Over run gun that shipped to West Germany.
Model 19-P front sight, opinions please!
- Thread starter PeteC
- Start date
Walter Rego
Member
I find it interesting that Peru chose to special order a Model 19 with fixed sights. I get that the Peruvian Police wanted the shrouded ejector rod, but it seems that they could have ordered the Model 581 which was the fixed sight L frame and geared towards the police market that wanted a fixed sight .357. It had plenty of barrel mass to encourage miscreants in lieu of the application of a sap. The 581 was discontinued around the time the Model 19-P's were ordered.
Perhaps there were no more available, or the Peruvians didn't want to have to purchase all new leather gear, or maybe they just liked the lighter K frames.
Perhaps there were no more available, or the Peruvians didn't want to have to purchase all new leather gear, or maybe they just liked the lighter K frames.
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By 1987 the Peruvian Police (or some of them) already had a Model 10-7 for years, and may have had a few bent extractor rods in that time. Good chance they just wanted an upgrade to a .357, just like some US police departments. The Model 19 had a long track record and a name as an export, like the Model 10. The 581 did not. A business does not offer a repeat customer a product about to be discontinued, if you want them to come back for more. The part about using it as a club may just be a salesman's story that gets repeated because it sounds good.
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Also (I had to look this up) S&W was in the midst of some reliability problems which led to a recall of the L-frames in 1987. The hammer and hammer nose were replaced, reworked frames got a "M" overstamp, there was a dash 2 engineering change to the L-frame, etc... the K-frame Model-19 may have seemed like a safe bet.
PeteC, when I got my two, both a 2 1/2 and 4inch, they came from the factory courtesy of the sales manager at that time. He related the story about using the guns as clubs when I asked why they didn't just buy Model 13's. He was the one handling the sale so I believe him. In any case they are neat revolvers. All my very best my Friends, Joe.
At least you did not have to play detective with Belgian proof marks to find out what you had, lol.
The one I could not identify is actually the mark of the Liege Inspector at the time. The inspector's marks were a star over a capital letter. In this case a "Y", with the left upper part missing. A Y corresponds to the mark of the Liege inspector at the time.
Just to verify the front sight, do yours look like mine, with a slot painted yellow or white?
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The 19-P was a fixed sight version of the 19. That is the correct front sight, and it was yellow. The first one I ever saw was at Frankonia Waffen in Darmstadt, Germany (south of Frankfurt) in about 1989.
Good question. It was made in 1987, so I assume 19-5. Same year that Tompkins bought the company.
According to the SCSW, the 19-6 started in 1988.
Engine49guy
Member
As an aside IIRC there was a run of 3" versions made in the early mid 70's as well....(look like a blue 65-5 Ladysmith).
Also, the likely reason SW marked them Model 19P is that the Model 19 frame is longer in the yoke cut to mate to the ejector rod shroud,
The model 13 frame is shorter in the yoke cut so would not mate cosmetically perfect to an ejector rod shroud .
Also, the likely reason SW marked them Model 19P is that the Model 19 frame is longer in the yoke cut to mate to the ejector rod shroud,
The model 13 frame is shorter in the yoke cut so would not mate cosmetically perfect to an ejector rod shroud .
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19-P
Just picked up this beauty. This picture is as I got it before she got all cleaned up. Love the clean lines and the plum coloring. AWE serial number with all the proof markings from overseas. Can't wait to shoot it and the best is I got it for just under $800. I'll post some more pics a little later.
Just picked up this beauty. This picture is as I got it before she got all cleaned up. Love the clean lines and the plum coloring. AWE serial number with all the proof markings from overseas. Can't wait to shoot it and the best is I got it for just under $800. I'll post some more pics a little later.
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Missed this earlier, sorry.
After I acquired mine, more-or-less by accident, and identified what it was, I did a search for pics, and there seem to be others with plum colored barrels and/or cylinders. Doing some reading, I saw that the parts were fitted together, and then disassembled and blued in batches. So, several guns might have a barrel and/or cylinder that turns plum color over a decade or three, and the rest of the gun stays the same.
Whatever the reason, it looks cool. Hope you enjoy shooting it!
After I acquired mine, more-or-less by accident, and identified what it was, I did a search for pics, and there seem to be others with plum colored barrels and/or cylinders. Doing some reading, I saw that the parts were fitted together, and then disassembled and blued in batches. So, several guns might have a barrel and/or cylinder that turns plum color over a decade or three, and the rest of the gun stays the same.
Whatever the reason, it looks cool. Hope you enjoy shooting it!
