Smith & Wesson Model 19

19-2a.jpg

S&W 19-2 shipped in 1965, wearing Ivory magna girps. The blueing on this pistol is superb and rivals my first year of production .44 Magnum. They had a master polisher on duty when this 19-2 was finished.

The 19 is one of the all time great revolvers. It points and balances very nice. It is probably my favorite K-frame Smith.

100_0166.jpg

S&W 19 no dash shipped in 1959, wearing it's original Diamond Target grips.

I really need a better pic, I took that one when I was first cleaning it and the S&W letters are full of Pre-Lim surface cleaner.:o Oh well, its out now.:)
 
The model 19 is, in my not-so-humble-opinion, the best balance of power, practicality and handling anyone's ever seen. Medium frame: easy to carry, handles and points like a dream. Powerful Caliber: drops badguys DEAD, with the option of soft-shooting .38 Special. The Model 19, or "Combat Magnum" as it was originally called, was the Gold Standard for police sidearms from it's introduction in 1955 until the "wundernine" revolution of the 1980s. Accurate, powerful and ergonomically perfect. What more could you ask for?
Click to expand...

An old post, maybe, but I don't think the Model 19's impact and relevance can be synopsized any better.
 
Glenn E. Meyer said:
I resurrect this thread from the dead because I just got a Model 19-3 for $400. It had some wear on the blueing...
Click to expand...

Interestingly, I got my own 19-3 a few days ago, for the same price ($400 + $2 background check = $402 out the door).

Mine is in excellent shape, with some bluing loss at the muzzle and high-points on the cylinder, and a bit of bluing wear around the trigger guard. The lockwork was in excellent shape, but I swapped out the trigger spring for a lighter one (I don't know how heavy it is now) and the standard trigger for a chromed target trigger--the single-action trigger breaks between 2.0 and 2.5 pounds now, and the double-action trigger is the smoothest I've ever felt on any revolver I've ever tried. I put a set of Ahrends finger-groove cocobolo grips on it, too:

3288630243_f2c68fb48f.jpg
 
I want a Model 19. Today I found the first one I've ever held in my hands - a 19-1 with diamond grips. It's got lots of worn blue on the bottom of the trigger guard and the backstrap under the hammer. There are various knicks and dings, and what looks like lead crud on the outside of the cylinders toward the front.

It's probably over-priced for its condition at $450 - but the trigger is the smoothest thing I've ever pulled in both DA and SA. I mean smoooooth...*click*.

What to do? If I buy it, does cold blue work without hurting the value? Can an old Smith be re-blued sucessfully? Is it worth it?
 
Perhaps some of that stuff will come off, but yeah, the price sounds pretty high. I think any refinish job will hurt the value (not that a 19 is a rare gun, though).

There's a nice 6", Nickel-plated 19-4 for sale in the classifieds for $475, shipped. If I hadn't just bought my 19-3, I'd be looking real hard at that one.
 
RainbowBob,

For the price of $450, I would expect a Model 19 to be in excellent condition - not a lot of wear, nicks and dings. Sounds a bit over priced IMO.

WRT rebluing: Model 19's are not rare guns but there are a few hard to find configurations - 3" barrels, a .38 Special model for Peru with fixed sights, a square butt 2.5", etc. But if you want to fix the finish, send it to a compentent company like Ford's Refinishing or Cylinder & Slide, among others, who do excellent work. Avoid the cold bluing as it'll usually come out blotchy looking on larger areas.

Front Sights: For those with plain black fromt sights, Brownell's sells a sight-paint kit that lets you select from several colors (white, red, orange, yellow, green) for about $15 plus shipping.
 
I prefer a blue (even worn blue) 4 inch (which this is). I may see if they'll take $400 just because I'm in love with that trigger.
 
I've got a set of houge grips on mine, love it to death. I like crimson trace grips when I can get them, but I don't have the heart to change the grips I have, I shoot my 19 better than any other pistol I own and am afraid somehow that a laser will degrade my "extension of my arm" feel I have developed with the pistol.
 
Nickel Model 19 question

I got a nice looking Nickel Model 19-4 from my dad. He picked it up at an estate sale. GREAT action on it, not a scratch outside. BUT, on the inside, on the frame around the firing pin, there is what looks like a circular crack...but it is pitting. Im including a pic...has anyone seen this??? What it appears is the casing slams back after the firing pin hits the primer...heavy magnum/p+ loads???

I have fired the gun...great piece. Cycles well and is accurate...just need to know if I should have a smith look at it. (afraid to hear the answer if I ask the question...!)
 

