What's your favorite model and why?

[fredcoyote]

Favorite... One of Many!

Pre 18, 60-10, 686-4+ 2 1/2", 625 & 629 Mountain Gun, 6" 19, most of which have been listed here!

This 325pd snubbie is on my favorite list. Wish it would have been made before the lock but it is what it is. Funny light so 45s thump just right to make one smile! Cheaper to feed than 44s. Looks good to me

Take it easy,

Fred

 

[bananaman]

To me it depends on the day of the week! So hard for me to pick favorites. Bob

 

[jag1954]

I'd have to say that both my Models 25 and 57 are my favorites.

 

[Ingramite]

I know this might be an extremely shallow answer, but here goes anyway.

Last weekend I went to a gun show and bought my latest "all time favorite".

It's a 386 Night Guard.
My first revolver with "the lock".

 

[jaymoore]

Not too hard to pick a Model based on rounds downrange or in the field: 617.
Deciding on which particular one? Not so easy.
Next down in the round count:
29/629
Then either the 16-4 or the 686. The former Model shot deliberately and the latter at warp speed. Could easily be the other way around, though.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Without a doubt it would be my 10-6. Issued to me brand new, carried every working day for 14 years until I had to turn it in for a Sig. The city would not let us keep or buy them, too bad, they could have made more money than the trade in value.

Yeah I could find another but that one was mine. So now I'll say my 442 because I like dark combat revolvers. Nickel, chrome and stainless are to shiny for carry. DAO because you can carry it deep cover, no snag and pull a SUPRISE.

 

[soonerbb]

Model 69 4 inch, it wears well on the hip, or in shoulder rig. Plenty of punch if needed, and easy to shoot for practice.....

 

[RetCapt]

When I started in law enforcement is when my experience with DA revolvers started. Back then ('64) we were allowed to carry .357 magnum revolvers and ammunition. The LE profession led me into PPC competition, which mandated .38 cal ammunition.

That environment focused my interest in .38-.357 caliber revolvers. Because I wanted maximum stout in the early years, before we were mandated to carry the issue S&W 66 - 4", I favored the N frames. My last personally owned duty revolver was a 27-2, which I still have.

Our departmental experience with the 66 was not very reliable. When the L frames came out, they looked to me to be the ideal compromise, sitting between the K and N frames. By this time I was far enough up in the rank structure to have some clout (assist powered by persistence). I got a great offer from Bill Davis for a straight across trade, our 66s in exchange for new 686-4"s. Great improvement in reliability over the 66s, they were the issue revolver until mandatory switch to semi-autos.

Inevitably I got an L fame of my own. I bought a no dash 586-6" with the tall post front sight to allow for a neck hold at 50 yards for PPC shooting. I also had that revolver completely customized for competition.
In my mind, perfection.

So my favorite revolver is the adjustable sight L frame. I have always thought that S&W nailed it in a .38/.357 size revolver.

Since one poster went off-course to rave about the 6906, I will too. The 6906, with its double stack grip, fits my hand better than any other handgun, revolver or semi-automatic, that I have ever used. On our qualification course, using that pistol, I fired higher scores with tighter groups than I ever did with any revolver, despite it being smaller, lighter and with a shorter barrel.

In the semi-auto world, the 6906, in my opinion and experience, is the best. Another example of where S&W nailed it.

 

[SmithNut]

Wait a darn minute… I thought the Model 68 was the "OSP", actually the CHP, not the LAPD….?!

Both agencies had M68's, the LAPD version was DAO, the CHP guns that made it out to the public were overstruck as OHP ......

 

[pasound]

This thread is going several ways. My way is my 36, my K-22, my 617, and my 3913. I have a favorite only when the use is defined by the situation.

 

[garddogg56]

Pined and recess with a six inch 66-1 is my all round favorite

 

[edl]

Since this is in the revolvers section of a Smith & Wesson message board, I assume the favorite model question applies to S&W revolvers.

My favorite would probably be my Lew Horton model 624 .44 Special with the 3" barrel. I like the round butt and I love the styling of this gun. I am a big fan of the caliber since it can handle big game, makes a big hole, and doesn't have a lot of recoil in respect to the size and weight of the round:

If it was a question of what I carry most of the time, the nod would have to go to the S&W 640 Pro. The gun slips into a pocket holster and can be carried in the pocket easily; but it has useful sights that allow accurate shooting. The weight helps absorb recoil. Even though it is a .357 Magnum caliber, I only fire it with .38 Special and .38 Special +P loads. The recoil with magnum loads would be too brutal and flinch inducing when fired from a gun that is relatively light for the caliber and has a grip that does not allow all of the fingers to engage. The result would likely be damage to my hands (which already have problems) and a recoil induced flinch. Plus even a heavy J-frame is not set up to take much of a pounding from full house magnum loads.

Here is a picture of my S&W 640:

 

[Frailer]

My favorite gun is usually whichever gun I purchased most recently, which as of yesterday is this M&P from 1940.

But since the question was favorite *model* the nod as to go to the no-dash 640. I am of the opinion that it is the best personal defense weapon ever made.

 

[Old cop]

I don't really have a favorite but my most often carried is the no-lock 340PD.

 

[MarvinTMartian]

I LOVE J-Frames. For carry the 640 Pro Series hands down, closely followed by a 60 Pro Series (on the belt) or an ancient flat-latch 49 for the pocket.

Then my perfect 10, oh I forgot the L-Comp (need to add a K-Comp).

Or the 627 Pro Series 4" 8-shot.

Heck, just pick me one.

 

[ladder13]

4 inch fixed sight L frame

 

[sodacan]

This 625-2 (Model of 1988) is my favorite post-1980 revolver. It is a great gun on its own merits, but doesn't come close to being a favored gun over any of my post-war, pre-1957 examples.