I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I want a relatively lightweight DA revolver to carry along while out woodsbumming, fishing, etc.

We don’t have large predators here in ky so I was thinking a nice 22 would really be what I needed, ( pop an occasional groundhog and plinking mostly) but the more I think about it, the more I think a 357 and it’s abilty to shoot 38s would make a better choice. I’m really liking the look and feel of the model 66, however the internal lock is really messing with me. Some people hate it, some don’t seem to mind it. I have looked at gp100s, redhawks, sp101s and I just don’t like anything about them. Shape, weight etc.

So for those that have them, would you let the internal lock deter you from buying a new Smith, and if so what route would you go for a 4” barreled 357?

If the lock bothers you why don't you look for an older model without one? You can probably find an older model in pristine condition for about the same price as a new one.

Lots of used guns out there without them. Don't let a Model 64 or 67 scare you either. You can still find them for a 'song' with a little looking.

This.

The 66 is a good choice. Mine doesn't have the lock, but the lock wouldn't deter me from buying one. The lock is more of an aesthetic problem than functional, analogous to the crossbolt safety on modern lever actions. That said used makes at least as much sense.

I wouldn't let the lock stop me. I have several with the lock and don't even notice it or pay it any attention.

" what route would you go for a 4” barreled 357? "


Security Six , if you could find one............

For woods rambling I think that your first idea of the .22 is a better one than the M66. I had a pre-lock 4" M66 and sold it as rather non-useful for what I do with a handgun. The M66 was the state patrol standard issue years back and they shot them loose from what I'd been told. I didn't have that much opportunity or ammunition to shoot mine that often, but it was loud with magnums, a 6" would have been better for hunting and a plinker it wasn't either. A S&W 4" M34 .22 on the J frame with a larger set of grips is a way better choice for my woods rambling. That little M34 replaced the K frame 6" M17 that I had too as that one was too heavy imo for a .22.

It's not like a cross bolt safety. If a cross bolt safety gets inadvertently engaged, you just push it to where it belongs. If that happens to one of these guns, you've got to hope you have a key handy ... a highly unlikely circumstance. And they do get inadvertently engaged on occasion by recoil. Just something else that can potentially go wrong, and therefore has no place on a serious defensive tool.

66-5 was the last without the lock, not hard to find on line.

I sometimes let the lock steer me away from certain guns, but think it's mostly just a mental thing. I have a sadistic 329 that recoils worse than most, & the lock in it hasn't stopped the show, yet.

While the internal lock wouldn't bother me, it's something I'd prefer to avoid for aesthetic reasons. S&W made several literal tons of K frame 357's without the funny hole in the frame. It's easy enough to find one you'll like.

Another option would be to go to a 3" model 60, the adjustable sight version. You'll lose a round, and it's not the most pleasant with full power 357, it's a bit lighter and handier, though (IMO).

Decided to find a pristine pre-lock Model 66 a couple years ago. Found this one for a good deal a couple months ago. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Gun came in the front door of favorite LGS. Bought from store owner. Came home with me.

Model 66-2

It’s not just the lock. You can remove that and plug the hole. It’s the MIM parts that I don’t like. It’s not that there are not strong it’s that as I understand it they are only surface heat treated. Hasbeen

I've had both a 4" Model 66 and a 4" GP100. The 66 had a better trigger but the GP100, with the old style grips, fits my hand better and I shoot it better too. You'll never wear out a Ruger.

I have a Model 19-3 that is about perfect for packing, IMHO. In snake country, I have the first round up as a snake shot handload with Speer capsule and #12 shot. I mostly shoot .38s in it, but it is nice to have the magnum option if I am in predator country.

This is a -2 I bought in the mid 80s. They are still widely available. Very useful revolver. I keep it loaded with 357s but I keep 38 wadcutters and shot shells around for plinking and snakes. Mine has seen a zillion miles of being carried by various means.

a snubby 66 shoots just about as good as a 4”. both my 19 and 66 snubbies shoot better than they should. you can find a shooter grade for about 5 bills

I agree with everything but the price. K frames have skyrocketed in price in my area. 700 minimum. Hasbeen

60, 66, or a small 327 would also be sweet. If one liked SA, a Ruger Single Six, probably in 5.5" with Magnum would be handy but Woodchuck worthy....

