Starting from scratch

[glshuck]

Well, I am new to the game and certainly don't currently have the knowledge & expertise to provide advice to those seeking information on this forum. I certainly appreciate the willingness of the experienced folk on this forum to help beginners like me, and have learned alot just from lurking around here. I didn't have a full appreciation of these guns until I cracked the side plate open on my 28-2. Certainly a different degree of craftsmanship than what I was used to seeing during the course of working on mostly modern striker fired semi auto USPSA guns.

I am sure this has been discussed plenty of times, but I am curious as to what some of you seasoned vets believe to be the "must have" models of Smith revolvers, and if there is an order of importance to what you guy's think should be acquired first.

Right now what I have is:
586 no dash 4"
686-1 4"
28-2 6"
As well as a nickel 19 no dash 4" on the way courtesy of the forum classifieds.

Posting this in the 3 screw thread, as my current interests are mostly catered around guns that can be bought at a reasonable price.

I suspect some of these answers to be obvious. Model 10, 14, 15, 17 etc. For the low hanging fruit,
I'd be curious if you all have insight in regards to specific eras/revisions/configurations that best represent the model.

Thank you all in advance, Pics are more than welcome inspiration.

*mods, If you feel there is a better location for this thread, feel free to move it.

 

[Wingmaster]

I am no expert I just know what I like.

That being said I would say get what you like. You have a really good start.

My collection consists mostly of K frames. Your taste might be totally different but get what you like best.

 

[bobsguns]

Seems to me you're pretty much nailing the best models to acquire, IMO.

I would perhaps suggest a Model 19 be in a 2-1/2" or 3" bbl instead of a 4" though. A 4" .357 is much better suited to a 581/586/681/686 or a 28, IMO. A K-frame .357 just isn't as fun to shoot as the L-frames, IMO.

I would venture that further down the road a Model 52 and/or 41 be in your mix. Incredibly accurate & affordable to shoot. Not cheap guns though, but worth their cost, IMO.

One of the most fun of my Smiths to shoot is my 22A-1 with Target grips & bull bbl. Pic:

My .o2

 

[ameridaddy]

I suggest adding a revolver or Mod 41 semi in 22LR. After the blast and recoil of centerfire, the 22's become a tranquil addiction. And economical to shoot.

 

[Model29-26.5]

15 month newbie here.
For me, the 29, 27, 25 and 19.
The 25 comes in either 45 Colt or 45 ACP depending on the variant being or or even numbers respectively.
You're well on your way. Also 18 or 17 for 22LR.

 

[MajorD]

I consider S&W revolvers my favorite type of handgun, and whenever possible prefer to shoot them ( some competitive events don't lend themselves to revolvers and so I relent and use a modern auto)
Been shooting and buying/ selling guns for 40+ years now.

I have tried to like the heavy N/L frame and have owned multiple examples, but they just don't do it for me.

I prefer the lighter K&J

Also as I get older heavy magnum guns that beat me up recoil wise aren't fun anymore

38's and 22's for me.

From that lens my choices would be ( they all need to be older pre lock guns with the hammer mounted firing pin!)
At a minimum:
A fixed sighted K frame 38 ( classic model 10, but a alloy 12 or 357 13 would be acceptable - your personal barrel length of preference- I like them all)
An adjustable sight K centerfire
An adjustable K rimfire
An alloy J (37,bodyguard ) for everyday carry
A steel J for higher volume range use
A J 22 rimfire

The above cover everything I need a handgun for ( except those few situations where I need to use an auto)

 

[blackdeuce]

I'll trade my 2 1/2" 19-2 for your 4" 19 no dash.

 

[Farmer17]

To keep the cost down for classic old Smith revos, maybe a Chiefs Special or Bodyguard .38, Pencil barrel M-10, .22 J or K frame (getting pricier). After that the prices go up quickly.

 

[younggun22]

This is how it starts. I only want these {insert model(s) here} …

AND THEN it turns into well I don't have this barrel length or it also came in a round butt and so you start going down that rabbit hole….

When you're really in trouble is when you discover the 5 screw guns both pre and post war

I started out just like you did. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Gdogman]

Collecting

I have only been collecting since 2018 and I started by collecting J frames. I found that they were more affordable in that you can get two J frames for the price of a K or N frame. For the first two years my displays at the Symposium were J frame guns. Pocket pairs and Hammerless Centennials. After I had amassed a respectable collection of J frames I turned my attention to K frames and then N frames. I love the M19's and the M29's and have been fortunate enough to collect some "one of a kind" revolvers. I just let my passion guide my collecting. I now have about the same amount of J frames and K frames and my N frames outnumber them both. As a retired police officer I was also bit by collecting previously used police guns. The ones that were marked with a star, a logo or the name of the agency. Here is what I always keep an eye out for, even if they are duplicates:

Model 42 or Model 40
Pre 29 and 29 and 29-1
K22/Model 17
Model 28
Unique Model 19's
LEO guns
Two-tone guns
Starting to understand and collect Pre war N frames now.

The journey for me has simply been, what I liked and desired and that has been shaped by this forum and the peeps I met here. A great bunch of people that I have had the privilege of getting to know for the last 7 years. Its been like going back to school. I learn so much from my associations with fellow collectors and everyone here is willing to pass on their knowledge.

BTW, nice Model 19 you picked up, I was watching that one.

Younggun22 said it above, its a slippery slope. I have a blue, now I want a nickel, I have a 4" know I want a 6.5". My 2023 display at the Symposium was 33 long barrel guns. Polar opposite of my J frame beginnings.

Welcome aboard, from sunny Gilbert, AZ!!!!!

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Collecting or accumulating or whatever name you want to give it
has changed dramatically since the Internaut (the high-tech term
that replaced juggernaut).

