Best Revolver? Model 19, Your thoughts and opinions

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Toblerra

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Hey all,

It's been a while since I have posted and would like to share some thoughts and gather some opinions on one of my favorite forums.

I currently own two Smiths a no dash 586 and a recently acquired 686+ 3". I love these guns but recently was out shooting with my Dad who brought along the only handgun I ever shot as a kid, his 6" model 19-4, it may be a 19-5 but anyway I absolutely loved the way that K frame felt in my hands compared to the beefier L frames I own.

Long story short I've been searching for a k frame since and just recently found out that my dad had purchased a model 19-6 4" that he intends to give me. I am very excited though I don't have the gun yet I will be posting pics when I get it. It's in excellent shape and he paid a pretty penny for it around $800. Prices have really gone up on these! It's a round butt and still has the case hardened parts, no MIM from what I researched and no lock.

Now here's where I want your opinions, I love my 586 (which I bought as an affordable alternative to a Colt Python, then ended up keeping as a safe queen), but I honestly think that I will love this one even more because I intend to shoot the heck out of it. I have read up on all the history about Bill Jordan and of course the famed problems with the k frames cracking at the forcing cone due to 125 gr .357 loads but I reload and don't intend to push the limits with this gun.

So, what are your thoughts?

What do you think about the model 19 in general compared to S&W's other popular revolvers?

Is the 19 the best all around Revolver they ever made?

What dash 19 do you think is the best they produced, i.e. 19 no dash (combat Magnum), 19-4, 19-3? Include pics and stories of your experience with this gun if you want. Let's revive some discussion about this classic.
 
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I have a Model 19-5 with a 4" barrel, I also own four L frames in various barrel lengths that shoot 357. As much as I love my L frames, I will take my 19 to the grave with me. Sure it has some holster wear on the blueing and a couple of dings on the cylinder but I when I fired it for the first time I was instantly smitten. Such a well balanced revolver that is an absolute pleasure to shoot.
 
I was turned off to the m19/357 in the 70's when they said a steady diet of 357mag loads the m19 would hammer itself apart. I went with a colt Python. I lately leaned more towards the m27/28 in 357 mag. I do like the k38/k22.
 
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It was that same balance that struck me as the biggest difference between the L frame and the model 19. Even though the 19 had a 6" barrel it just felt more natural to me a bit lighter too.
 
The model 19/66 is the best shooting revolver of all time. The balance is unbeatable. Especially with a 6" barrel. Everything else is a compromise.

IMG_1105-XL.jpg



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The 686 L-frame guns would be a good compromise, except the awful full lug barrels ruin their balance. Especially with the 6" barrel.

All JMHO, of course.
 
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I agree with you on that shinbone, although I have to admit that the full underlug looks good to me though, I still think the best looking revolver is the Python which is more or less the same size as the 586 with vents. That being said, the balance just isn't the same as the k frame for me, it's just too much steel/weight for the .357 IMO.

Thanks for the pics!
 
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The 19 is, imho, prettier and maybe balanced better. that being said the L-frame will stand up to pounding that the K-frame will not. of course if you don't plan to pound it that would not be an issue. I don't blast full power loads out of my 19 snubbie.
 
My Model 19-3 with 6-inch barrel is the handgun, both semi's and revolvers, that I shoot better than any other handgun that I've ever shot. Overall, in my opinion, the Model 19 is the best handgun ever made.

God bless,
Birdgun
 
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The M19/M66 probably is the best all-around handgun ever built. Don't ever hesitate to purchase a 19-5 or 19-6, or, for that matter, a later 66-2. During the 1980's (I was there and I was grown) Smith & Wesson started using the Target Trigger and Target Hammer with a high frequency. I am referring to the really wide target parts. . .not the "sort of" TT and TH. Also, the Combat Grips were readily available. The prettiest revolvers were made by them during this decade. You might not get P&R, but that has no effect on the function or appearance of the gun. The prettiest gun I own is a 19-5 from 1985. The most durable and functional is a 66-2 from 1983. Neither is P&R. Both have the 4 and 1/4 inch barrel. The 19-5 is in Nickel, and that sure doesn't hurt the appearance or value of the gun. I actually prefer the 6 inch barrel (have a couple of those too) since it is better for all-around use. The extra velocity is significant as is the longer sight radius when used for hunting.
 

