66-8 2.75" VS 66 any dash 3"

[Printrep]

I have a 66-8 2.75" that I specifically set up for carry. I'm in the fixed sight camp so I went with a fixed C&S CS0123RU Extreme Duty U Notch Fixed Rear Sight and a XS Sights #RV-0001N-4 - Standard Dot Front Sight. Sight acquisition is similar to my other semi's and works for me. Changed a few cosmetic pieces like the thumb piece/release & side plate screws to glass beaded finish ones and had a gunsmith perform a carry action job.

 

[MG-70]

I have a 66-8 2.75" that I specifically set up for carry. I'm in the fixed sight camp so I went with a fixed C&S CS0123RU Extreme Duty U Notch Fixed Rear Sight and a XS Sights #RV-0001N-4 - Standard Dot Front Sight. Sight acquisition is similar to my other semi's and works for me. Changed a few cosmetic pieces like the thumb piece/release & side plate screws to glass beaded finish ones and had a gunsmith perform a carry action job.

View attachment 510958

Perfect setup! I may eventually buy one of these, and if I do, I'll set it up exactly the same way, except for an orange contour around the front tritium. The 66-8 comes with decent grips, but I happen to like the Hogues on yours and have the same pair on a Model 64 3".

Thanks for posting!

ETA, I appreciate the silver cylinder release, and think both it and a beefed up/reinforced ejection rod should be silver and not black as they currently come from factory!

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I say get the 66-8 because that will be one less person outbidding me for a 3" 65.

 

[robert1804]

Big fan of the 66-8's, I have a 4"and the 2.75". Both had very smooth actions from new. Both are very accurate. To eliminate the flat on the bottom of the barrel shank on the older K frames, they had to do away with the gas ring on the cylinder. That eliminates the source of the barrel cracking the older K frame magnums. The absence of the gas ring does allow fouling between the yoke barrel and the cylinder to build up and the cylinder can start to bind up. It's easy enough to clean, though.

 

[AlphaSig]

Own an '04 Hi-Viz Davidson's Special 66-6, 3" and have been practicing at the range and now I'm as good with it as I am with my 686-3, 4 1/2"... Mostly shoot .38 special 158gr FMJ and it's size is great for CC...imo good looking smith check it out...good luck choosing...btw this has a 3 1/4" barrel...product code 162720.

 

[CQB60]

You've narrowed your options to two fine choices. Since the majority of your shooting will be with 38 ammo which limits risk to the 65 forcing cone, I'd say go for a 65. Your challenge may actually be finding a 65 3" at a reasonable price? For the record, I own both of those choices & I enjoy them both. If I had to choose between them, again the 65. Good luck

 

[bigfatty]

I had a 66-8 with the worst trigger I'd ever gotten on a new revolver. I had a Model 19 Carry Comp with a great trigger (of course, that's a PC gun). The finish is blued, but unpolished. I have a 66 no dash well broken in that has an incredible action, but I'm unsure about carrying it due to the trigger stop. My 66-1 has a target trigger -- serrated triggers for carry are, to me a no-no. It is also like new, and the trigger is smooth but heavy. Probably doable, if not for the serrated trigger.

My Model 19-3 (blued) is nice all around, and I really should carry it. TBH, when I carry a revolver, it is either my Model 10-8 4" heavy barrel in nickel (BB or Underwood 158's +P), or my 586 L-Comp. I prefer the L-Comp with Barnes TAC-XPD 125 grain 357's, 1200 FPS from a 2" barrel.

The thing that has scared me off more than anything else from carrying any of my vintage .357 K frames is that I like 125 grain magnums, and you have to practice with your carry ammo.

If I had it all to do over again, I would get a 2.75" 66-8 and have a carry action job done on it, with a Wolff regular power mainspring and an extended firing pin

 

[snowman.45]

I have a 2.75" 66-8 and a 3" 66-2. While I think the 66-2 is a beautiful revolver and shoots quite well, I think the 66-8 is equally beautiful (in a different sort of way). The 66-2 tends to be a safe queen as it was an old duty gun that goes with my 66-2 4". The 66-8 shoots great and gets carried a lot. I intend to put the C&S fixed sights with the XS dot soon.

 

[Stephanie B]

I have a 66-8 on the way; the goal is to retire the two K-frames that I usually carry (a 3" 65-2 and a nickeled 2.5" 19-4). My reasoning is about the same as others: Current support from the mothership and the ability to fire .357s without qualms.

If I like the gun a lot, herd reduction may be in the offing.

 

[SLT223]

Just put one of these on it

Extreme Duty Fixed Sights and Sight Sets - Cylinder & Slide - Handguns parts and accessories

 

[Stephanie B]

I have a 66-8 on the way; the goal is to retire the two K-frames that I usually carry (a 3" 65-2 and a nickeled 2.5" 19-4). My reasoning is about the same as others: Current support from the mothership and the ability to fire .357s without qualms.

