Stainless 19?

[EfewII]

Hello, another newbie here
I'm a long time shooter and gun enthusiast with a growing fondness of S&W revolvers. My knowledge of these guns is somewhat limited so hopefully you guys can help educate me.

I recently came across a nice 2.5" 19-3 that I'm planning to buy. The thing is this gun is stainless steel, but its marked 19-3 not 66. I'm assuming this gun was made before the model 66 was introduced and I just have not seen a stainless 19 before. How rare or common was this?

 

[Cpt. Obvious]

More than likely, its incorrectly stamped. S&W is known to have done that from time to time. Is it really shiny like high polished stainless, or more like a bead blasted stainless?

How much is the asking price? And is it possible to post a picture prior to buying it?

 

[bamabiker]

Welcome to the forum.
We've had this come up before. A model 19 should be blue or nickel and if it is SS it's probably stamped wrong, should be M66, which is not too uncommon for S&W. Or if it is a real M19 in SS it is a real rare bird. But I would have to have a letter from S&W stating that it is a SS M19 before I'd pay extra for it.
How do you know it's SS? Could it be an after market finish like hard chrome?
I would be very suspicious of it. MHO.

 

[rck281]

Most likely it is nickel or an aftermarket finish.

 

[EfewII]

I'm pretty certain its stainless. If I set it next to my 686 it looks the same. I'm thinking now that it was stamped wrong. I can get and post some pics of it.

 

[arjay]

If it's nickel, it will look slightly yellow compared to your 686.

 

[EfewII]

I have never paid much attention to nickel plated guns before. I had no idea nickel and stainless would be that similar looking. Either way, the owner will sell it to me for $400. I don't think I can go wrong with that.

 

[bamabiker]

That's a very good price if it's in good condition. Post some pics when you can. We love pics.

 

[Hondo44]

Does the hammer and trigger match the gun or are they case colored?

 

[zelda]

lf its deleted

 

[NE450No2]

A magnet sticks to my Stainless S&W...

 

[NFrameFred]

lf its stainless a magnet wont stick to it. Try it on your 686 first

Common misconception and not true.

Most likely your 19 has been industrial hard chromed. Many of those finishes are hard to distinguish from stainless to the casual observer.

 

[310Pilot]

Well, if it is a stainless steel 19 (no matter what the dash number is), it is REALLY rare, as in the only one ever! Actually, Smith never made a 19 in stainless steel. Stainless S&Ws all have model numbers beginning with the number 6 (as in 66, 686, 629, etc.). The 19 was only made in "carbon steel," no stainless 19s were ever made. The greatest probability is that your gun was refinished at some time in the past with a hard chrome finish. This was very popular in the 70s and 80s, especially with police officers, as that finish was very durable, and it looked like the new stainless steel guns that they just couldn't afford. It is almost impossible to tell a hard chrome finish from stainless steel visually. There is a slight chance that it is a mis-marked early 66; however, I believe that to be highly unlikely, as the 66 was S&W's premier K-Frame during the time period early 66 production overlapped the 19-3 variant prior to it being superceded by the 19-4, and the factory was quite careful in properly roll-marking the early 66s. I owned a gun shop at that time, and, while I would occasionally get a mis-marked blue gun, I never received a mis-market stainless gun. Not impossible, but not very probable. Now, if you really want to raise some Caine on the forum, insist repeatedly that it is definitely a stainless 19 - I remember a new member who posted a similar thread, and continued to insist it was really a extremely rare stainless steel 19, and it really got a lot of people on the forum irate! Honestly, you have a great carry gun and shooter in your hard chrome (or melonite, or whatever variation of that finish was actually applied to your gun) snubby 19, and the finish will stand up to almost anything. Enjoy it!

 

[nipster]

lf its stainless a magnet wont stick to it. Try it on your 686 first

LoL, stainless is still STEEL and it's magnetic.

Stainless steel is not aluminum or titanium or some other non-magnetic metal

 

[MichiganScott]

I always though S&W stamped an "S" on most stainless parts to differentiate them from regular steel if they get mixed with regular steel parts.

 

[hsguy]

Look at the gun pictured in this thread, it looked so much like stainless I asked the owner about it in the my post.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/243663-old-6-k22-still-getting-done.html

 

[H Richard]

Early stainless S&W had a "V" stamp. My 1982 686 has a "V" stamp on the rear face of the cylinder, and yes a magnet will stick to it.

Hard chrome finish's are tougher than any other finish, and wear like iron. This is a 19-4 I had Metaloyed because it had "blemish's". It's been mistaken for a 66.

 

[Doug M.]

Even with no collector worth whatsoever, as long as the revolver is in good shape and useable, it is almost certainly worth at least $400 as a shooter.

 

[kenjen]

if it is nickle then it should have an ''N'' stamped on the grip frame

 

[dant]

No matter , at $400 that is a very GOOD deal, but as so many of them we had done and others had over the years , in Metalife SS, it looks acts and wears as good or better than stainless, and if you want to KNOW for certain remove the grips and make a scratch on the inside of the grip frame and touch it up with a little bit of cold blue, in the scratch, if it turns 'dark' then its 'carbon steel UNDER what ever finish may have been placed on the gun, its a NO BRAINER and easy to do...so all too many folks beat and flog this old horse to death, do it and know for sure or beat around the bush and stay in the dark like the last couple of guys who did NOT want to find out what they may have had in the first place.......


for any additional info on 'MetalifeSS' go to mahovskysmetalife dot com.........

 

[686Magnum]

I can say with certainty as a metal fabricator, all 304SS we get in is NON magnetic. I know there are some other SS metal that is magnetic but not sure which or what alloy content S&W uses in their SS.

 

[couleeflyfisher]

lf its stainless a magnet wont stick to it. Try it on your 686 first

My 629 Mountain .44 and mod. 66 are both magnetic, as well as what Ruger calls their stainless 10-22's. I didn't try the magnet on my 686 but will bet that it too is attracted to magnets.

 

[GerSan69]

I got several blued guns Armaloyed in the mid-70s. Just as pretty as stainless, and you could carry a "stainless" version of guns that were not (yet) offered in the lovely silver finish!

 

[Engine49guy]

Seems all the high points have been hit with the exception of please do not fall victim to the misbelief that any S&W roll marked or stamped wrong is worth a premium.
Its a screw up and unless you specifically collect guns with factory mistakes it is NOT worth any premium.
If it was worth more the factory would make a run of mismarked guns and charge more...
Hello S&W? Yes I would like to order a Model 17 marked as a Model 66....
Nuff said?

 

[EfewII]

Thanks for all your input. You pretty much answered my question. S&W did not make a stainless 19. I mainly want the gun as a shooter so the Finnish isn't that important to me, but I still would like to know what I have. I will have it in my possession tomorrow so I will be able get to the serial # so I can look it up. I will post some pics just to get your opinions and maybe to show it off a little. Thanks again

 

[L Pete]

Guns are made of 400 series stainless steels. It is much stronger that the 300 series of stainless, due to its higher carbon content. 416 is a usual firearms stainless. 304 and 316 stainlesses are used in industrial applications. The 440 series are more suseptable to rust and corrosion. A magnet will stick to all your stainless firearms, whether made by Smith or anyone else.