New SW 66 and classic 19 questions

You are right about regions, here in Texas the blue is more in demand at least they are priced higher than stainless. At my home in Washington the 66 reigns supreme and almost any price placed on one will see a quick transfer. Is it because of the in-climate weather we enjoy? Yes regions do weigh on the price of used firearms.
After carrying and shooting one in my early police years I must say the S&W Model 19/66 is almost perfection in a lightweight handgun.
 
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Originally Posted by HighValleyRanch View Post
36 ounces is LIGHTWEIGHT?

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I guess its a matter of perspective.
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As a matter of "perspective", I find it a bit of a reach to distinguish a "heavyweight" Colt Government Model 1911 pistol weighing 38 ounces as being very much different from a "lightweight" revolver weighing 36 ounces.
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FWIW to the OP: I used to live in Kali and bought an off roster gun under the ATF Curio and Relics rules. California allows that exemption for residents of the state. The gun I purchased was a pre 27 with 3 1/2 inch barrel.

The model 19 was manufactured beginning in 1958 which means you can buy one manufactured up to 1968. I just checked Gunbroker and they have several 19s that are C&R.

That's the route I'd go.
 
Good point Foghorn. I've thought of doing that myself with older Colt police positives, and still might as I'm looking for one in .38 special.

But one has to also factor in the cost of shipping, the cost of the dealer's DROS and of course some money tip for his efforts, as well as sales tax as he has to log it into his books. So normally this adds up to around 100.00 plus on top of the cost.

But as mentioned before, most dealers on Gun Broker or any of the other national sites are not willing to ship to California because of the politics and laws and extra cost as CA requires the dealers to have a special import permit.
 
one has to also factor in the cost of shipping, the cost of the dealer's DROS and of course some money tip for his efforts, as well as sales tax
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Yeah, and? Any gun you buy online is going to require shipping. But that cost is nominal IMO. It's just the cost of getting the gun you want. DROS is something you pay no matter where you get the gun. Even if you buy a Cali dealers existing inventory, you pay DROS fees.

Tip? I've never "tipped" a dealer for doing their job and I've been buying guns for over half a century.

Plus, you're not required to pay sales tax on anything other than the price the dealer charges for the transfer. You don't pay sales tax on the gun if it's shipped in from out of state. Are you talking about a "use" tax? Cause, that's a tax form issue.

My post was to the OP. He seemed to think his only option is to buy a Smith with a lock. That, or find the odd duck pre lock 19. When I was living in cali, I drove all over the state finding collectible specimens.

He can get what he wants in a C&R. Another $100 or so is no big deal to find a pre lock P&R 19. IMO.
 
FoghornLeghorn said:
Plus, you're not required to pay sales tax on anything other than the price the dealer charges for the transfer. You don't pay sales tax on the gun if it's shipped in from out of state. Are you talking about a "use" tax? Cause, that's a tax form issue.
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In California dealers are required by law to collect sales tax on firearms even if they are transferred from out of state. Ca law makers will do anything they can come up with to harass gun owners.
 