Now if one were inclined, a 38 Super.....or 357 Sig would also work, assuming accuracy was there.

Sure like those 66 snubies. Finally found one last year that met my price criteria. Don't care for the MIM parts or the hole.

Here's mine.

One of these just showed up in the case at my favorite LGS yesterday. $600, I believe. He prices things to move.

Just recently picked up a 686 4". The lock does not bother me in the slightest. Thing shoots amazing with 14.5 IMR 4227 and 158gr XTP's. I do prefer shooting 38's with 4gr of Unique and 158gr LSWC. Those are way too much fun to shoot.

That gun has taken a back seat to what I found just yesterday - a Model 19-2 6". I have a soft spot for blued steel and wood grips......



I am considering selling or trading the 686. If you are interested, let me know.

The forged S&W internals are only surface heat treated (case hardened). MIM parts are HARD and smooth. I have over 50k rounds through my MIM S&W 617. When I pulled the side cover, there is no appreciable visual wear to the internals. S&W is having a great deal of success with their MIM internals because they do the process correctly. BTW, the surface hardness of current MIM parts is harder than case hardened forged parts.

Problems with MIM have mostly been with 1911 parts, and those from MIM parts SUBCONTRACTORS who are trying to maximize their profit, and don't care about the reputation of their customers. There is a "trick" you can do during the MIM process that can really cut costs. When the part is first molded, it is about 30% larger than the finished part (referred to as the "green" part). It is then taken out and put in a furnace and the air is filled with Hydrogen gas. This is where the wax binder is melted off, and the metal molecules are fused together. When it's all done, the MIM part has 98% the density of a forged part (seriously, are we going to nit-pick a 2% difference?).

During this fusing process, this is where the trouble starts. The guys who are going cheap will then adjust his furnace to do the heat treatment at the same time as the fusing. The guys who do it right will do heat treatment as a completely separate process. S&W has always done the heat treatment as a separate process, and as such, really hasn't had any issues with MIM. In fact Herb Belin (former chief engineer of revolver division at S&W) told me the failure rate is exactly the same as with forged parts. However the rejection rate for dimensions is dramatically lower vs. the forged/milled part. Assembly according to Herb typically requires little to no fitting from the assemblers, where the forged/milled process almost always required fitting...and this is where the savings comes.

Since the parts come out dimensionally perfect every time, and since there is little to no hand fitting; there are far less errors made during assembly. S&W has a lifetime service policy, so a change to MIM (if it were bad) could have disastrous consequences. As it turns out, it has been a HUGE home run even though the purists reject the idea.

Actions are smoother, trigger pulls (including the famous S&W single action pull) are more consistent, parts breakage is basically un-changed. But the BIG win is...The factory return rate plummeted big time. Revolvers being returned because they weren't right has gone down by over 80% (as of 2006 when I had the conversation with Herb).

The per-part cost isn't really cheap with MIM. Raw MIM metal costs on average about 8.5 times that of stainless steel barstock. So they're not saving money there.
The cost for setup to produce just one part MIM is extremely high. This is why with 1911 makers, most end up using MIM subcontractors and very few do MIM in house. A MIM part vs. a forged/milled part is nearly the same in cost. In fact, the only process common in gun making that is more costly than MIM is milling from barstock. So they're not saving money there. As of 2006 the cost for setup for just ONE part was 30-50k.
Labor is always the most expensive part of most any operation, and especially so for manufacturing. So the savings they get is in both assembly, and in warranty returns. Since there is little to no fitting required, an assembler can put more revolvers together per hour (big savings to labor). And since everything is correct and repeatable from one revolver to the next, there's a huge drop in the number of guns that are returned for warranty repair (big savings to labor)

So you're not getting a "cheaper part". You're getting a part that is easier to install, and is much less likely to need warranty repair.

For clarity sake, I think I should add that all of that came from a conversation in 2006. Hardening of MIM parts can be done during the sintering process (fusing), or afterwards. As of 2006, S&W was doing the hardening as a separate step. The "problem" MIM makers were having their problems with that part of the process (according to Herb).

