Model 66
- Thread starter Shippy
- Start date
Serial number would help with the year. P&R guns seem to be more desirable. Although, any model prior to the frame key lock change is desirable.
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I prefer the pinned barrel, that's about all I have. My EDC is a 640 Pro 357 that isn't pinned because 357 J frames never came that way. With colder weather coming I will probably add a 66 2.5" or 19 2.5" in a shoulder holster. That one will be pinned and have recessed cylinder.
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The Pinned and recessed revolvers are much more collectable.
That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the non-pinned and recessed.
NOW..... The new stuff just seems like it lacks a soul, it is junk to me.
I refuse to buy such stuff.
That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the non-pinned and recessed.
NOW..... The new stuff just seems like it lacks a soul, it is junk to me.
I refuse to buy such stuff.
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22hipower
Member
Welcome to the Forum, lots of good information here. If you're collecting, whatever that means, the P&R guns are more in demand and perhaps a bit more valuable. Not really any difference in quality though and the new ones with the IL are just fine too from a functionality perspective. Hard to go wrong with any 66 or the M19 blue/nickel versions that preceded it. Good luck and hope you'll visit the Forum often.
Jeff
SWCA #1457
Jeff
SWCA #1457
shocker
Member
Before you pay for collectables... this is worth a watch.
The new S&W Model 19 Classic ~ A S&W Armorer's Review - YouTube
The new S&W Model 19 Classic ~ A S&W Armorer's Review - YouTube
IrishFritz
Member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2020
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- 130
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I've always felt that skilled workmanship ads attraction to any firearm. 66"s have been in production a very long time and during that time American manufacture techniques have improved exponentially to the point that there is now very little handwork necessary. However, back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's there was a great deal of hand work necessary to assemble a Smith revolver; cylinder bolts, stars and hands all had to be fitted by hand as well as the cylinder gap. It was my privilege to visit the factory back in those days and to observe the assemblers working and then and now I was incredibly impressed by the skill of those folks. In a sense, each Smith of that time frame is unique and a testament to the craftsman who assembled it. For that reasonI think Smith's of that period have "Soul" that's missing in contemporary guns. So is there a difference between a vintage Smith and a contemporary Smith? Yea , there really is.
I don't have time to watch this video right now, but I have watched this guy before. IMHO, he isn't anyone I would put a lot of faith in. He has said too many things that I know are not correct, especially statements about a gun needing to go back to factory for things any good pistolsmith can do, some, even I do.
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GerSan69
Member
IrishFritz, You hit the nail squarely, my friend. You put into words what I've been thinking, but I couldn't say it as eloquently as you. Must be that "Irish" part. (I've got a little Irish in my background, but apparently not as much as you!)
Anyway. Construction-wise, I don't see a lot of difference between pinned vs. pinless. It's all in the collectability, as was already mentioned. If it were me, any lockless short-barreled 19 or 66 at a price below, say, $700, screams "Buy it NOW!" to me. And another thing - I'm not as picky about surface condition of stainless revolvers as I used to be because it's so easy to restore them to looking near-new. Use that whenever possible to try for a lower price!
Anyway. Construction-wise, I don't see a lot of difference between pinned vs. pinless. It's all in the collectability, as was already mentioned. If it were me, any lockless short-barreled 19 or 66 at a price below, say, $700, screams "Buy it NOW!" to me. And another thing - I'm not as picky about surface condition of stainless revolvers as I used to be because it's so easy to restore them to looking near-new. Use that whenever possible to try for a lower price!
stansdds
Member
Welcome to the S&W Forums!
P&R magnum revolvers also come with (except for some transitional pieces where S&W was using up existing supplies of parts) cylinders that are recessed so as to encompass the case rims. P&R revolvers are generally regarded as having better fit and finish than later production revolvers and command higher prices.
As far as the P&R being of any practical value, there is none. The pin does not actually lock the barrel into the frame and recessed chambers are a pain to clean.
In all honesty, I think the current production 19 and 66 have some features that are better than the original design. The current production 19 and 66 have a better barrel system that should prove to be more durable and a crane lock instead of an ejector rod lock for stabilizing the front of the cylinder.
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GerSan69 and IrishFritz
I hope you will enjoy this little joke:
My late friend, Otto, who passed away in 2006, had a great sense of humor. He was half Irish and half Scottish. I asked him once if he knew what that meant. He said, "No, what?" I told him it meant that half of him always wanted a drink, and the other half refused to pay for it!
Welcome to the forum, Shippy.
If your question is in regards to practical functionality, there is no notable difference in pinned versus non-pinned, and no advantage or disadvantage to either.
OutWest50
Member
Although there are some periods where quality control is thought to have been better. To me, P&R says what era of history the gun is from; same for 4-screw or 5 screw. As soon as you see those obvious features you immediately know which span of years the gun was born in.
