S&W 66 no Dash stainless rear sights

[Armedeagle]

Hi, Can anyone tell me if there is a specific serial number range that the Model 66 stopped being manufactured with stainless steel rear sights? I came across one that showed it had those sights on but the serial number was 4K52xxx which puts it in the 1973 range. I thought they were only put on for the first year and a half of production, which have them ending somewhere in 1971 or so. Thanks

 

[ispcapt]

I bought my 4" Mod 66 SN 4K58XXX new in 1975. It came with stainless rear sight and stainless plain front sight. The dealer I bought mine from was a very large police supply business in the state and had just gotten it from S&W a day or 2 before I picked it up.

 

[cgt4570]

My circa 1974 (birth year) 66 had a blue rear sight when I got it. This seemed wrong so I swapped it for one of the spare stainless ones I had in my stash. I'd love to know if it was originally blue or SS.

 

[Armedeagle]

My circa 1974 (birth year) 66 had a blue rear sight when I got it. This seemed wrong so I swapped it for one of the spare stainless ones I had in my stash. I'd love to know if it was originally blue or SS.

Thanks Chris. I've been researching the Model 66 and the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson states the 66 was introduced in 1970. It also then lists under "Variations" the "First Year and a half production with stainless rear sight worth $100 premium". That would put the end of the stainless sights around mid 1971 to 1972. The "K" frame serial numbers were produced with 3 different ranges in 1971. They are shown as 1K39501-1K99999, 2K22038-2K55996 and 3K1-3K31279. The 4K54xxx numbers were put out starting in 1973 thru 1974. If this is the case and it's so easy to replace the newer black sights with stainless, it seems to me if you really want original you have to go by the serial numbers to get in the first year and a half of production. It's something an unsuspecting collector should be aware of too.

 

[Armedeagle]

I bought my 4" Mod 66 SN 4K58XXX new in 1975. It came with stainless rear sight and stainless plain front sight. The dealer I bought mine from was a very large police supply business in the state and had just gotten it from S&W a day or 2 before I picked it up.

Thanks for your input, the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" places your 4K58xxx actually being at least documented in the 1974 time frame. I guess they very well could have built them in 1974 and actually didn't get them out for sales until later in 1975. I'm sure that is the case for most manufacturers with supply and demand dictating disbursements of the guns.

 

[ispcapt]

Thanks for your input, the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" places your 4K58xxx actually being at least documented in the 1974 time frame. I guess they very well could have built them in 1974 and actually didn't get them out for sales until later in 1975. I'm sure that is the case for most manufacturers with supply and demand dictating disbursements of the guns.

I just checked my records. I picked up my 66 on 03/29/1975. I had ordered it from the police supply distributor. I did not specify all stainless sights. Just asked them to get me a 4" 66. They called when they got it in from S&W.
This distributor was pretty good about quick delivery from S&W. When we heard rumors that S&W was going to be producing a 2.5" Mod 66 I asked them to order one when available. They called their contact at S&W and was told the 2.5" were just rolling off the line to be shipped. The distributor got 3 within a week. I got one of those 3.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Rule of thumb around here.... is that S&W never throws away or wastes anything.......so if someone found a 'box" of stainless rear sights on the shelf in 1980 my guess is they would have gotten used.

 

[Seaburry]

My 4" 66 no dash 2k82006 shipped June 1973. It's all stainless...
Wk

 

[sheepdawg]

Only approx. 100 model 66s were made as prototypes in 1970, the first year of full production was considered 1971-72. The stainless sights were discontinued around the middle of 1974. Many police departments swapped the stainless sights out for blued ones due to the fact the stainless sights were really hard to see in low light or very bright sunlight. Shooting my 1972 m66 is a real chore in an indoor range, my 1976 m66 with the dark rear sights and the red post front sights is much easier.

 

[iskra]

Early Seventies LE Based Gp fdiOrder - Stainless Sgts

My Smith Model 66 (no dash) SN 4K99xx purchased new, sometime in early Seventies. To recollection, these guns then 'hot' & hard to get. Hooking into individual group-purchase made available within LE agency auspices. 'It' most certainly wears stainless sights. Whether this purchase might have been 'spec'd' with such; unknown, but doubtful. See photos below.
Such here, for info and…
My take

 

[one eye joe]

Rule of thumb around here.... is that S&W never throws away or wastes anything.......so if someone found a 'box" of stainless rear sights on the shelf in 1980 my guess is they would have gotten used.[/QUOT

I HAVE TO ROLL WITH BAM-BAM ON THIS. THAT ATTITUDE, ON THE PART OF S&W, IS THE CAUSE OF OCCASIONAL ANOMALIES, THAT ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY DATA IN THEIR STANDARD CATALOG.....

 

[toad67]

Yea, sure, all of you old farts bragging about how you bought the most collectible, highly sought after models for chicken scratch, and had to decide which ones you didn't want at the time...Not that you couldn't afford them for the peasant prices that they were commanding, can well, well......just sell them to us middle aged guys who aren't to far behind you, who can see what the past was, and the future might hold....I'll turn 51 in January, so if you're older than me, you're an old fart...LOL

I just checked my records. I picked up my 66 on 03/29/1975. I had ordered it from the police supply distributor. I did not specify all stainless sights. Just asked them to get me a 4" 66. They called when they got it in from S&W.
This distributor was pretty good about quick delivery from S&W. When we heard rumors that S&W was going to be producing a 2.5" Mod 66 I asked them to order one when available. They called their contact at S&W and was told the 2.5" were just rolling off the line to be shipped. The distributor got 3 within a week. I got one of those 3.