To do it during, requires the base metal to be chosen specifically to accommodate that, and the process is a bit more technical. Early practitioners had a learning curve. The base metal is very expensive, so if you make a huge batch of parts and they're not right, you're throwing away a LOT of money. Clearly, some chose to just use the part.

S&W chose to take the process in house so they could have complete control over quality. I suspect their two part process was to accommodate their learning curve, but clearly it paid off. The two part process cost a lot more, but S&W wasn't having any issues while other companies were pulling their hair out and ruining their reputations. For all I know, they could still be using the exact same process. Or they could have perfected hardening during sintering. Regardless, S&W is cleary doing MIM right.

Same.

Ky221: I own several S&W Model 66's and carried one professionally for a number of years.
I own 66's with 2", 4" and 6" barrels. By far my favorite for plinking, woods loafing, truck carrying, small game (and Grouse) Hunting are my 6"ers!
I most often shoot wadcutters for Rock Chuckin, Grouse Hunting and clay pigeon shooting.
The 6" models are also preferable when teaching new pistoleros how to shoot and handle a pistol safely (again with wadcutters).
I say put up with the extra weight and get a 6" Model 66 and lay low some Groundhogs!
The extra accuracy advantage is well worth it in my opinion/experience.
Personally I would not even consider owning/investing in a Model 66 (or any Smith for that matter!) with the lock up hole!
Your money would be better invested in a "pre-lock" model.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've never understood why there weren't more 5" revolvers. 4" always seemed too short and 6" always seemed too long. I had one 5" model 10 and want to replace it.

I've had a 4" S&W 19 since 1967, bought it new at Norm's Gun Shop in White River Junction, VT, for $130 with money earned baling hay. I've owned several S&W 27s, 66s, a 520, and a 620. Of them all, I think that I like the 620 the best as it is a "Goldie Locks" revolver, not too large, not too small, just right for my hand.

I have a 5" S&W 66, the barrel was shortened and the sight reinstalled by Ahlman's in Morristown, MN. I agree with you, it seems handier than a 6" and no less handy than a 4". Skeeter Skelton was a fan of the 5" S&W. In addition to the 66 Ahlman's shortened the barrels on 2 different 624s to 5' for me.

Why replace it? What could be better than a 5" Model 10? LOL.

The best of the best, pinned and recessed 66-1.

Mine wears the original wood grips.

I have a Model 66 from about twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago. I remains my favorite sidearm for hunting of all kinds. I have taken a half-dozen or so lions with it, as well as dispatching a few more desert mule deer that needed a finishing shot. These days, it's about the only pistol that I carry while hiking in the mountains down here, where you are more likely to confront smugglers and other illegals than black bears--and we do have a lot of black bears. I carry a few extra snake loads in my pocket, especially when hiking trails that are popular with folks out from Tucson or Phoenix on the weekends.

It'd be a replacement because I sold the one I started with.

I know. I intentionally "misunderstood" your somewhat ambiguously phrased statement. It was an attempt at humor.

Mine, too, actually.

Perfection.
Nothing will ever compare, in my book.

The 3” Model 66 is the cat’s meow of carry revolvers and one of my all time favorites.
Here’s mine.

Haven't seen a 3" in years, unless I just ignored it because it was so vastly overpriced.

Beautiful piece, chlinstructor.

That's nearly as close to an ideal, everyday, concealed carry revolver as you can get, just shy of a Model 13 with the same barrel length and butt frame.

My Mod 66 and Mod 60, my two favorite wheel guns

Current 66s have been slightly beefed to hold up better than the old ones, which would wear badly with steady magnum use. One place they strengthened was the breech end of the barrel, which used to take a real beating from fast jacketed bullets, sometimes splitting. If you go with an older one, check that area for wear. Really, those guns were designed for practice with .38s and duty use of .357s.

Also consider one of the L frames. They're a bit heavier, but much more robust and are available in 7-shot versions (which actually have thicker cylinder walls than 6-shots because the notches are offset). I picked up a like-new 4" 620 for $350 when my son worked the gun counter at Gander Mountain and it's a fine piece. Some don't like the two-piece barrel setup, but that's what they use on the .500 and .460 without issue. Most of the current Ls have conventional barrels I think.

