19-3 for no particular reason.

[Art Doc]

Haven't started a thread in a while. Haven't posted a photo of this gun in a while. Thinking about taking it out and shooting it if the weather cools off a bit. So... there you go. Nothing fancy. Bought it at a show in San Jose, CA around 1989 from the retired agent who had carried it for 19 years. He told me he was a retired federal agent and this was his service pistol and I thought; "Yeah, sure...in nickel?" but I'll be damned if it didn't letter as a fed gun so I guess he was telling the truth. He said it had never been fired with anything except full power 125 JHP Magnum loads and that's all I have shot in it. So much for K frame 357s being destined to break with Magnum ammo. Just realized that I have had it longer than did the agent. How time flies. Paid $185 for it, BTW.

 

[Ga Johnny]

that's a nice'un SP.

 

[Chop]

Wow, neat revolver and a nice bit of history that it letters to US Customs.
Chop

 

[GF]

The -3 designation must have ran for several years. This one is from later that decade...

... and has also digested it's share of 125gr magnums. I've owned it for 20 + years.

Model 19 posts need no excuse to start. Just post a picture and go for it.

GF

 

[woodsltc]

SP...very nice revolver. I'm not a big fan of nickle revolvers or Model 19's in general, however,the exception is ... I do like 2 1/2 inch M-19's. The history of belonging to a retired federal agent is a plus. Again nice gun and thanks for the pics.

Don

 

[Keith Brown]

Neat gun SP, I don't have a nickle 19 anymore, only a polished 66 to fill my need for a shiny one! This is my only 19-3 at the moment, I've had it about 25 years and shot many thousands of rounds through it, even some of the dreaded 125 grainers! I even ran a couple hundred 90 grain pills through it at about 1500 fps or so. Stout guns regardless of what the innernet tells us, a peace officers dream as someone once said.

Keith

 

[VM]

Thanks for sharing SP - cool revolver!

 

[shawn mccarver]

Haven't started a thread in a while. Haven't posted a photo of this gun in a while. Thinking about taking it out and shooting it if the weather cools off a bit. So... there you go. Nothing fancy. Bought it at a show in San Jose, CA around 1989 from the retired agent who had carried it for 19 years. He told me he was a retired federal agent and this was his service pistol and I thought; "Yeah, sure...in nickel?" but I'll be damned if it didn't letter as a fed gun so I guess he was telling the truth. He said it had never been fired with anything except full power 125 JHP Magnum loads and that's all I have shot in it. So much for K frame 357s being destined to break with Magnum ammo. Just realized that I have had it longer than did the agent. How time flies. Paid $185 for it, BTW.

Mr. Saxon:

Congratulations! You have what might be referred to as a "Skeeter Skelton Special," sort of.

Skeeter has written about how he had recommended that US Customs, the agency he was with at the time, purchase the Model 19 in nickel with round butt and three inch barrel. Stainless was not available in the Model 19 at the time of his recommendation, thus nickel was recommended as it is more corrosion resistant than blue.

All of his recommendations were followed except that someone above him in the chain changed the specs to 2 1/2 inch, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Nice gun!

 

[Rugskipper]

SP,
You might try some 158's in that little beauty. I've no doubt its strong enough for the 125's but I've gotten some amazing groups with the heavier bullets; better than I could ever do with the lighter pills.

 

[NJ680]

Makes me miss the model 19's that I carried when I first started my career. I had the 2 3/4, 4, and 6 inch models, all blued. They were great guns...what was I thinking when I sold them?