Questions on New S&W 3" 66 .357...

V

VictorLouis

New member
I bought it USED, but it has all of their most recent upgrades:

1) Carbon hammer and trigger
2) Relieved thumb latch
3) Raised frame boss to block cylinder movement when ejecting
4) Spring loaded firing pin(in frame)
5) Uncle Mike's type grips, not Hogue's

I thought that they had not made this in YEARS. I have long yearned for one of these, and I was thrilled to see one with all of the improvements.

The dealer said that his distributor had requested such a variation, and he ordered several of them, "before they did that stupid move". Much like Lew Horton's specials. He sold the gun when new, and then took it back in trade after its owner "didn't like the bark of the magnums". I trust the dealer, and my own judgement, and it appears to have BARELY been fired.

The serial # is CDY****, and it is stamped M66-5. Can any of you inform me as to its origin, and possibly the total production number? Was $375 OTD a decent deal?
 
RSR is pretty well known for carrying S&Ws in 3" barrels as an exclusive. I have a (6 shot) 686 from them with the 3" barrel.

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Make mine lean, mean, and 9x19!
 
As to the origin and number made all the "imporvements" are regular production items. The three inch barrel may be a special order but I think that to is a regular "cataloged" feature. Although the dash fives, with new so called improvemenets, will probably see very limited production. Not because of a marketing decision but rather the boycott will limit demand and therefore total production. Any future collector value will be based on a number of factors. If someone buys Smith and continues production with the same features obviously the current guns will never obtain any collector status. If someone buys the company and chooses to return to the older style guns, something I and many like me would like to see, then the current guns will reach some collector status. Although in this scenario it will be a long time in coming and minimal. If Smith goes T/U, sometyhing I seriously doubt, then the current guns would reach collector status much sooner. However, as with any collector gun, the ones in NIB, unfired condition will be the most sought after.
I've worked on some of the later Smiths and have not been pleased with the quality when compared to older guns (or compared to Taurus guns for that matter). I don't like the new frame mounted hammer. But that is a matter of being a tradtionalist and resisting change. What is a genuine complaint is the over all workmanship. The insides are heavy with tooling marks that were not there on the older guns. The inside of the frames and the side plates are especially bad on all I have looked at. The exterior is not as well machined as they once were. This is not as noticeable with the naked eye. But once you begin polishing the exterior by hand the machine marks jump out at you.
Don't get me wrong I like the new guns and wish I had the one you picked up. But I long for the old days when quality was better and Smith was an American company building guns with pride and new, not worn out, tooling.

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Gunslinger

I was promised a Shortycicle and I want a Shortycicle!
 
My first 3" 66 was great, and it would still be wityh me except a very good friend who had traded it to me asked for it back. A year or so ago I bought a 3" 66 Lew Horton, which I plan to keep. I believe it has one of the best balances of all .357 revolvers.
 
Thanks guys. I guess the deal wasn't TOO bad, as none of you chastized me! Now, I need to find one of the 686+ Mountain Guns-USED, to compliment this one. (The J-frame slot is already covered.) :)
 
ASfter the 686+, you can look around for one of the 3" "N" frames. The Lew Horton 3" 629 with unfluted cylinders are great.

So many guns, so little time.....
 
I always prefered the 44 specials from Lew Horton - either Model 24 or 624 for a 3" N-Frame. Factory ammo has enough power but not too much recoil. The 41 or 44 magnums are hard to handle with just that 3" barrel.
I'm also still looking or a 686+ mountain gun.
 
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