Hello everyone! I've been lurking on the forum for quite some time, but I just joined today and have already been helped tremendously!
I bought a new 6" 686 .357 Magnum last year, and I have just LOVED that gun! But it's so dang big that carrying it just isn't an option.
So, for the past month I've been keeping my eye out for a nice used model 66 in .357 as a carry gun. Being out of production AND a popular model, these seem to be hard to track down.
Well, I've been growing tired of the hunt, so I made up my mind that this weekend I was going to buy some sort of carry-able .357 magnum whether it was a model 66 or not.
It worked out well, I thought, that this weekend was the Indy 1500 gun show. I figured the gun show might be a good bet. So, I went there Friday and scoured the whole place. I saw one model 66 at the entire show, but it was beat all to heck, and the cylinder had a very worrisome stick to it. That and the fact that they were asking $700 made me take a pass.
At the show I saw a number of other nice revolvers both new and used, but the only one that really caught my eye was the Ruger SP-101. The only size I could see, however, was the 2 1/4" version. I wanted a carry-able .357, but not necessarily a snub-nose that short. So, I left the gun show empty handed.
The next day, Saturday, I got up bright and early, had breakfast at a nice mom and pop sit down place, and then headed to my local gun shop at 9am which is when they open. This store has a huge selection of both new and used guns, but alas no 66's. They had a short barreled 686, which at first I was excited about. But after holding it, it was too big after all. They had a 3" model 60 which I liked at first, but it really ended up feeling too small. I was itching for a K frame or if not a Smith, something with the heft of the SP-101.
I was in luck! They had just gotten in four brand-new 3" barrel Ruger SP-101's, so if I wanted one, I had the pick of the litter. They were also priced exactly what I could have bought a new SP-101 for at the gun show, so I felt like it was more than fair. So, I happily bought one!
The guy at the counter asked if I needed any ammo for it. I told him I would buy some CorBon Powerballs if he had them in stock. He checked, but he had none in .357 magnum. So, I bought the gun only and left.
When I got into my car I decided to call the local pawn shop that was on my way home to see if he had any CorBons in stock for my new .357. He said he had a box on the shelf, so I told him I'd be right over.
When I got there, I decided to browse his collection of used guns, which is small and there is rarely anything of real interest to me there. (I will also mention that I visited his shop three or four days prior to see if he had any 66's in stock, but he didn't...
Today, however, I peered into his case, and I was surprised to see a 4" barrel S&W 66-7 peering right back at me! I looked at the price tag. $499--not bad if it is in as good of condition as it looks!
I asked to see it, and it was indeed a gem. The marks on the front of the cylinder were faint and looked as if this thing had been shot one or two times at most. Also, the cylinder lockup was easily as tight as the brand new Ruger I had just bought. This was the gun I wanted!
And low and behold, I still had just over $500 cash in my wallet that had gone unspent.
I told him that I wanted the gun, but due to the cash I had I'd have to wait on the box of ammo until another time. But he said, "Meh, go ahead and get the gun, you can have the ammo for nothin'."
He's a super nice guy, and this was a very nice gesture that I was pleased to take him up on!
So, I came home with 2 beautiful guns!
But......
My wife was at home awaiting my arrival...
She knew I was out to buy one gun...
I hadn't asked permission to buy two...
I was going over so many stories in my head about how to explain myself. Everything went through my head from lying about the price, to hiding one of the guns in my gunsafe for a few weeks and then bringing it out, and if she asked about it then, I would say, "Oh that old thing? I've had that for years!"
But I decided to do the unthinkable! I somehow came to the conclusion that I should just tell her the truth.
Well, I did exactly that, and to my utter surprise she laughed and congratulated me on finding the gun I had been searching for! She said she didn't care that I'd bought two, and that I worked hard and deserved to buy something fun now and then...
What's up with that?!?
Well, needless to say. I have a great wife! It's only been 7 years of marriage, but I imagine we'll have 50 or 60 more.
Or...there may have been an ulterior motive--maybe in a week she will be asking for some new appliances or something =P. Oh well, I'm just chalking it up to being a great day!
Oh, and yes I know if there aren't pictures it never happened. So, here is a picture of my two new beauties:
Thanks,
Brock
[Edit: The grips that came with the 66-7 were Hogues, but the ones it is wearing in the picture are a set I ordered for my 686 from Eagle Grips]
I bought a new 6" 686 .357 Magnum last year, and I have just LOVED that gun! But it's so dang big that carrying it just isn't an option.
