6 1/8" Model 66-1

[Sgt 127]

So, a very good friend of mine gave me a Model 66-1 for Christmas. Jokingly, he refered to it as a "kit gun" as is had some endshake issues and some carry up problems, and, he knows I like to tinker. Stretched the yoke, trued it up, installed and fitted an oversized hand a few little touches here and there, and, it great.

Flipping through the S&W Book..."The Book" (second edition, my third edition is in my office at work, and, I really don't feel like getting it right now), I find its made around 1978. 41K25XX.

I notice in the beginning of the section on variations, it states that a "Small group made in the 1970's with a 6 1/8" barrel. The nominal 6" barrel is actually closer to 5 7/8"."

So, I get out the steel rule and measure it. From the front of the cylinder to the end of the barrel is indeed 6 1/8". If I hadn't read that little tid bit of information, I would never have realized that there was a difference. I wonder how many are out there? (I'm pretty sure I measured it right. Pardon the crappy pictures, its raining outside and this is the best I could do on the dining room table)

 

[Flint Ridge]

Gave!? He gave it to you? Wow that is amazing. I need new friends.

That is a good looking gun there. What is the story behind it?

Certainly looks closer to an eigth over vs under.

 

[Sgt 127]

Gave!? He gave it to you? Wow that is amazing. I need new friends..

We gave each other guns for awhile. Finally, I told him I needed to drop out of the game, I was going broke.

I think it started when he mentioned he always wanted to build up an old school PPC gun. I had just picked up a couple old Police trade in Model 15's cheap, so, I gave him one. He took it to a really good gunsmith we know and had a killer PPC gun built out of it.

Then he gave me a Marlin .22 Mag rifle.

A little later a nice old Police 681.

When he retired, we had a party at my house, I gave him a nickel 29 with cutom grips and a nickel silver buttplate that I made with our mini badge and his initials. One of his other friends ordered him an El Paso Austin holster for it. He retired just a little before Christmas a few years ago. I finally thought I was going to stay ahead for awhile.

Unknown to me, he had ordered me an El Paso Saddlery Austin Style holster and cartridge belt for a 4" N frame (He specifically had that nickel 29 in mind when he ordered it for me) for Christmas, and, it hadn't come in yet. The last time he had been over, he got my wife to sneak into my clost and get one of my belts to get the waist right.

So, that year for Christmas, I got a 4" 629 AND an El Paso rig. To further one up me, he had Grasshorn stag grips AND my name, rank, badge number and our department engraved on the gun...

I also sold him a few guns at pretty decent prices that he had been looking for. A Model 58 an a 6" 27 and an old M1 Carbine. But, there is no question, I am still way in the hole....His kids grown and moved out, I'm still stuck with both of mine, so, I told him, I gotta drop out of the arms race, I can't win.

The reason he bought me this gun is because a while back, I bought an old Speed Safety holster at the Dallas gun show from Bob Bettis. I mentioned that I had reached the point of no return as I was now buying holsters and then finding a gun to fit them as I did not OWN a 6" K frame....

 

[hsguy]

Here is a photo of one next to a "normal" 6".

 

[fran m]

Can you please post a picture of it without the ruler showing? I never saw one of these before. I see its pinned. I'm wondering if it could possibly have been rebarreled.


Edit. Thanks for the picture. Cool gun.

 

[Sgt 127]

Its even darker now, the chances of a decent picture are fading...Let me try tomorrow. I don't really think theres any chance its been rebarreled though. Serial number, dash number and year all pretty much make me think its original..

Thanks for the photo of the two together, I don't own another 6" K frame. It is certainly obvious when they are laid together like that.

Wonder how many FPS I'll gain out of that extra 1/4"

 

[Flint Ridge]

We gave each other guns for awhile. Finally, I told him I needed to drop out of the game, I was going broke.

I think it started when he mentioned he always wanted to build up an old school PPC gun. I had just picked up a couple old Police trade in Model 15's cheap, so, I gave him one. He took it to a really good gunsmith we know and had a killer PPC gun built out of it.

Then he gave me a Marlin .22 Mag rifle.

A little later a nice old Police 681.

When he retired, we had a party at my house, I gave him a nickel 29 with cutom grips and a nickel silver buttplate that I made with our mini badge and his initials. One of his other friends ordered him an El Paso Austin holster for it. He retired just a little before Christmas a few years ago. I finally thought I was going to stay ahead for awhile.