In the '70s I thought every Smith & Wesson needed a big frame,
big bore, long barrel, and the three Ts: target hammer, trigger,
and stocks. In the 20-teens I discovered World War II and later
.38 Military & Police revolvers, then I-frame .32s, and finally
J-frames. Once the Chiefs Special bug bit me the model became
my focus, and nearly all the others have found new homes.

Don't feel pressured (internally or from enabling peers) to fill a
stable full of models or a one-of-each of one model. Engage
with models you find appealing, shoot 'em, and you'll discover
your niche, if that's what you're looking for. It may or might not
be. Don't force it.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Welcome to the Forum! I believe that most S&W revolver aficionados choose to collect/acquire revolvers that they grew up with or saw in their favorite movies and on TV. For me, it was watching movies like the "Dirty Harry" series, "Lone Wolf McQuade", and "48 Hours". And TV shows like "Walker Texas Ranger", "Dragnet", "Highway Patrol", and "Adam 12". I also enjoy the old Film Noir movies (Bogart, E.G. Robinson, Cagney, etc.) so I had to have a couple .38 Special snubbies! I started out right after college by buying a brand new 4" blued Model 57, and then progressed to Model 29s, Model 27s, and Model 28s. The addiction continued to get worse, and soon expanded to both early models (e.g. Model of 1917, .44 HE 3rd Model, .32-20 M&P) and later models (e.g. 627, 642, 686). My budget is somewhat limited so I don't have any true "safe queens" or museum-quality pieces...every one of my handguns has some character and goes to the range.

 

[H Richard]

A 50 year shooter/collector here, and you will find a niche that you will like. Then that niche will change into another niche. I had a nice collection of early break tops, then some single actions, then K frames, then J frames, then some N frames. I was primarily a shooter, but liked to see the old guns and appreciate how they were made. Don't worry about what to follow, when you see something it will spark that interest and put you in a direction.

 

[K Harris]

You definitely should acquire an older K22. They are the most fun sidearm to own and shoot in my opinion. Other gaps in your collection that could be filled are a 3" K-Frame, a J-Frame and maybe an old M&P with a 4" or 5" barrel. There is an old flat latch Model 36 in the classifieds right now. That would cover the J-Frame nicely.

 

[Spurdann]

I was a 38/357, 45 guy until I got my first 32. Man I love shooting 32 S&W long. The world is your oyster buy what you like.

 

[kscharlie]

Well, you certainly know how to open a huge can of worms!! I am reasonably confident that if you asked this question to 100 or 1000 S&W "collectors", you would get about 100 or 1000 different answers. As was pointed out, collect what floats YOUR boat.

As for myself, it takes a bit of a history lesson to shed light on my particular answer. By the time I was 10 years old (that would be in 1959), I was wearing out copies of Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines at the local barber shop. I can still remember drooling over the ads that S&W had in those magazines of their .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum revolvers. To my eye way back then, those guns were a thing of unimaginable beauty. For what ever reason, the Colt revolvers from that same time period just did nothing for me.

When I began collecting S&W revolvers, I was suddenly 65 years old, retired, and finally had the funds to fulfill my boyhood dreams (within reason). lol... So I started with K-frames, mostly target versions from the 50s and 60s. That was cool, but then I got into the history of S&W and began to expand my modest "collection" to include other types and sizes of S&W revolvers. To be clear, my "collection" consists mostly of higher grade shooters. I don't have any museum pieces in my collection, but I have some that are pretty darned nice, at least to my eyes. So, I collect S&W to add to my collection, which makes me a collector. Now I have guns that date from 1865 to 1989. Most of them were manufactured prior to 1970. They consist of tip ups, only one top break, M frame, I frame, J frame, K frame and N frame revolvers.

I consider each one of them to add something to the engineering legacy of S&W revolvers. In my opinion, the best S&W revolvers made were/are hand ejector models from 1900 to 1980. I appreciate and enjoy the guys and gals that focus on antique S&W revolvers. I appreciate and enjoy the guys and gals that have the necessary means to acquire the very best of what they focus on. I appreciate and enjoy the guys and gals that have more limited options and obtain guns with lots of finish wear. I consider ALL of us to be S&W collectors simply because that is what we collect.

So consider yourself warned, Grasshopper...

 

[lppd4]

My opinion only no collection is complete without a model 27 in the mix. I prefer a blue 27-2 with a 5" barrel

 

[blackdeuce]

kscharlie, you bring up good points.

I really haven't pursued some of the older historical models. I've focused on prime condition models from the 60s thru 90s. I have guns from 1924, 1940, 1958, and 1959, but that's it for older models.

 

[Frailer]

Don't feel pressured (internally or from enabling peers) to fill a
stable full of models or a one-of-each of one model. Engage
with models you find appealing, shoot 'em, and you'll discover
your niche, if that's what you're looking for. It may or might not
be. Don't force it.

I was going to say something similar, but probably less eloquently.

FWIW the collections I most admire are not the biggest, the most expensive, or the most varied. I enjoy seeing those that reflect the specific interests of the collector who gathered them

 

[daveboy]

I will add to what others have said, and that is to simply collect what appeals to you. You must ask yourself if you are collecting to collect, are you collecting to shoot, are you collecting to make money, etc.? Or, is it a combination of all reasons? In my case, I like to buy guns with a little blemish here and there, a little age, and then spend time cleaning, polishing, repairing, slicking-up, etc.. I also like to shoot them, recreationally in my own backyard. I have no interest in buying and selling for profit, owning guns that are museum-quality (therefore too nice to shoot), competing or hunting with them.

In my opinion, you already have two of the finest models made...the four-inch 586 and 19. If I could only buy two, those two would be it. I'd probably add a Model 27 if I could have three. That's just me.