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In the late '70s - early '80s I was stationed in Las Vegas. All my buds and I had 6" Model 19s, and we shot them more than was "normal" -- sometimes five days a week for three or four hours. Three of us worked part time in the gun department at a large sporting goods store so our guns and ammo came at a good discount (our part time jobs funded our hobby).

I'd owned a pre-model 29, a blue Model 29, a nickel Model 29, a stainless Model 629, and a nickel Model 57 (8 3/8"). They were okay (alright, the Model 57 was spectacular). One day I was doing the receiving "bill" for the gun store and logged in a blue Model 27 5". I had never felt a more perfectly balanced handgun. It was mine. (Most of the "good" S&Ws never made it into the case.) To this day that is the "best revolver S&W ever made."

Added: we received our first X86 S&Ws during our tenure at the store. We sold them all to customers.
 
I will differ from many here and tell you that i prefer my (3) 686's over my (3) M19's, and if I had to choose between them, I'd keep the 686's and sell the M19's.

I will also tell you that I prefer my M10's/64's and M13's/65's over my M19's.

Also, IMHO, the finest and best "around revolver" ever made is the Ruger Security Six series.
 
For me, if I want to shoot a .357 I want my 4" 28-2. The weight of the large N frame handles the recoil of heavy .357 loads better than any other IMO.
If I want a .38, it's my well worn old 4" 15-2. Best shooting .38 ever made. Smith didn't call it the Combat Masterpiece for nothing.

If I could have only one handgun it would be the 4" 19-4 that I've had forever. Doesn't have as good of a feel in my hand as the 15 and won't shoot heavy loads as well as an N frame but the model 19 Combat Magnum will do it all.

My 6" 586 no dash stays in the safe.
 
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Well, everything is a compromise, but the K frame is a darn good compromise. I can't argue that the Model 19 isn't the best example, but the other K frames are great too.

For one, they are superbly balanced in the hand. My Model 10-10 with the 4" barrel is magic. My Model 65-5 with 3" barrel is not quite so well balanced but she's pretty to look at; 3" barrels just look right. And you can get all sorts of grips for these revolvers, and experiment with which barrel length looks and feels right for you. The versatility of the K frame contributes to its greatness!

That versatility extends to the ammo -- depending on the model. The .38/.357 round is a joy to work with, whether store-bought or handloaded, and you can get everything from mouse-fart 'cowboy' loads to absolutely smoking .357's.

The L frames have virtues, too -- strong enough to withstand prolonged use of 125 grain JHPs at 1500 fps, and heavy enough to tame most of the recoil from those rounds or the heavier 158 grain ones. The L frames are brutes, and I guess they represent a failing of the K frames -- unable to handle lots of hot 125 grain .357's, as everyone points out. Well, that takes us back to the idea of everything is a compromise.
 

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Although I love my Python and the 586/686 L frames the model 19/66 is to me the best feeling revolver ever made.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've shot many S&W revolvers, but only owned three; the first was a M19-3 6", which I shot PPC with, and traded for a M66-1 4" so I could shoot in Service Revolver class. My issue sidearm was initially a M10, but the DOC changed to the M65. This was back in the late-'70s. I kept the M66 until about 12 years ago and sold it, regretting it every day since. I found another M19-3 about a year ago, it was gorgeous; well kept, had an action job, target hammer and trigger, original box and target grips. I paid almost 3 times what I paid for the M19 I bought back in 1977.

The K-frame fits me better, the L and N frames are just a bit too large for my smaller hands and I don't like their balance as well. I like the shorter ejector shroud, it makes the barrel more graceful. If I wanted a full-length shroud, I'd buy a Python :rolleyes:

If the M19 isn't the best revolver ever made, it's pretty darn close.
 

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My 357's-2 N-frames, 4 L's, 7 K's. I like them all. But if you were to pick the best all around gun, with everything considered, it would be tough not to select the 19/66 4 incher. And being stainless, the 66 would get the nod.
 
I think a 3 inch k frame fixed sight is the best looking most versateto me would be a 3 inch adjustable sighted k frame. k frame issues were due to negligence in cleaning. a member here has a model 19 with over 50,000 rounds through it that still looks new
 
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