Found a 3" 66 Today

[BobR1]

I was in a Pawn & Gun today and discovered a 3" 66-2.

Well I went on point. I looked it over pretty well, and was not sure about a couple things.

Model 66-2
Barrel Length 3"
Round Butt

Serial: ANA7530
Left Butt Bottom: 39544 S
Right Butt Bottom: Hex with a 3 in it, 7680, and a Triangle with a T in it.

The Front sight is pined on, and is a Black Partridge Sight. Not the Red Ramp one would expect.

The 3" Barrel seems to have a step up where it attaches to the frame. My 2.5" 66 No Dash does not have this much step up.

The Back Strap is checkered.

Trigger is Smooth and has a Trigger Stop.

It had had Ball Loc added.

Factory or converted to DAO, and has a Bobbed Hammer.

Pro Trigger Job. Way smoother than just a spring swap.


The gun is fairly clean. Looks to have been shot quite a bit, but taken good care of. I did not look at the Forcing Cone. Lock up is OK, but no Bank Vault. No Rust or Corrosion under the Goodyear grips. The Cylinder spins free like it has roller bearings. No signs of much holster carry at all. Looks to me like someone had the Ultimate Carry Revolver built.

Planning on another look tomorrow with trading material with me. I will take a couple sets of wood factory grips with me to check the Frame to Grip fit. It is a 60 mile drive to the gun shop, so it will either come home with me tomorrow or someone else will own it.

I am a shooter and not a collector, so the Ball Loc, Checkering, etc are not a problem for me.


Bob

 

[BobR1]

Looking at pictures on the Ultimate 19/66 Thread.
Looks like the Barrel to Frame Step could be correct on a 3" 66-2. Looks like the 3" 66's have both a long and short sight base depending on Dash Number.
I did not get a handle on which dash numbers had a Pinned front sight.

Thought about trading my 2-1/2" 66 No Dash on it for a couple minutes. I think my LCR-357 with XS 24/7 front sight might be a better choice for trading material. I quit carrying it when I got my 442 Pro Moonclip.

Bob

 

[410bore]

all collector value has diminished with the mods but if the price is right, you will have one hell of a shooter/ccw gun

 

[C Broad Arrow]

How about a couple of pictures!

 

[smokey]

Thought about trading my 2-1/2" 66 No Dash on it for a couple minutes. I think my LCR-357 with XS 24/7 front sight might be a better choice for trading material. I quit carrying it when I got my 442 Pro Moonclip.
Bob

I would forget about trading anything in, and just buy it, unless you just like giving your guns away for a 3rd of their real value.

 

[ladder13]

Bob, call S&W with serial #, they can tell you when it was made and the configuration.

 

[BobR1]

The 66 came home with me today.

Serial: ANA7530
Model: 66-2
Barrel Length: 3"
Grip: Round Butt
Front Sight: Partridge (Looks Factory Original )
Rear Sight: Adjustable with Black Blade (Not White Outline)
Hammer: Factory DAO Forged
Trigger: Factory Forged Smooth with Stop

Custom Work:
Checkered Back Strap
Ball Loc
Trigger Job
Chamfered Chambers
Not sure if it is factory DAO or converted with factory DAO
parts.

It does not look to have ever been an issued Police gun. It is way to clean. Safe Queen Clean

It is missing the Grip Cross Pin. I will need to come up with one of them shortly so I can install my grips.

I have a set of original S&W Combats off a 1982 Round Butt that should be perfect for the old Girl.

I had a very good day today, I also brought home a 4" 686-5 that is clean as a pin.

It gets better. I stopped by a shooting buddys shop on the way home. I brought out my 2 Smiths to show him. He opened the desk drawer and brought out a very possibly unfired 2" 15-4 Square Butt. I told him if he ever decided to sell it, to let me know. He told me he had bought it cheap, and did not need a collector piece for his shop drawer gun. He told me to come up with a shooter grade Round Butt 38 or 357 and he would trade with me. He wanted his round butt laser grips to fit my trade gun.

What a day.

If anyone has a spare Grip Pin or knows what to use for one, let me know.
If someone wants pictures, I can e-mail them for you to post. I do not post pictures so far.

Bob

 

[snw19_357]

ANA7xxx is a correct range for one of the 3" 66-2 and they did have pinned front sight blades. I suspect the Patridge was added later but it would be easy enough to do.

It should be from 1986 so a call to S&W CS would confirm the barrel length and they'd give you the product code and date.

 

[BobR1]

SNW 19 357
Pictures are on the way to you.

Bob

 

[C Broad Arrow]

Some guys have all the luck! Great find!

 

[tekarra]

What a find! Checkered backstrap and trigger stop, never seen one like that. Hope you will post photos.

 

[nipster]

The Back Strap is checkered.

Ribbed, not checkered

Trigger is Smooth and has a Trigger Stop.

Factory or converted to DAO, and has a Bobbed Hammer.

Odd that it has a trigger stop, and has been converted to DAO. Bizzare actually!

My 66-2 4" had the stop removed at some point, but the frame is cut for it.

 

[410bore]

Ribbed, not checkered

.

he said it had custom work done and the backstrap is now checkered.

 

[ladder13]

Bob, call S&W with serial #, they can tell you when it was made and the configuration.

Or, you could just ask Chris

 

[BobR1]

I am sure the Back Strap Checkering, Trigger Job, Ball Loc and Chamfered Chambers were done by a very good Gunsmith.

I believe the Partridge front Sight is Factory. The pin is perfect, and bead blasted on both ends to match the side of the front sight ramp. It also has a Black Blade on the rear sight. I believe White Outline is the common back sight.

DAO good question. It was done with Factory S&W DAO parts. It could have came that way, or it could have been converted. This is just a guess without a letter.

I have 3 Power Custom Combat Revolvers, done by Ron Power. I also have a Custom Colt 1911. I have an idea what gunsmith work costs. My best guess would be between $250 and $350 in Custom Work done 20 Plus years ago. That would be around $250 to $275 if it were a factory DAO revolver, and bring that up to $350 if it was converted using new parts.
I may try and track down the previous owner for some history. My guess is the original owner who had the work done is probably in a Cemetary, and not available for comment.
I seriously doubt that the person who had the Ultimate Carry Revolver built sold it.

Bob

 

[GerSan69]

Ball Loc????

 

[gumpys]

Yes the prefix ANA is correct and it is a Ashland gun. As others pointed out the the extra work mainly the DAO, checkered backstrap dimished all collector value, but if you like it and and got a good price on it, you did well for a real nice shooter for yourself.
Eric

 

[snw19_357]

Here's some pictures of Bob's 3" 66-2

 

[dfariswheel]

Going out on a limb here, I'll say the front and rear sights are not factory.
I've personally never seen or heard of a factory standard 2 1/2" or 3" Model 66 with Patridge front, and the rear sight is a non-typical higher blade to match the Patridge Target front.

I'd suspect the sights were also a non-factory custom alteration.
It sort of looks like a gun built for "snubby" matches that were shot with short barrel revolvers.
The most popular gun for those matches were S&W "K" and "L" frames and in matchers that allowed altered guns, you saw target type sights.

I'll also hazard that the hammer and trigger are replacements. The Dash 2 S&W Model 66 had the hard chrome plated parts and these are standard model type color case hardened.

In any case, a great 3" M-66 and a fantastic defense gun.

 

[Texas Star]

What does the ball lock on the yoke fit into? I can't see far enough up on the frame to tell.