73

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OK, so I've mentioned this gun before, but since I was going out to the range today with my parents, I figured I'd take a few pics of it and show it off. According to the serial number, this particular specimen was manufactured in 1975. Don't let the rough finish fool you, either; the action is solid.
 

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That lady has seen some action. I don't think I've ever seen a set of stocks from a '70s gun worn that badly. I've got a 4" M19-3 the same age as yours (1974), and a RB snubbie M66-1 (1980) that I carry quite a bit. I love shooting it. What's the history of your gun? Service backup, wartime carry, just rode hard and put up wet?
 
Hair Trigger said:
That lady has seen some action. I don't think I've ever seen a set of stocks from a '70s gun worn that badly. I've got a 4" M19-3 the same age as yours (1974), and a RB snubbie M66-1 (1980) that I carry quite a bit. I love shooting it. What's the history of your gun? Service backup, wartime carry, just rode hard and put up wet?
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Forgive me if I recall incorrectly, but my uncle suspected it might have been a law enforcement gun given the way the grips are worn.
 
mauser9 said:
Thanks for sharing. The one I regret letting go the most years back.
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You're welcome. It's been an awesome gun to shoot, though I must also add that it has some difficulty extracting .357 shells, even after multiple cleanings.
 
Kinda looks like honest wear on the grips, and is in line with the metal wear, but almost makes me wonder if someone sanded the high spots and parks of the checkering down a bit at some point.
 
MagnumForce73 said:
Though I must ask: how often did he draw the weapon?
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What???? Grips on Police guns get beat up by things like car doors, seat belts and other "on the job" encounters......... not by the human hand while being drawn. Lots of old police guns show a lot of wear on one side... less or little on the side closest to the body.

But to answer your question probably 2 to 3 times a day... beginning and end of shift; switch holster for off duty carry to and from work..... my Dad was also on the Dept Pistol team... his guns got handled and shot more than most.

By the way............. Nice shooter grade gun...........
 
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A beauty in its own right. Not a thing to be ashamed of at all!
IMO, the grips look sanded down. That's very unusual wear for the entire side to be "worn" down like that. I've sanded grips to eliminate a flaw or two over the years, and they looked just like that when I was done.
 
My Model 19-3, a blued, 4 inch version, is much rougher than that. Mine has freckling, scratches, shiny spots, and the back strap was so rusted and pitted that it looks like it has been stippled. Lock up is good, no corrosion on the internal surfaces, and shoots great, so it's a keeper.
 
stansdds said:
My Model 19-3, a blued, 4 inch version, is much rougher than that. Mine has freckling, scratches, shiny spots, and the back strap was so rusted and pitted that it looks like it has been stippled. Lock up is good, no corrosion on the internal surfaces, and shoots great, so it's a keeper.
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To me, external condition was never a big priority. I just wanted a good, cheap alternative to a Colt Python snub-nose, and based on how the gun's been doing, I'd say it fulfills that role well.
 
One of my favorite S&W revolvers. Congratulations on yours and enjoy it.

My late Father in Law had one (19-3 2.5"), and we enjoyed a lot at the range.
 
MagnumForce73 said:
To me, external condition was never a big priority. I just wanted a good, cheap alternative to a Colt Python snub-nose, and based on how the gun's been doing, I'd say it fulfills that role well.
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You bet, if I ran across one like that even in that 'mature' condition, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat. You don't see those around anywhere at LGS on used shelves.
 
The .357 Combat Magnum snub had an initial small run of 50 units in 1963,
Hard to believe but it wasn't introduced as a standard item until 1966.

Prior to that if you wanted a .357 SW with a barrel shorter than 4" the only option was the Square butt 3.5" N frame pre Model or Model 27.
The SS KT357 appears 8 years later in 1974 about 4 years into Model 66 production.

While the snub K Magnum can seem large compared to today's J frame Magnums and heavy compared to today's J frame airweight Magnums the K frame snub is still my favorite .357 ccw, offering 1 more round capacity than the J Magnum and more control ability and less punishment than the J airweight Magnum.

On a side note while the thought of a 7 shot L frame snub .357 does appeal to me my 6 shot 686 snub just seems much larger to carry, especially in the cylinder.
Perhaps an airweight K frame .357's time has come, or better yet an airweight L frame 7 shot.
 
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Tadeus67 said:
One of my favorite S&W revolvers. Congratulations on yours and enjoy it.

My late Father in Law had one (19-3 2.5"), and we enjoyed a lot at the range.
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I certainly do enjoy it. Of all the handguns I've ever fired, my 19-3 is thus far my favorite.
 
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