Nothing like the single-action trigger on a Smith. Both of mine go off almost with a thought.

Passed on a 2.5" 66-1 a couple weeks back at a LGS I hadn't hit in a while. It wasn't nearly as nice as my 66-2. Shop owner had stars in his eyes. Guess I can't blame him, for what they've been selling for on GunBroker.

Agree on the 5" comment, also the comment on the L-frame if using a steady diet of Magnums. 2 66's I owned....one was a bit "Loosened up" - 686 always was tight. Always felt a 686 6" would make a great hunting package....preferably scoped, though a SS Python I had in 6" was phenomenally accurate, great trigger, but I doubt it would be as durable.

Ben is your 66 a 4"? What loads on the Lions and Mule Deer?

there are not many revolvers I still want. A three, or four inch Model 66 would be one of them.

Sam, Kevin has a 4" in the shop. $599 on the tag.

A few years back bought a 19-5 with 6" barrel. Had the ontset of a fierce care of buyer remorse at spending $350.00 for this excellent handgun. Bubba had not customized the handgun. Rarely, shoot magnums but have made up near duplicates of the old 38-44 loads. Usually, this is done with 357 brass. We were shooting K-frames in a Ransom rest. The 19 out performed a considerably more expensive custom K-38 with Douglas barrel etc. We'll repeat this test in the near future. This 19-5 is as satisfactory and usable as any other handgun I own. Sorry this is as close as I can come to a 66.

Recently, I picked up a 4" 66 on Gunbroker. It was a Georgia Highway Patrol gun and looks close to new. I'm loving it!

I had one back in the 70's along with the 2.5". I'll be honest and say I don't care for a 2.5" 66 due to recoil and report and believe the 66 carries just as easily.

Since we can't use any barrel under a 4" for hunting in Iowa which is also true in a few other states, 4" works the best for me overall.

I'll keep the range and practice loads 38+P to light magnum and hardcast 180's in it for carry or as a hunting backup in the appropriate season.

@OP, I like and own both that you mention: A 4" M63, and a 4" M66 . After market grips on both of them. A 4" M625 Mountain Gun rounds out my revolver line up. The M63 is fun and good for plinking. But, for all round use, the M66 gets the nod around here...

OP, I recently polled a bunch of my shooting buddies - we all like DA revolvers - how many actually shoot double action? Turns out we hardly ever shoot in DA, and thumb the hammer for every shot., in the woods, at the range, etc. In which case a good SA Ruger can do just as good a job for the task required, often with a better trigger, stouter load, for less $$. Just a thought. Doesn't mean I don't carry the 586, but the BH gets more holster time than it used to. My .02. I had a 66, sold it when the first child came along many moons ago, and I miss it.

Those who use their double action revolvers for sport applications, or for jobs around the home and property, tend only to use them single action. Double action is a self defense thing, when split seconds can mean life or death. If you have the time to cock the hammer (such as in a sporting or homesteading type of function), better accuracy is easier to achieve in single action.

Nice as the 66's are I can easily live with the Ruger Security Six, or even Speed Six. Very nice guns as well, one can argue even stronger and you can save a fair amount of money of them. They are also more available in many areas. I like both the 4" and the 2-3/4" is a nice looking well balanced gun.

A decade ago, when I was in the army, I bought a 7 shot Taurus .357 magnum with a 4" barrel.

I ended up trading it to a buddy for a bunch of ar-15 parts and accessories, and immediately regretted it. So the next day I went to the gun shop and picked up a 4" 66-4, and even got a gerber asek knife for free cuz I showed up with a wad of cash.


A decade later and I'm still in love with my 66-4. The double action trigger is heavy enough to give you the confidence that it won't accidentally go off if stuffed in a backpack, yet not so heavy that shooting it DA is a chore. The SA trigger is what dreams are made of. No slop, no travel, nice and light and crisp.....cock the hammer and it goes off as soon as you put your booger hook on the bang switch.

I've never had a malfunction with the gun, even after putting hundreds of rounds through without cleaning, and it shows no signs of wear, even with a steady diet of magnums.

nice.

They started to decline after WW2 and were finished in about the late 1960's. AI have a 1941 Colt Official Police 5" and would like a 5" K-38 or M19.
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