S&W 66-1
- Thread starter sibur
- Start date
orionengnr
New member
If I'm reading my SCSW correctly, I make it to be 1980. That covered all prefixes from 57k to partway through the 91k range.
IMHO, you got an outstanding deal...depending on condition, perhaps half price or so.
IMHO, you got an outstanding deal...depending on condition, perhaps half price or so.
Thanks, from what I understand the model 66-1 was made up to 1982.
I had a very good day, I have been looking for a .357 for a while. I was buying a used Mossberg 835 and I mentioned to the store owner that I was looking for a 357 and another customer overheard our conversation and asked me if I would be interested in a S&W.
So, for $360 I bought a Mossberg 835 and the S&W.
I had a very good day, I have been looking for a .357 for a while. I was buying a used Mossberg 835 and I mentioned to the store owner that I was looking for a 357 and another customer overheard our conversation and asked me if I would be interested in a S&W.
So, for $360 I bought a Mossberg 835 and the S&W.
Nomadicone
New member
If that 66 is in good condition you did extremely well. In fact I'd almost accuse you of sticking them up and leaving a couple hundred behind.
You are correct, the 66-1 was manufactured from 1977 to 1982. The 66-1 differed from the older 66 no-dash in that the gas ring was moved from the yoke to the cylinder. This was done because when firing .357 Magnum ammunition the yoke-mounted gas rings could swell and bind the gun when they got hot. The 66-2 differed from the 66-1 in that the counter bored or recessed chambers were eliminated and the pinned barrel was replaced with a crush-fit one. Many people consider the 66-1 to be the best of the M66 series because it resolved the teething problems of the 66 no-dash (S&W's first stainless steel magnum) but retained the P&R features that many consider to be desirable.
$200 is an excellent price for such a revolver assuming it's in nice shape. I paid $360 for my own 66-2 (pictured below) nearly six years ago and felt that I got a good deal then. In my area, K-Frame Magnums are going for no less than $400-500 with a premium for P&R guns such as yours.
Just curious about the 66 being the first S&W stainless magnum. My 65-5 is stainless as well- could that have been a transitional production period? Also, my revolver was factory overhauled and set me back nearly $400 a few years back, which I thought then, and still today, a fair price. With CT grips, this is one sweet shooter, and lives in my bed stand.
Attachments
223 shooter
New member
That is a major understatement! I'd buy them all day at that price. I bought a 1981 66-1 with the 4" barrel a few years ago and paid $400 and thought that was a decent buy.
This gun is not in pristine condition, I would say it is good to very good condition. There are some scratches, the clylinder locks up tight and it indexes fine. I tried it out this morning with some Federal 38 special 158 gr rn bullets and it shoots pretty good.
The seller said he had a S&W 357 stainless that he wanted to sell for a couple hundred dollars. I asked him if I could see it , and when he showed it to me my jaw dropped. It was exactly what I had been looking for. A shooter at an excellent price. So, yesterday was avery good day for me.
The seller said he had a S&W 357 stainless that he wanted to sell for a couple hundred dollars. I asked him if I could see it , and when he showed it to me my jaw dropped. It was exactly what I had been looking for. A shooter at an excellent price. So, yesterday was avery good day for me.
Originally posted by Genepix
The M65 was introduced in 1974 while the M66 was introduced in 1971. S&W does not always introduce model numbers in numerical order. While the M66 was the first stainless magnum produced by S&W, it was not the first stainless handgun. That distinction belongs to the M60 which was, IIRC, not only the first S&W stainless revolver, but the first stainless steel handgun produced in significant numbers.
Originally posted by sibur
Minor nicks and scratches don't hurt the value too much unless you're comparing to an unfired revolver. Generally, people are more tolerant of such cosmetic blemishes on a stainless gun because they are less noticeable than on a blued gun and can often be polished out if they're not too deep. Much more important is the mechanical condition such as timing, lockup, and the condition of the forcing cone.
One thing to bear in mind about K-Frame magnums is that, while they're great guns that can give you a lifetime of service, they are not tolerant of magnum loadings using lightweight (less than 140gr) bullets. K-Frames are somewhat unique among S&W revolvers in that the bottoms of their forcing cones must have a flat spot milled on them in order to allow clearance for the yoke when the cylinder is closed, a feature not shared by other S&W frame sizes. This makes the forcing cone weaker in the six o'clock position, but still plenty strong enough for .38 Special ammo and the 158gr .357 Magnum ammo available when the first Combat Magnums (Pre-Model 19) was introduced in the 1950's.
