Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 19's - Wish they still made them like this!

I've owned the 4" 19-3 for awhile and took delivery of the 2-1/2" 19-4 today. Unbelievable the quality, fit, and finish. Just beautiful and I wish they still made them like this.

I've always loved the looks of the snubby, round butt, Model 19. I had a steel replica of one when I was a kid. I have the real thing now, too, in both blue and stainless. That one you have there, is a beauty.

Here's mine.

Nice. I have a 66-4 2-3/4", too. Love the 357 snubbies.

One of my stupidest moves was selling my 6" barreled model 19.

257Heaven: Good for you on the new addition to your gun collection.
I to greatly admire the Model 19's - but sadly only have two in my collection.
And both are the much more common 4" models.
Back when the "gettin was good" regarding Model 19's I was a little standoffish regarding 2" 357's.
Misguided I was, at that time.
My collection of Model 66's (stainless Model 19's?) though is complete with 2" models and several 4''ers and many 6"ers.
I started collecting Model 66's much later on though - so by then I was not adverse to the 2"ers.
My online inventory shows I also have a 2" Model 686 as well - I simply don't remember buying (owning!) that pistol.
I better go down to my gun vault room and get in the pistol safe and verify that entry in my inventory.
Anyone know off-hand if they made Model 686's in 2" barrel length?
Enjoy that nifty new Model 19.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I found a S&W Model 19-3, 4" bbl, blued, at my favorite pawnshop around 4 years ago.
I had no idea what it was as compared to other S&W revolvers, but I thought
I'd better do whatever I had to do to get it.

The owner gave me way more than a fair price - and put it on lay-by.
The revolver is in perfect condition and appears to be un-fired.
Barely a faint trace of any cylinder line.
I'd love to shoot it but I'm keeping it as a collector piece for its value
and let the next owner do as he desires.

I also have a near perfect Dan Wesson 15-2, 357 Mag, 6' bbl, that I do shoot instead
while carefully keeping it from any surface wear, dings, or scratches.

Both revolvers are drop dead gorgeous!

Sweet.

Great handguns! I just picked up an unfired 19-3, 4" with box last month. Looking for a snub to match, but they're getting spendy!

when a buddy retired after 25 years on the local force, he gave me his 4 inch Model 19 service revolver. I have kept it as he gave it to me, with the Pachmyer grips. It's a great shooter, and gets a fair amount of carry time, and woods time.

Rub it in guys...

I purchased a beautiful blue 4in back in my early 20s, I was between jobs and one point and needed to sell some stuff, kept the hunting guns but let the collector stuff go. It as one of them. Got a good deal on a nickle 4in a couple years ago, a few swirls but nice. It was never as nice to me as my blued one so I let it go for a nice profit. Probably should have kept it. Definitely should have kept the first one.

Even worse, I traded my mint model 19 in on a Glock.
It was the 90's and Glock .40's were the rage.

Dude, we're gonna have to permanently revoke your man-card for that. Vomit.......

I've owned and carried a bunch of M19 & M66 .357's over the years. I've only managed to hang on to one K-frame .357, a 6" M19 with 3T's. I don't shoot it nearly as much now as I did years ago and I seldom take it for a walk in the woods nowadays. The problem with having so many options is forgetting some of the old standbys for newer stuff.

For some reason there seems to be lots of Model 19s for sale recently on various sites, was able to pick up a mint blue 4" and then a 4" nickel at what seemed like reasonable prices. Now to try to find matching 2.5 inchers......They sure are fun to shoot....

Tim

Sweet----especially with the boxes-----assuming that you're going to shoot them, I'd be curious to see how the accuracy compares----I'm betting that the 2 1/2" is every bit as accurate for you as the 4"----I believe that a thinking person could make a good argument that a 2 1/2" 19 or 66 would make a good choice for the "if you could only take one handgun when society breaks down" quiz……again, assuming that you're going to shoot it, will you use the factory stocks or put something else on it for shooting purposes?

Nice find!

What kind of prices are you seeing them go for?

Thanks. I probably will not shoot these. But I love the factory grips. I shoot the 2-3/4” 66-4 with the factory Uncle Mike’s grips. I have a set of factory magna’s somewhere for it, but I guess I hid them from myself. Can’t find them.

My first handgun was a 19, and I have had a love for them ever since. They're just wonderful.