 

[ispcapt]

Yea, sure, all of you old farts bragging about how you bought the most collectible, highly sought after models for chicken scratch, and had to decide which ones you didn't want at the time...Not that you couldn't afford them for the peasant prices that they were commanding, can well, well......just sell them to us middle aged guys who aren't to far behind you, who can see what the past was, and the future might hold....I'll turn 51 in January, so if you're older than me, you're an old fart...LOL

I paid $157.50 out the door for it in 1975. Wish I could find another like it, even at double the price.
Here's another one I passed up at the same time. A few weeks later I was at the same dealer and he said he had a new S&W he'd get rid of for his cost as it was just sitting around gathering dust with no interested takers. He goes to the back and brings out a S&W box. Open it up and brand new Mod 58 .41 mag. I could walk out the door with it for $75. Nope, don't want a .41. What would I do with a .41? Didn't have any other guns in .41 so I'd have to buy different ammo, more dies, different bullets, reload for just one gun. Didn't seem like much of a deal. I passed and I still cry now.

 

[RKmesa]

This one is SN 4K57172 (shipped in March 1975) with a stainless rear sight:

... and I have SN 7K13151 that also came to me with a stainless rear sight - I don't have a ship date, but here's an old photo:

As said, S&W was frugal with parts and used what they had. My guess is that if there was a stainless sight in the bin when they were assembling a model 66, it went on that gun...

 

[BAM-BAM]

Yea, sure, all of you old farts bragging about how you bought the most collectible, highly sought after models for chicken scratch, and had to decide which ones you didn't want at the time...Not that you couldn't afford them for the peasant prices that they were commanding, can well, well......just sell them to us middle aged guys who aren't to far behind you, who can see what the past was, and the future might hold....I'll turn 51 in January, so if you're older than me, you're an old fart...LOL

LOL...... the 90s were the bottom of the market for revolvers........ everyone only seemed to want a pistol with "15+ up the butt".... and the 1994 AWB just drove the frenzy higher......... I bought a number of K and L frame guns ( and Safariland speedloaders) as a "hedge against an expansion of the 94AWB".........L were a bit hard to find but were dirt cheap.

 

[snw19_357]

Quoting you Armedeagle because your post is thorough and brought up a lot of points.

That would put the end of the stainless sights around mid 1971 to 1972.

It seems to be more like (late) 1974 and coincides with the gas ring being moved TO the yoke and introduction of the 2.5" version (but they didn't start shipping until October, 1975).

The "K" frame serial numbers were produced with 3 different ranges in 1971. They are shown as 1K39501-1K99999, 2K22038-2K55996 and 3K1-3K31279. The 4K54xxx numbers were put out starting in 1973 thru 1974.

You have to remember that applies to all K-frames with target sights and what may be true for a Model 15 or 19 may not apply to a Model 66 or 67.
There are no Model 66's in the 1K and 3K range. The square butt (no dash) Model 66's are in the (K949xxx) 2K, 4K, 7K & 9K's with the (early) 2.5" version in the 6K and 8Ks's.

If this is the case and it's so easy to replace the newer black sights with stainless, it seems to me if you really want original you have to go by the serial numbers to get in the first year and a half of production.

Very true and also in the other direction, many that originally shipped with a stainless rear sight had them changed to blued.
The front sight can be more of an indicator. The red insert did not become standard until they started shipping with blackened rear sights and although the ramp was pinned to the base and could be changed (or a red ramp could be added later), it wasn't as easy to do as swapping the rear sight.
The end of the stainless sights seems to have occurred in the mid-7K's and coincides with the movement of the gas ring. <7K18xxx should still have stainless sights and the gas ring on the cylinder; >7K47 should have a red ramp, blackened rear sight and the gas ring on the yoke.
Have yet to come across a Model 66 between 7K18xxx~7K47xxx so if you have or come across one, would love to hear about it.

 

[153]

When I got my 66 in early 1979 it had the blackened rear sight. I preferred the stainless sight body so I removed the blade from the sight body, then bead blasted the black finish off the sight body. When I reassembled the sight I added a white outline rear blade. This went well with the orange insert front sight.

The bottom of the sight assembly was stamped with an "S" - which I figured meant it was stainless. I would think you could bead blast any blackened 66 rear sight if it was important to you. I sure wouldn't pay a premium for the older sight...

 

[one eye joe]

Yea, sure, all of you old farts bragging about how you bought the most collectible, highly sought after models for chicken scratch, and had to decide which ones you didn't want at the time...Not that you couldn't afford them for the peasant prices that they were commanding, can well, well......just sell them to us middle aged guys who aren't to far behind you, who can see what the past was, and the future might hold....I'll turn 51 in January, so if you're older than me, you're an old fart...LOL

HEY KID---IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE "chicken scratch" TO YOU, BUT IT WAS SERIOUS MONEY TO US, BACK IN THE DAY ! ! !

 

[jsfricks]

I paid $157.50 out the door for it in 1975. Wish I could find another like it, even at double the price.
Here's another one I passed up at the same time. A few weeks later I was at the same dealer and he said he had a new S&W he'd get rid of for his cost as it was just sitting around gathering dust with no interested takers. He goes to the back and brings out a S&W box. Open it up and brand new Mod 58 .41 mag. I could walk out the door with it for $75. Nope, don't want a .41. What would I do with a .41? Didn't have any other guns in .41 so I'd have to buy different ammo, more dies, different bullets, reload for just one gun. Didn't seem like much of a deal. I passed and I still cry now.

We've got to remember the value of the dollar in 1975. Due to inflation $157.50 is $732.67 in today's dollar. So to the younger folks that think this stuff was cheap back then, it wasn't. It's just seems cheap to us today.

 

[toad67]

LOL, amazing how time changes things..

HEY KID---IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE "chicken scratch" TO YOU, BUT IT WAS SERIOUS MONEY TO US, BACK IN THE DAY ! ! !