Attachments

  • DSC03141.jpg
    DSC03141.jpg
    63.8 KB · Views: 923
  • DSC03142.jpg
    DSC03142.jpg
    58.1 KB · Views: 800
2bears said:
on the inside, on the frame around the firing pin, there is what looks like a circular crack...but it is pitting. Im including a pic...has anyone seen this??? What it appears is the casing slams back after the firing pin hits the primer...heavy magnum/p+ loads???
Click to expand...

Welcome to The Firing Line!

Have you tried to clean it out with a brass/bronze brush? From the pictures, it just looks like a bunch of powder residue's built-up and started to really cake on there. See down where the ratchets are, south of the firing pin hole, the discoloration follows their pattern. I'll bet that's what it is--built-up powder residue.

It could maybe possibly unlikely be the nickel plating starting to flake off, though I doubt it. There is very little tolerance with the headspacing in that area, and I don't think magnum/+p casings slamming back into the recoil shield there would be able to do enough damage to cause the VERY SOLID metal or even its plating in that area to start to peen and crack, at least not before rupturing the casings themselves.

If you're talking about the firing pin bushing, the perfectly circular bit around the firing pin hole, that would be...well...the firing pin bushing.

Show us the rest of the gun!
 
I have a nice 6" blued 19. Wish I had a 4" to go with it... someday...
Click to expand...

Interestingly enough, I had just turned 21 in 1971 when I marched into my local Montgomery Wards in St. Paul, MN, and bought the very first brand-new handgun of my life from the gun counter in the sporting goods department; a 6" blue Model 19 (back then, it was more often referred to by it's given name, "Combat Magnum", just like it says on the box ;) ).

I still have it today, being "my first". :D
While it has seen it's share of range time, it's still in 100% LNIB condition. I wanted to keep it that way, so I later bought a Model 66 in 4", and then another 66 in 2-1/2".
That way, I could shoot the stainless versions without worrying about rust. ;)

All these years later, the next question is: "Which nephew do I leave the Model 19 to?".
 
I bought my 4" 19 brand-spankin' new in 1978. It has Pachmayr Gripper Decelerator grips. I got my 2.5" this year and put Pachmayr Compac Pro grips on it. IMHO, they're the best all around handguns. S&W - don't leave home without it.;)
 
RE: Nickel Model 19 Question

Have you tried to clean it out with a brass/bronze brush? From the pictures, it just looks like a bunch of powder residue's built-up and started to really cake on there. See down where the ratchets are, south of the firing pin hole, the discoloration follows their pattern. I'll bet that's what it is--built-up powder residue.

It could maybe possibly unlikely be the nickel plating starting to flake off, though I doubt it. There is very little tolerance with the headspacing in that area, and I don't think magnum/+p casings slamming back into the recoil shield there would be able to do enough damage to cause the VERY SOLID metal or even its plating in that area to start to peen and crack, at least not before rupturing the casings themselves.
Click to expand...


Thanks kle! Great site! I hit the 'area' again tonight with a brass brush...including an updated pic. Looking at t the firing pin hole, there is the obvious factory scored circle around it. From about the 7 o'clock to the 3 o'clock position, going around CW, 4-5mm from the firing pin hole is a recession in the metal. The semi-circle is symetric and about the same diameter as the casing. Took a tooth pick and can feel the indentation.

Plus, adding a pic of the whole gun!
 

Attachments

  • DSC03152.jpg
    DSC03152.jpg
    132.7 KB · Views: 688
  • DSC03148.jpg
    DSC03148.jpg
    128.4 KB · Views: 572
2bears said:
I hit the 'area' again tonight with a brass brush...including an updated pic. Looking at t the firing pin hole, there is the obvious factory scored circle around it. From about the 7 o'clock to the 3 o'clock position, going around CW, 4-5mm from the firing pin hole is a recession in the metal. The semi-circle is symetric and about the same diameter as the casing. Took a tooth pick and can feel the indentation.

Plus, adding a pic of the whole gun!
Click to expand...

Hmm, it definitely looks like the plating's taken a beating there. Interesting; I discounted it earlier, but that was because I've never seen something like that. I wonder what caused that... Maybe you could find an older gunsmith (i.e. one who knows about revolvers) in your area who could tell you more about it.

If it were my gun, I don't think I'd worry too much about it and just do what Bill Jordan said: ".38s for practice and .357s for business."

Thanks for the picture. It looks just like every other Model 19 here: beautiful!
 
Model 19

I just purchased my model 19 today. It is the 19-5 nickle, 2 1/2 barrel, original wood grips. It is in excellent condition. I gave $475 for mine and the dealer threw in a set of Hogue rubber grips for free. This gun has an excellent feel and balance, can't wait to get to the range. I purchased it for concealed carry. Now I need to see what type of ammo it likes and what full house load to carry in it. Will post pictures in a few days.....:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top