Unknown to me, he had ordered me an El Paso Saddlery Austin Style holster and cartridge belt for a 4" N frame (He specifically had that nickel 29 in mind when he ordered it for me) for Christmas, and, it hadn't come in yet. The last time he had been over, he got my wife to sneak into my clost and get one of my belts to get the waist right.

So, that year for Christmas, I got a 4" 629 AND an El Paso rig. To further one up me, he had Grasshorn stag grips AND my name, rank, badge number and our department engraved on the gun...

I also sold him a few guns at pretty decent prices that he had been looking for. A Model 58 an a 6" 27 and an old M1 Carbine. But, there is no question, I am still way in the hole....His kids grown and moved out, I'm still stuck with both of mine, so, I told him, I gotta drop out of the arms race, I can't win.

The reason he bought me this gun is because a while back, I bought an old Speed Safety holster at the Dallas gun show from Bob Bettis. I mentioned that I had reached the point of no return as I was now buying holsters and then finding a gun to fit them as I did not OWN a 6" K frame....

I really need new friends now!

Excellent stories, I am sure it brings both of you more joy than the dollars may have cost.

And the 4" 629 rig is priceless.

 

[hsguy]

Can you please post a picture of it without the ruler showing? I never saw one of these before. I see its pinned. I'm wondering if it could possibly have been rebarreled.


Edit. Thanks for the picture. Cool gun.

Fran, I don't think the gun is rebarreled. I have seen several of these 66-1 6 1/8" guns like mine and they were all pinned.

 

[GF]

Good post, here's a -1 and I'm pretty sure it's the 6 inch or the 5 &7/8th you refer to...

Until your post I didn't know about the 66's with the slightly longer noses!

GF

 

[sub-moa]

Rebarreled ?

Naaaa, I've noticed several over the years too, in fact my 66-1 (42K) 6" is every bit of 6 1/8" as well.

Thread hasn't been going a full day yet and there are already 3 of us here with 'em, I'd imagine more will follow.

I would like to know the full story of the extra 1/4" though ...

 

[eich]

Way I heard it, may be true...or not was that the NRA ruled the 6 1/8 originals were above the 6" limit in competition. So, they cut them back to 5 7/8". I dunno, but the top one below is a 6 1/8". Below that is a lettered 6" no dash model ( most of you know that the 6" started at -1's).

 

[AL Deputy]

AL Deputy

I purchased a 66-2 6" at the Huntsville, AL Gun Show last week . I just put the tape on it...5 7/8" . But it has Night Sights !
KGW

 

[smithfan4152]

I purchased a used 66-1 a friend told me to ask the seller to measure the barrel, since he said there were a few at 6 1/8 long. Turns out it was one of them, so I grabbed it up. I later bought a NIB one, and have since noticed there are more of them, than I ever realized. Don't know how many, but I think there are enough of them, that nobody really pays any attention about the collectible nature of the 6 1/8 barrel.
I had no luck trying to sell my shooter, and thus never tried to sell the NIB one. Someday someone will be looking for one.

 

[sub-moa]

Thanks Eich, figured competition rules were involved somewhere ...

 

[Sgt 127]

Heres a picture without the ruler..
The factory grips ere a little beat up, I need to work on them, but, the smooth Herretts I had laying around looked pretty classy..

 

[vrichard]

66 no dash,6 1/8 in.bbl.(1975)

 

[hsguy]

Rebarreled ?

Naaaa, I've noticed several over the years too, in fact my 66-1 (42K) 6" is every bit of 6 1/8" as well.

Thread hasn't been going a full day yet and there are already 3 of us here with 'em, I'd imagine more will follow.

I would like to know the full story of the extra 1/4" though ...

I lettered one of these guns and Roy said there was some concern about pending gun control measures restricting guns under 6" and the extra bit was added to prevent possible problems. Four inch guns that were normally 3 7/8" also gained 1/4" also. Roy also related, although not in the letter, that he took a bunch of these guns down to Hattiesburg, MS for a police competition and the rules stated that the guns used had to be 6" or under. Another gun company at the match fiqured out the guns were 1/8" too long and that caused a huge problem for S&W..

 

[sub-moa]

Thank you as well John:

I assumed the competition aspect but hadn't considered the gun control possibility you mention, interesting...

I can't imagine S&W knuckling under to gun control advocates...uhmmm, never mind ...

 

[sqhead]

add another one,just mea. mine and i have the 6 1/8 barrel too,66-1,p&r. guess they are everywhere,i would have had no clue but not for this thread,thanks ,you learn alot here.