Best S&W ever build

[Drail]

The best "carry revolver" is without a doubt the 696. The first year production 696 guns came right out of the box with a very smooth properly fitted action. The next year (1997) the quality went South pretty fast. I have been carrying a 696 dash nothing since 1996 and I have not found anything that carries better and offers more cow bell on target than that 3 in. L frame. The absolute best feeling action I have encountered on a S&W production model is my Model 57 no dash. It is a joy to shoot DA. But it's a lot of steel to hump all day long. Lot of cow bell though. It will make a bowling pin do a triple back flip off the table and slam down poppers hard without much recoil at all.

 

[Iggy]

These are the best carry guns,Really? When is the last time you concealed carried a 6" pre war K or N frame?

I CARRY a 3 1/2" Model 27. The action on that gun is smoother than a mule's nose, but they never BUILT a modern 27 to meet the quality and feel of the old prewar guns.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Best S&W every built? My problem with that is that I'm not Roy Jinks, Jim Supica, John Taffin, Bill Jordan, Jim Cirillo, etc., so I haven't shot enough S&W revolvers to actually KNOW! I have plenty of them, though, so I have some opinions on the ones that I am familiar with.

Truth be told, my favorite S&W is my 2" Model 10 purchased in 1981. Offhand, I think it's a 10-7, BICBW. It locks up as tight as a bank vault and is extremely accurate. Interestingly, because in more recent years I became a cowboy action shooter., I can honestly say those fixed sights work great for me.

So, is there a "better" revolver for me? Too hard to say.

If I had my druthers, which means if I could successfully carry a large gun on my belt every day without freaking out the world when they see it, I might carry that Model 10 (1 of them, anyway, I have 4 similar at last count) or, more than likely my M686+ because it's not much bigger than the M10, has an extra round, and is impressively good looking in shiny stainless steel.

But that begs the question - those are just personal preferences because I don't have a this or a that and haven't shot those other guns. And more's the pity.....

***GRJ***

 

[BobR1]

My vote would go like this:

N Frames:
3.5" M27
4" M25-2 w/Red Ramp front sight.
4" M29
3" M24
2-3/4" M310 Night Guard

L Frame
3" 686-4 Six Shooter
4" 586

K Frame
3" 66-2
3" M19
2" M15
3" M65 Lady Smith
4" M15
2-3/4 M315 Night Guard

J Frame
M49
M640 Pro

Smiths are like Pretty Women, I normally can find something I like about them all.

Bob

 

[mickeyblueyes]

I would agree with that statement !!
" "

Wow that is some shooting iron you got there, is there a chance, any chance at ll I could get in your will?