Just bought a 1980-vintage Model 66-1 with a 2 1/2” barrel. It belonged to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy. His daughter said he carried it when he was a detective. It looks like he took pretty good care of his duty weapons. And the trigger feels like someone has been in there. The DA breaks at a very clean 8 1/2 pounds. Accuracy was superb with +P .38s out to 25 yards.

I had a 66-5, but the -1 was more appealing so I sold the -5 to pay for the -1. That’s not too crazy, is it?

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Beautiful specimen with a cool history. I would have dumped a 2.5” -5 for a -1 in heartbeat. Good call

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213th FBINA

I had an older neighbor years ago also a retired LASD man who also carried the same in plain clothes. Nice catch!

Not crazy at all.

Bought my 2.5" -1 new in 1978. I still have it after thousands of rounds through it. Original stocks are put away. Box was thrown in the trash over 40 years ago.

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Over the past 50+ years of collecting handguns, it would be scary to know how many Smith and Wesson boxes in the 70's and 80's I threw in the trash after buying a new gun and also putting rubber grips on it after selling or swapping the original wood stocks to a buddy for $2 or $3. Makes me sad to think of it. Should have listen to my wise old Dad who said don't ever throw anything away; it might be worth something some day. Hard to beat a vintage 2 1/2" 66, especially a prior LE model. Enjoy it in good health.

"I had a 66-5, but the -1 was more appealing so I sold the -5 to pay for the -1. That’s not too crazy, is it? "

Not Crazy in the least. The 2 & 1/2" model 19 - 66 are two of the finest handguns ever produced. Both are small and light enough to carry, but Both feel and shoot like real gun. I am lucky enough to have several of each. And I will not get rid of any of them. "From my cold dead hands."

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Always Stay Strong!

Unsolicited comment: IMHO, the dash 1 was the peak development of the Model 66 variants… any glitches in the no dash taken care of but none of the cost cutting of the latter issues. Trade a dash 5 for a dash 1? In a New York nanosecond! Well done, well done indeed.
Froggie

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My 66 no dash. Belonged to a Cleveland cop. I've got the shoulder holster it was carried in too.

My 66-1 also belonged to a CA Deputy Sherriff. It was finish challenged. I chose to have it bead blasted and slicked up like the factory Combat Revolver Package. To me it’s perfect. My buddy paid $1K for one LNIB. He wants to polish it up bright stainless.

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The dealer in Dayton who sold mine to me had gone to the big gun smithing school in Colorado. He told me to run 100-200 rounds through it and give it back to him so he could do a trigger job on it. I did the high polish job on it, which was very common in the 70's. I had to install some Brownell shims in it to take up some end shake about 20 years ago. It has one of the sweetest triggers of any of my S&W's, and it is very accurate. I keep it loaded with 180 grain Black Talons.