Fast forward a few years to the late 1970's, however, and someone came up with the idea to reduce the bullet weight to 125 or even 110gr and drive them faster. While these loadings did display impressive terminal effects, the lighter and thus shorter bullets allow hot gas and buring powder to 'leak' around them into the forcing cone. Also, less pressure is required to push the lighter bullets out of the case so more powder burns in the forcing cone and barrel and less in the case than a loading with a heavier bullet.
The result is that when K-Frames are fed a steady diet of lightweight magnums, they can sometimes experience excessive erosion of the forcing cone up to and including cracking at the six o'clock position. Because of this, the use of magnum ammo in a K-Frame is best restricted to loadings with bullets of at least 140gr. While that may sound like a pretty drastic design flaw, it really isn't. Remember, lightweight magnums did not exist when the Combat Magnum was designed and I don't really consider it to be a design flaw when a gun has problems with ammo it was never designed to fire. Also, you're not really sacrificing all that much by sticking with heavy bullets anyway as several excellent .357 Magnum loadings with heavier bullets are available such as Remington 158gr SJHP, Federal Hi-Shok 158gr JHP, Cor-Bon 140gr JHP, and Winchester 145gr Silvertips. Also, a K-Frame magnum will easily handle any .38 Special or .38 Special +P loading you like.
The M65 was introduced in 1974 while the M66 was introduced in 1971. S&W does not always introduce model numbers in numerical order. While the M66 was the first stainless magnum produced by S&W, it was not the first stainless handgun. That distinction belongs to the M60 which was, IIRC, not only the first S&W stainless revolver, but the first stainless steel handgun produced in significant numbers.
Originally posted by sibur
Minor nicks and scratches don't hurt the value too much unless you're comparing to an unfired revolver. Generally, people are more tolerant of such cosmetic blemishes on a stainless gun because they are less noticeable than on a blued gun and can often be polished out if they're not too deep. Much more important is the mechanical condition such as timing, lockup, and the condition of the forcing cone.
One thing to bear in mind about K-Frame magnums is that, while they're great guns that can give you a lifetime of service, they are not tolerant of magnum loadings using lightweight (less than 140gr) bullets. K-Frames are somewhat unique among S&W revolvers in that the bottoms of their forcing cones must have a flat spot milled on them in order to allow clearance for the yoke when the cylinder is closed, a feature not shared by other S&W frame sizes. This makes the forcing cone weaker in the six o'clock position, but still plenty strong enough for .38 Special ammo and the 158gr .357 Magnum ammo available when the first Combat Magnums (Pre-Model 19) was introduced in the 1950's.
Fast forward a few years to the late 1970's, however, and someone came up with the idea to reduce the bullet weight to 125 or even 110gr and drive them faster. While these loadings did display impressive terminal effects, the lighter and thus shorter bullets allow hot gas and buring powder to 'leak' around them into the forcing cone. Also, less pressure is required to push the lighter bullets out of the case so more powder burns in the forcing cone and barrel and less in the case than a loading with a heavier bullet.
The result is that when K-Frames are fed a steady diet of lightweight magnums, they can sometimes experience excessive erosion of the forcing cone up to and including cracking at the six o'clock position. Because of this, the use of magnum ammo in a K-Frame is best restricted to loadings with bullets of at least 140gr. While that may sound like a pretty drastic design flaw, it really isn't. Remember, lightweight magnums did not exist when the Combat Magnum was designed and I don't really consider it to be a design flaw when a gun has problems with ammo it was never designed to fire. Also, you're not really sacrificing all that much by sticking with heavy bullets anyway as several excellent .357 Magnum loadings with heavier bullets are available such as Remington 158gr SJHP, Federal Hi-Shok 158gr JHP, Cor-Bon 140gr JHP, and Winchester 145gr Silvertips. Also, a K-Frame magnum will easily handle any .38 Special or .38 Special +P loading you like.
excelerater
Moderator
200 bucks for any S&W is a deal
Thats a 400-500 dollar magnum
Thats a 400-500 dollar magnum
hammerheadaj
Inactive
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Congradulations on your fine purchase !!
Can some one help me with my serial number on my revolver ?
Smith & Wesson Model 66
Serial number 9K511XX
Stainless .357 Caliber with textured wood grips
What year was it made ?
Is it anything special ?
Thank you
Congradulations on your fine purchase !!
Can some one help me with my serial number on my revolver ?
Smith & Wesson Model 66
Serial number 9K511XX
Stainless .357 Caliber with textured wood grips
What year was it made ?
Is it anything special ?
Thank you
El Paso Joe
New member
Good on you! You got a really good deal. I picked up a 66-7 in the last year for, If I remember around $300. Finish was not great but the innards are pristine. It was supposedly a police turn in from somewhere in the Pacific rim. I would buy another at that price in a heartbeat...