I generally don't care for the S&W J frames, and would gladly pay extra for a used Colt D frame, but the S&W K Frame is another story. I love the older Model 66s! I have a 66-2 where the gas ring was moved from the crane to the cylinder, but it does not have a pinned barrel or a recessed cylinder, so I am on the hunt for another older model 19, too. The trigger on my 66-2 is almost perfection. One cylinder is almost off time, but it's not an issue, yet. The Colt Detective Special is twice the gun of any J Frame, so I don't own a J frame S&W. I'll take all the K,L, N & X frames I can get. Same goes for Colt D, I & O frames! I even have a cool $350 shoulder holster for my Model 66/19s, with two pouches for speed loaders. I usually have an old solo police shoulder holster for a Sig/Sig Sauer P226/P228/P229, and carry a German P228 daily (no extra ammo, just the gun & it's magazine). For special occasions, I will wear the model 66. God help anyone who threatens my life on one of those days, because that model 66 is exceptionally accurate, and it's shooting full house 158 grain .357 JHP loads, not the puny 9x19mm Parabellum. The Colt gets loaded with 158 grain .38 Spcl +P semi-wadcutter hollow points, or Buffalo Bore, same bullets, standard pressure. I'd like a Model 586 S&W, but cannot reconcile paying more for a 586, than the 686, unless the new 586 is MIM part free, and it isn't! California is the pain in the ____ state just across The Colorado River from us. East of the river happiness is belt fed, but west of the river, you need to hire a legal team, just to buy a gun. God help you if you want to carry it! Riverside County is almost "shall issue", but anywhere else, you had better have money, and political connections. I don't think it cost me more than $20 for some plugs for the Hillary Holes, when I took the locks out of a bunch of J Frames I bought and repaired. Half of those guns, had the locks engaged, and the keys were long gone. I just didn't like them enough to keep them, so I sold them. I have the full 1960s/1970s LAPD gun collection, with a Model 19, a Detective Special, and the Ithaca Model 37 pump shotgun. California has always had goofy gun laws going way back to the Mexican Revolution, and the ingress of the Mexican refugees. They passed laws keeping guns away from the Mexicans, and the Chinese. Later they passed laws forbidding carrying loaded guns, after the Black Panthers stood around the state capital with loaded guns. They never once shot anyone at any of these demonstrations. They did shoot each other, but that was okay. I guess the racist past of California's gun laws, needs to be rectified, by making guns inaccessible to everyone!
 
This is what the "new" Model 19 looks like. I haven't had a chance to shoot it, maybe later today.





It's funny. I know the barrel is only about a 1/4" longer than 4", but it looks a lot longer to me.

Here's a shot of the forcing cone area. You can see that it doesn't have the flat cut on the bottom that was supposed to the source of the Model 19's weakness.



That little silver ball is the spring loaded detente that locks the front of the cylinder, doing away with the one at the end of the ejector rod.

Another view that shows the female cut for the front lock just head of the cylinder. The plunger is just above on the main frame.



If you don't like it because it's got a lock. Can't help you. But if you're looking for one, well, I didn't hesitate to buy it as soon as I saw it.
 
CAJUN, is the grip frame a square butt or round butt?
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You know, I thought I knew, but I had to go look to make sure. It's a round butt with round to square grips.

I have fired it, with 50 rounds of Fiochi 142 grain FMJTC, 357 Magnum ammo. It's a good shooter, even with someone who's as poor a shot as I am shooting it. My only objection and it's a minor one to me, is the checkering doesn't offer much grip. The stocks kept slipping just a little, in my hand. It's not a problem for me really. I will probably never shoot 357 ammo in it again. At least not full power 357. I shoot about 99.5 % 38 Special in my guns. If I was going to shoot a bunch of magnum ammo, I'd get a set of Pachmayrs or Hogues for it.

The 4.25" barrel is to appease the Canadian laws, n'est pas?
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That is my understanding also. Ruger does the same thing, same reason I'm sure.
 
The new "Classic Model 19" features a carbon steel frame and a stainless barrel. The frame appears larger than that of the original K frame M19, which itself was larger than the standard K frame.

tipoc
 
The new "Classic Model 19" features a carbon steel frame and a stainless barrel. The frame appears larger than that of the original K frame M19, which itself was larger than the standard K frame.
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It might be, but it fits all my old holsters for K-frame Smith & Wesson's and my Model 69 (L-frame) won't, so if there is a difference it's not much.

The area from the rear sight, sweeping down past the hammer, toward the grip has been changed I believe to fit the lock.

Model 66-1



Model 19-9

 
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Cajun,

Compare the area below the area of the forcing cone from the 66 to the 19 Classic. You earlier pic in post #34 shows that area in the "Classic" well. You comment on the extra meat there.

tipoc
 
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