Age of S&W .357 model 19

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PsychoSword

Moderator
My father bought a S&W model 19-6 today (It has a 6" barrel, so I assume that's what the 6 stands for). Really nice gun, I'd say 99%, not a mark on it except for a very slight turn ring. It looks like it sat in a rug most of it's life. We were wondering the approx. age of the gun. I wonder, if I just email the serial # to S&W, would they tell me? Or maybe somebody could give me an approx. range of dates when this particuliar model of gun was made. It is blued and has the walnut grips and target hammer with white out rear site.

Of particuliar interest to us is whether or not this gun has a transfer bar type safety or any type of safety, just wondering, if the hammer gets hit hard against something, will it go boom? It did not observe a transfer bar type safety upon inspecting the gun.

Also, I've heard that S&W revolvers lock in both the front AND the back of the cylinder. This revolver locks tighter than a drum, tighter than any I've seen before. However I could not find anyplace on the front of the cylinder where it would lock up, only in the back.

Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated!
 
The "-6" is the production change #.

A 19-6 would be dated somewhere between 1988 and 1994.

If you give us the first three digits of the serial, we can come closer... ;)

(It has a hammer block that prevents the firing pin from going forward unless the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear, BTW. :cool: )
 
Thanks Tamara, I'll check the serial # tomorrow night and post it. Forgot to write it down while I was looking at it earlier tonight.

Another thing I wanted to mention was, I was really impressed with how well it handled and how light it felt. The action was also VERY smooth and crisp.

I'm sure my dad's going to pop some prairie dogs with it tomorrow, in addition to his .223 :)
 
Yes, your S&W locks up at the front and rear.

However, it doesn't lock up at the front of the clinder, but at the very end of the ejector rod, which fits in the recess under the barrel.

Look at the end of the ejector rod, and you'll notice that it's dished out.

Now look in the front of the shroud under the barrel, and you'll see a little wedge in there.

That wedge fits in the dish in the end of the ejector rod. That's your second lock up point on a standard S&W revolver.

If the firing pin is on the hammer, the gun does not have a transfer bar safety. It has a hammer block, which looks like a transfer bar, but acts completely differently.

With the gun unloaded, pull the trigger and hold it to the rear. Note the position of the hammer. Now slowly let up on the trigger, and you'll see the hammer move backwards.

That's the primary safety mechanism -- a rebounding hammer. The mechanism is made in such a way that when the trigger and hammer are at rest, the hammer is physically blocked by "humps" of metal on the rebound slide (which returns the trigger to battery) and the hammer.

These humps prevent the hammer from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear.

To prevent the hammer from firing the gun if it some sort of crushing blow hits the hammer, the hammer block is between the hammer and frame when the trigger is at rest.

Wehn the trigger is pulled, the hammer block is cammed out of the way, allowing the gun to fire.
 
The prefix "BFW was used during the months of January and February 1991. Serial numbers 3337 to 8122 were made in January. The "-6" version was made between 1988 to 1994
 
Thanks alot! It's slightly lower than 3337 so it must be about a December 1990 gun. All of my questions are answered, I love this forum! Giving help, getting help, what it's all about :)
 
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