So, for the past month I've been keeping my eye out for a nice used model 66 in .357 as a carry gun. Being out of production AND a popular model, these seem to be hard to track down.
Well, I've been growing tired of the hunt, so I made up my mind that this weekend I was going to buy some sort of carry-able .357 magnum whether it was a model 66 or not.
It worked out well, I thought, that this weekend was the Indy 1500 gun show. I figured the gun show might be a good bet. So, I went there Friday and scoured the whole place. I saw one model 66 at the entire show, but it was beat all to heck, and the cylinder had a very worrisome stick to it. That and the fact that they were asking $700 made me take a pass.
At the show I saw a number of other nice revolvers both new and used, but the only one that really caught my eye was the Ruger SP-101. The only size I could see, however, was the 2 1/4" version. I wanted a carry-able .357, but not necessarily a snub-nose that short. So, I left the gun show empty handed.
The next day, Saturday, I got up bright and early, had breakfast at a nice mom and pop sit down place, and then headed to my local gun shop at 9am which is when they open. This store has a huge selection of both new and used guns, but alas no 66's. They had a short barreled 686, which at first I was excited about. But after holding it, it was too big after all. They had a 3" model 60 which I liked at first, but it really ended up feeling too small. I was itching for a K frame or if not a Smith, something with the heft of the SP-101.
I was in luck! They had just gotten in four brand-new 3" barrel Ruger SP-101's, so if I wanted one, I had the pick of the litter. They were also priced exactly what I could have bought a new SP-101 for at the gun show, so I felt like it was more than fair. So, I happily bought one!
The guy at the counter asked if I needed any ammo for it. I told him I would buy some CorBon Powerballs if he had them in stock. He checked, but he had none in .357 magnum. So, I bought the gun only and left.
When I got into my car I decided to call the local pawn shop that was on my way home to see if he had any CorBons in stock for my new .357. He said he had a box on the shelf, so I told him I'd be right over.
When I got there, I decided to browse his collection of used guns, which is small and there is rarely anything of real interest to me there. (I will also mention that I visited his shop three or four days prior to see if he had any 66's in stock, but he didn't...
Today, however, I peered into his case, and I was surprised to see a 4" barrel S&W 66-7 peering right back at me! I looked at the price tag. $499--not bad if it is in as good of condition as it looks!
I asked to see it, and it was indeed a gem. The marks on the front of the cylinder were faint and looked as if this thing had been shot one or two times at most. Also, the cylinder lockup was easily as tight as the brand new Ruger I had just bought. This was the gun I wanted!
And low and behold, I still had just over $500 cash in my wallet that had gone unspent.
I told him that I wanted the gun, but due to the cash I had I'd have to wait on the box of ammo until another time. But he said, "Meh, go ahead and get the gun, you can have the ammo for nothin'."
He's a super nice guy, and this was a very nice gesture that I was pleased to take him up on!
So, I came home with 2 beautiful guns!
But......
My wife was at home awaiting my arrival...
She knew I was out to buy one gun...
I hadn't asked permission to buy two...
I was going over so many stories in my head about how to explain myself. Everything went through my head from lying about the price, to hiding one of the guns in my gunsafe for a few weeks and then bringing it out, and if she asked about it then, I would say, "Oh that old thing? I've had that for years!"
But I decided to do the unthinkable! I somehow came to the conclusion that I should just tell her the truth.
Well, I did exactly that, and to my utter surprise she laughed and congratulated me on finding the gun I had been searching for! She said she didn't care that I'd bought two, and that I worked hard and deserved to buy something fun now and then...
What's up with that?!?
Well, needless to say. I have a great wife! It's only been 7 years of marriage, but I imagine we'll have 50 or 60 more.
Or...there may have been an ulterior motive--maybe in a week she will be asking for some new appliances or something =P. Oh well, I'm just chalking it up to being a great day!
Oh, and yes I know if there aren't pictures it never happened. So, here is a picture of my two new beauties:
Thanks,
Brock
[Edit: The grips that came with the 66-7 were Hogues, but the ones it is wearing in the picture are a set I ordered for my 686 from Eagle Grips]
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