Just picked up a minty S&W from a deceased collector's widow. Looks like this one. Blue with Tyler T add on grip. Anything I should know about it? I've had a couple S&W's but I'm not an expert by any measure.

Treasure that fine revolver.

The trigger pull is pretty impressive, imo. She had a Dan Wesson in the same configuration, but this one had the better trigger pull.

Basically a sawed off target gun. You carry pure class when you tote it.

Yes, Smith & Wesson's are known for their good triggers. One thing you should know about the older Model 19's is, try to avoid hot 125gr and 110gr .357 Magnum loads in them. Stick with 158gr loads and you will be fine. One other thing regarding the 2.5 inch model (I love this snubbie and have 3 of them), because of the short barrel, the extractor rod had to be made shorter than the 4 inch and 6 inch models. This can make extracting .357 Magnum cases more troublesome in a fast reload situation than the longer barrel models. What I do is use .38 Special brass and load a .38 Special +P load known as "The FBI Load". Basically, it is a 158gr lead SWCHP bullet clocking at about 900fps out of your 2.5 inch barrel. Hope that helps.

Don

Good catch. I can shoot that gun better than I can my 3 inch, M60 Smith. E

Thanks guys, I have a friend who isn't a gun guy, but wanted a double action revolver for home protection, so I've been looking out and found a great deal on this. I'll send him a batch of 38 specials that I load light that my wife is comfortable shooting in her airweight. In this revolver they should be very mild to shoot. It will probably never see a magnum shell.

I almost feel bad about it, the widow said I could have my choice between the Dan Wesson or the m19, $400 for either one. I almost bought both, I still might.

I'm going to "test it out" for a couple of weeks before I hand it over, just to make sure it functions properly.

My wife also has a S&W Airweight and she really enjoys practicing with my M66 2 1/2", basically the stainless steel version of your gun. With light loads it doesn't beat her up, and the gun is more controllable so she is able to shoot more accurately, which means she enjoys shooting more because she hits more.

Have a 66 (the stainless model) in the same size and it is one of my favorite handguns. 38+P 158s as others have said and you will be pleased at how well it shoots.

I shot it when I got home from work.

I should not have done that.

You stole that! It's easily a $750 S&W revolver nowadays. I saw several at the big Tulsa Gun Show a few weeks back with $900 to $1000 price tags .

I'd load up some the old 38/44 loads for it. You can really pump up the volume in a 38 Special case.

thats what Smith built them for......enjoy !!

Buy both, if you don't like the Dan Wesson, sell it here. Maybe to me.

and as others have said, enjoy that thing before you give it to your friend.

Geno

That's a beauty. You would not find one for $750 here, let alone $400. Snubbie sell for a premium here. Pawn shops and gun shops immediately throw them on GunBroker, regardless of caliber. You almost never see them in the cases for sale.

At $400, I'd have been running to the bank for $800 and bought both of them.

This gun shoots so well it's going to be hard to hand off, but it's going to a good guy.

I shot a minimum load of 125 grain bullet w 4.3 of w231. Kicks like a 22mag, very mild. It does shoot 3-4" low at 30 feet, so he'll need to get a taller back sight, try a hotter load, or just live with it as it is. At 25 yards it's 10-12" low.

I'm open to any advice on correcting that issue.

At 30' single action 5 bullets in the same splash mark. I'm not a great shot with a pistol but again the thing impressed. I had a hard time putting it down yesterday afternoon after running 40-50 shots through it.

I've decided that if I get something similar for myself it'll be a 3" or 4" barrel , I'm a fairly slim 5'9", 165lbs and wouldn't consider this a CC piece for me due to it's weight alone .

Easy, shoot the 158gr lead bullets it was designed for.

Don

I was just going to say. That seems to solve a lot of problems shooting .38's.

Thanks, that'll make it easy.

But the ejector rod still won't clear the cases, at least it won't on my 66.

Even though the Model 19 and 66 are .357 Magnum revolvers, with the 2.5 inch model, I use .38 Special cases exclusively, just for that reason. The "FBI Load" provides you with suitable power as well as the ability to make quick follow up shots.

Don

The load I was shooting wasn't blowing the cases out enough to stick in the chamber, but you're right they won't fully clear the 38's.

Point it straight up at the sky and work the ejector smartly.