Identifying a S&W revolver
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blairgarber
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Beautiful model 19, and as has been said there's some history there. Clean it, don't mess with the screws until you have good screwdrivers that fit, work slow, remove and clean the grips (with a tooth brush), and basically treat the wood like a fine piece of furniture. When you shoot it (there's every reason you should and no reason you shouldn't) clean it, lightly oil it, wipe it down with a good silicone cloth, never store it in a leather holster, join the NRA and you'll be handing their Great Great Grandpappys gun down to your Grandkids.
BTW if you want to see what it was like when your granddad was a cop in Las Vegas before the big corporations, junk bonds, and Steve Wynn, go rent the film Casino.
/b
BTW if you want to see what it was like when your granddad was a cop in Las Vegas before the big corporations, junk bonds, and Steve Wynn, go rent the film Casino.
/b
bk43
Member
You may also want to get anything else still around from your grandfather's service like pics, badges or whatever and put it with the gun. Anything that can enrich the gun's history will be appreciated years down the road. That type of thing with the gun can be displayed in a shadow box for the whole family to enjoy and you may want to consider that.
Bob
Bob
boneman
US Veteran
I would never reblue that gun. That holster wear on the muzzle is character. Clean it, wax it and cherish it. Great hand down from your grandfather. Enjoy. Larry
OP
gun_newbie
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I'm glad I've already found so many like minded people on this forum. I definitely want this gun to be around for a long time and it is fun to shoot. I was able to get the original holster, spare bullet holder (not sure what it's called), a pair of S&W cuffs and some badges. My dad got his snub nose .38 special with a couple ankle holseters as well. Thanks again for the advice and pointers and I'll try and get a pic of it all together.
That is great! Make sure your dad knows how you feel about this and that you want the other gun when it comes time for it to be passed down too. These items should be together and kept in the family if at all possible. The history they represent of a man's life is something you will cherish one day if you don't already. I wish I had something like that from my grandfather.
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gun_newbie
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Yeah, that's the plan with my dad. I'll be seeing him soon, so hopefully the pics will happen sooner than later. And to blairgarber, the NRA membership is on the way.
photoman
Member
Very nice family gun. The only load I would avoid would be the full power 125gr .357 Magnums, but why would anyone shoot that kind of load in a family gun anyway? Take it out every year on Grandad's birthday and run a box of .38 +P's through it.
BillCa
Member
Gun_newbie,
I'll reiterate what others have said. S&W revolvers that are reblued, even by the S&W factory, are much less desireable to a collector than a gun that's earned it's wear honestly. And besides, all that wear came from years of riding along with your grandfather. If only they could talk!
From the middle 1950's until they were discontinued in 1999, the Model 19 was considered the "premier" cop gun in S&W's line. You could buy the larger and heavier "Highway Patrolman" .357 or it's premium brother the Model 27, but these big, heavy guns were often tiring for officers to lug around on a daily basis.
The Model 19 is based on S&W's medium sized "K" frame. This frame is, essentially, the same frame as the early 1899 .38 Hand Ejector Army model and later the Military & Police .38 and the basic Model 10. It features a Baughman front "quick draw" ramp sight with a red insert and adjustable rear sights, probably with a white outline. Your gun wears early production target grips as well.
The Model 19 "Combat Magnum" was a step up from the .38 Special Model 15 "Combat Masterpiece", also built on the K-Frame. The Model 19 was favored by police officers because it was light, quick handling, accurate, sturdy and had .357 Magnum firepower.
Maintenance
For now, the only thing I'd suggest is to use a proper fitting screwdriver to remove the grips, then wipe the entire gun down with a thin coat of oil. An old baby diaper or soft cloth will work fine. Apply two drops of oil to each side of the gun and work it over every surface evenly until there is barely a film on the gun. Reinstall the grips. This will keep any rust from forming until you lean how to properly clean and maintain a revolver. Repeat about every 6 months.
Do NOT store the gun anywhere near a master bathroom as the moisture from a shower/bath can slowly rust the gun. Before firing your grandfather's gun, have a qualified gunsmith inspect your gun's condition and "timing" of the action.
By the way, the ammunition carriers officers carried in that era fell into 3 categories. Belt-loop slides that held 12-18 cartridges in loops; Dump-Boxes which held 6 rounds in each leather box and were designed to "dump" the rounds into the hand; speedloader carriers which are round shaped leather carriers for round six-shot speedloaders.
I'll reiterate what others have said. S&W revolvers that are reblued, even by the S&W factory, are much less desireable to a collector than a gun that's earned it's wear honestly. And besides, all that wear came from years of riding along with your grandfather. If only they could talk!
From the middle 1950's until they were discontinued in 1999, the Model 19 was considered the "premier" cop gun in S&W's line. You could buy the larger and heavier "Highway Patrolman" .357 or it's premium brother the Model 27, but these big, heavy guns were often tiring for officers to lug around on a daily basis.
The Model 19 is based on S&W's medium sized "K" frame. This frame is, essentially, the same frame as the early 1899 .38 Hand Ejector Army model and later the Military & Police .38 and the basic Model 10. It features a Baughman front "quick draw" ramp sight with a red insert and adjustable rear sights, probably with a white outline. Your gun wears early production target grips as well.
The Model 19 "Combat Magnum" was a step up from the .38 Special Model 15 "Combat Masterpiece", also built on the K-Frame. The Model 19 was favored by police officers because it was light, quick handling, accurate, sturdy and had .357 Magnum firepower.
Maintenance
For now, the only thing I'd suggest is to use a proper fitting screwdriver to remove the grips, then wipe the entire gun down with a thin coat of oil. An old baby diaper or soft cloth will work fine. Apply two drops of oil to each side of the gun and work it over every surface evenly until there is barely a film on the gun. Reinstall the grips. This will keep any rust from forming until you lean how to properly clean and maintain a revolver. Repeat about every 6 months.
Do NOT store the gun anywhere near a master bathroom as the moisture from a shower/bath can slowly rust the gun. Before firing your grandfather's gun, have a qualified gunsmith inspect your gun's condition and "timing" of the action.
By the way, the ammunition carriers officers carried in that era fell into 3 categories. Belt-loop slides that held 12-18 cartridges in loops; Dump-Boxes which held 6 rounds in each leather box and were designed to "dump" the rounds into the hand; speedloader carriers which are round shaped leather carriers for round six-shot speedloaders.
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gun_newbie
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BillCa - Thanks for all the great info. This forum has been awesome and saved me a lot of time finding info on this gun. I've already shot this gun and it fires great. I've cleaned it, except taking off the grips which will happen soon, and it looks great. Also thanks for the help identifying the ammo carrier. It looks like it's the dump-box style and will also be put to use. Thanks again and I enjoyed your gun control page. Glad to see anytime there is a resource for people to educate themselves or others on our rights and the threat to those rights. Keep up the good work.
gun_newbie,
You are lucky to have that gun. You are also lucky to have asked this experienced crowd for suggestions. Lots of experience.
AND...BillCa is probably one of the wisest.
Enjoy your grandfathers gun. It's your responsibility now to make sure it's in the same (or cleaner) condition for your children.
Bob
You are lucky to have that gun. You are also lucky to have asked this experienced crowd for suggestions. Lots of experience.
AND...BillCa is probably one of the wisest.
Enjoy your grandfathers gun. It's your responsibility now to make sure it's in the same (or cleaner) condition for your children.
Bob
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