And it's back at the mothership. This was the first target shot, with the rear sight untouched. The group was shot from a rest at 25':

With the group shooting to point-of-aim, again from a rest, this was the position of the rear sight:

I sent the photo of the target group in with the letter of explanation.

So we shall see...

 

[smithman]

It's not always the gun. For years I thought I kept getting revolvers that shot to the left. When I accumulated a pile of S&Ws with rear sights fully cranked for the right, it dawned in me…I was the problem. But, I'm very repeatable in my error

 

[Stephanie B]

It's not always the gun. For years I thought I kept getting revolvers that shot to the left. When I accumulated a pile of S&Ws with rear sights fully cranked for the right, it dawned in me…I was the problem. But, I'm very repeatable in my error

I understand that point. But I have several fixed-sight Smiths that shoot to point of aim. The adjustable sights on my 15-3 and 686-1 are centered in windage. And I was shooting the 66-8 from a braced position and single-action.

So I'm fairly confident that it wasn't me.

 

[Shark Bait]

I shot a friend's earlier model 66 with a 3 inch barrel a few years ago and his rear sight had to be cranked all the way to the right too. My 66-8 doesn't have that problem. It shoots quite well. I like the VZ round butt grips on it.

66-8 on top, 69 on bottom:

 

[jem102]

I recently acquired a 66-8 and it has been a champ right out of the box. Gave it a good clean and lube and off to the range. 110's, 125's, 148 WC's, 158's; .38, .38+P or .357 all shot POA and never touched the sights. Trigger was smooth from the start but "seemed" a little heavy at first. By the time round 50 was down the tube I was actually amazed at how nice the trigger had become, no creep and a sharp break. The pistol is quite accurate with what ever I feed it. I don't have any concerns with fragility of the adjustable sights but I appreciate those that have listed the part numbers from C&S and XS as this is the setup that came on my Night Guard and I have found them to be very quick for these old eyes of mine.
About two months in now with the 66-8 as my EDC in either a cross draw (I spend a lot of time behind the wheel) or speed scabbard from K.L. Null and charged with Federal .357 130gr. Hydra-Shoks. I really like this pistol with the sole exception it's a little heavy...

 

[Stephanie B]

And it's back at the mothership.

I received it. The repair ticket says that they adjusted the barrel alignment and repaired the yoke.

Range trip TBD.

 

[Stephanie B]

The range trip was a failure. I got the gun sighted in, shooting several three-shot groups. If I did my part, the groups were very tight.

But then I shifted from shooting very slowly from a rest (single-action) to shooting from a stance, double action. I was not cranking the rounds out rapidly, at best, at timed-firing pace. On about the third cylinder, it jammed up on the third or fourth shot. I got the cylinder open, none of the fired rounds had high primers. I reloaded, same thing. After checking it and replacing the fired rounds, it jammed on the second shot.

The B/C gap looks to be extremely tight. There is no endshake.

My gut-feeling is that they turned in the barrel and shroud to correct the cant. That might have made the gap too tight.

I'll clean the gun up tomorrow and contact Customer Service. I am disappoint.

 

[stansdds]

A too small of a barrel-cylinder gap can certainly tie up a revolver. The ideal gap is 0.006". I have run Dan Wesson 357's, which have the removable barrel, I experimented with gaps of less than 0.006". At 0.003", the minimum recommended for any revolver, unburned powder granules would bind between the barrel and cylinder. Fouling was less of an issue at 0.004" and not an issue at 0.005". This testing was performed with full power 357 Magnum ammo.

 

[Stephanie B]

It's on its way back for a look-see.

 

[Stephanie B]

And it's back at the mothership. This was the first target shot, with the rear sight untouched. The group was shot from a rest at 25':

With the group shooting to point-of-aim, again from a rest, this was the position of the rear sight:

I sent the photo of the target group in with the letter of explanation.

So we shall see...

The gun came back in November. The sights were better, it took me only a click in windage to get them to where I wanted.

But the gun would not run. When I started firing it double-action, after the second or third cylinder-full, it locked up. I could not pull the trigger through. It took some pressure to open the cylinder; none of the primers were high. I was shooting FMJ practice ammo (W-W white box). This happened three times in a row.

I sent the gun back. It came back to me three days ago, with notes that they had adjusted the yoke, the ejection rod and the hand.

I took it to the range yesterday. Pretty much the same thing, except that it took four cylinders of cartridges for the problem to resurface. I was shooting it at about the pace that I would in a USPSA match; not slow, not overly fast.

I shot a video of one of the attempts. As you can see, I got off two rounds and then the gun wouldn't cycle.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol9jYyRfc8c[/ame]

We've got a blizzard coming in, so I'll clean up the gun and pack it up, again. I'll contact S&W CS next week. This will make three times in for repair for a gun with less than 200 rounds through it. I'm thinking of asking them to send me another gun or buy it back.