Smith Brings back the Model 66!!!

[DFrame]

Lock or no lock, I can't deal with black parts on a stainless gun

Lock or no lock I can't stand the look of a stainless gun. I much prefer black guns (or blued ) to ANY stainless ever produced.

 

[StickShift]

I'd buy the heck out of a 3", especially since the originals are so much money. A 4(.25)"? Not quite as appealing, but its nice to have the option.

 

[jtcarm]

No truth. Zero.



I have been to their factory and they are different lines.



Obviously, they can (long term) reconfigure/reprogram, and they may have done that to some degree, but we are still receiving revolvers from S&W on a weekly basis.



We will begin taking pre-orders for the new S&W revolvers on the LE/Military program later this week.

Right on, QT. I haven't seen the factory, but they cannot simply re-purpose tooling for steel-frame revolvers to mostly-plastic auto-rifles. Even the barrel steels are likely very different.

Workers have to be re-trained, new plant & equipment acquired. All takes time & money and even though there appears no end in sight to the black- rifle frenzy, there is no iron-clad guarantee demand will stay at the current level long enough to pay.

Skeeter Skelton once wrote that the Colt New Service wasn't brought back after WWII because Colt forgot where they'd put the tooling during the switch to war-time production. Given Colt's near-fatal arrogance, I doubt they looked very hard.

 

[PR24]

4.25 bbl

Smith and Wesson is in it to make money. They think the new 66 will sell. It is in 4.25 inch barrel so it can be exported to more country's. I'm sure it will do good. Not grate but good. When they are out for a while and I can find a good used one at a good price I'll get one.

Yep, the great white north (Canada) has a 105MM barrel minimum. Makes sense to do both, especially the Mod 69 so our Canadian friends can carry a decent bear repellant w/o weighing a ton.

 

[PR24]

K > L?

I'm stoked that S&W brought back the K's in magnums! Even if its only 2 for now. Yea, yea we all know the stories about K's going stupid with hot magnums etc. My old man carried a 66 for most of his 23 yrs. as a police officer and it never shot loose, cracked or seized. Unlike many of our California counterparts limited to .38's, our agency issued 125gr. .357 magnums and shot them..a lot.

With modern metallurgy and manufacturing methods, I'm not losing sleep over it. The two new K's have locks on the cranes too so that will no doubt help. I think they were smart to bring them back since there are many unrepentant K frame fans out there like me. I own a few...

The 66/69 is very likely aimed at the Canadian market as well. The RCMP web site says; "105mm barrel minimum length". The 4.25"/107.9mm barrels just squeak by. I'm sure the ubiquitous 2.5" bbl is around the corner.

 

[Hapworth]

For those looking, these are starting to show up on the auction sites for just over $700.

 

[ladder13]

This thread is about the Model 66, right? Yep, I thought so. Nice gun, hope Smith makes more new guns.

 

[AgentM]

There is no downside to the return of K-Magnum frames. S&W done good!! Hopefully, these guns are even stronger than their predecessors. Noone can deny that K-Frames have advantages over the stronger L-Frames - they point better, and are both lighter and easier to carry. With closed-backstrap grips such as Pachmayrs, magnum recoil is controllable.

3", please, S&W!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a 66-3 3" in my safe that I can't bring myself to shoot because of it's potential collectible value (similar gun advertised at $1800 at Fugate Firearms, with comparable prices noted elsewhere). A modern-production gun would enable me to shoot guilt-free with magnums and preserve the value of my classic gun. And, while you are at it, a re-introduction of the "classic" M681. Please!

Again, well done, S&W!!