Well that did not take too long....

W

WVsig

New member
I was able to score this 19-3 for less than my allotted budget. It's serial number 7K9504XX. This puts DOB about 1975. Yes it is a Bangor Punta gun but I am OK what that. It is pinned and recessed and if I am correct is a 3 screw gun. Looks to be standard sights, standard trigger and hammer. I looked it over and it passes all Jim March revolver test tests. Gun locks up tight. There is a tiny bit of play in lock up but it is my understanding that is normal. Not being a revolver guy. Force cone looks good again to this autoloaders novice eyes. I see no damages or cracks.

The blue is very nice. Snapped a few quick pics but my light box is not fully setup so did not get the detail I wanted but it will do for now. Fuzziness and smears are oil and poor photography not blemishes on blue. Only a few spots of wear. One blemish on the cylinder and a tiny bit of wear on the muzzle most likely from limited holstering. Cylinder has a slight turn ring. The grips seem to be original and are in decent shape but the lacquer has seen better days.

Trigger seems right to me. Nice smooth DA and super crisp SA. Gun feels good in the hand. Might swap out to smaller grips but want to shoot the gun as is before making that change. Overall for a 39 year old gun it is in good shape IMHO. It has been shot and it is not a "collector" piece but that was no what I was looking for anyway.

Cannot get to the range today due to all the rain we have been having in the area but will be headed out tomorrow if I can. Now need to fine some .357 ammo to shoot! Fondling is all I will be able to do today.....

PS we all know it won't be my only one...so here is to the first of many! LOL











 
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That looks like an absolute winner. I do not have the hands-on experience with Bangor Punta era S&W revolvers to comment on how they stack up, I only own one of them (had one other) and the one I kept is a Commemorative gun that I have turned in to a shooter and I can report that it's just about as perfect as you are going to ask from any modern(ish) Smith & Wesson revolver.

If your 19-3 is a solid as my 19-3, you've hit a home run.

I don't run a lot of .357 Mag (of any bullet weight) through mine because I simply don't find it comfortable to do so, and I leave that to my 686 and more so, to my 28-2. I think of the K-frame Magnums as revolvers meant for .38 Special that will eat a Magnum here and there if I decide I wanna feed it, but a few of them usually ends that party for me.

Nice gun!
 
Pretty slick, Slick,,,

Ya just have to love a good K-frame S&W,,,
To me they are as close to perfection as a revolver can get.

Nice catch my friend,,,
Now get thee to a range.

Aarond

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I don't run a lot of .357 Mag (of any bullet weight) through mine because I simply don't find it comfortable to do so, and I leave that to my 686 and more so, to my 28-2. I think of the K-frame Magnums as revolvers meant for .38 Special that will eat a Magnum here and there if I decide I wanna feed it, but a few of them usually ends that party for me.
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That was my thought for this gun as well. I figure it will see a 8-2 or 9-1 ratio of 38 to 357.

Will look to pick up a heavier framed gun down the road if feel the need. :)
 
Sweet!

I generally don't run anything except .38 spl through my 19-4.

No real reason to run anything hotter.

It doesn't take a lot of power to kill a paper target! :D
 
Yeah and the only 357 available local is Remington UMC 125gr which is hot from what it understand.
 
The Smith Model 19 is one of the finest revolvers ever made, imho. And there's nothing wrong with "fondling" it. Great buy and I'm certain that you will never regret buying it.
 
That's a great revolver. I gather that before the big switch to semi-autos, the Model 19 was probably THE revolver of choice by police if they had a choice and could afford a few more bucks over a Model 10.
 
Model 19's are hot on the used gun market right now. You were lucky to have found such a nice one. While S&W made a lot of M19's they are kind of tough to find.

I have the cousin to the M19 a Model 66, for a long time, but a M19 that was (a) for sale and (b) reasonably priced kept eluding me. Finally I lucked out and found this 19-2 for sale locally. I paid a bit more for it than I would have liked, but the condition of it and the fact that it was still in the original box with the tools and paperwork swayed me to open up my wallet.


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Thanks. You are right about one thing, yours will be the first of many, I started with a K22 Masterpiece many years ago and now I have a few more. For some reason, I just can't stop buying them.

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Nice collection! I am not a wheel gunner by nature. Started shooting on semi autos. The Sig P228 was the first gun I really shot with regularity and any skill.

I am interested in a 586 that would have been my other choice for my first S&W .357 but I found this 19 first. I have a lead on a 586 LEO trade in. ;)
 
First thing to do is find someone that really knows how to shoot a D/A K-frame in D/A and follow their advice to-the-T.

I was lucky in that regard.
The guy that "taught" me how to shoot was the armorer/firearms instructor for the East Cleveland police department.
I believe he also was the instructor for several other departments on the East side of Cleveland, but, it's been a long time and I can't remember exactly.

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Keep the forcing cone clean of carbon deposits. May cause hot spots that can lead to failure in the metal. The 19-3s are not known for barrel failures, it's the -5s that are the main culprits.

My 19-3 was made in 1970 and carried for 18 years by a federal agent. Then I bought it. It has been shot a lot and every single round was a full house 125 JHP Magnum.
 
I have a lead on a 586 LEO trade in.
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If it's in good condition and you can buy it at a fair price, my advice is to get it before someone else does. 586/686 Smith L-frame models are some of the best revolvers ever made imo.
 
Good catch. I got one a few years with some light rust but DIY bluing made it pretty. I shoot it once in awhile for IDPA.

I want a snubby Model 66 but have missed them when they were reasonable.
 
So I got to the range today and ran 50 38 Spl down the new to me 19-3. All the rounds I shot today were Remington UMC Green Box 38 Spl 130 GR. All I can say is I am happy with the purchase. Gun functioned 100%. No issues what so ever. Trigger felt great. Sights were easy to pick up. I do sort of wish that my gun had the red line on the front sight which I think is a bit faster to pickup but the black on black worked just fine. I might consider a putting a painted red dot on it but I do not want to screw up the looks of this classic 19. Also don't want to pay to replace the sight. Oh well used budget buyers cannot have everything.

I shot a good mix of DA and SA. To be honest I found the DA to be more fun. It was so smooth and the stroke so clean compared to the DA on semi-autos that I am used to that I did not find a need to continuously cock the gun. More on this later in the range report. I would estimate I shot 75% of the rounds in my 50 count box DA. I still have to get used to the open the cylinder and dump the rounds thing. Using 2 hands felt awkward for this semi-auto shooter. I am sure I will get used to it with more practice. Maybe a speed loader would make me feel better.

It took a few rounds for me to get used to the grip and the action but after a few cylinders I was good to go. Shot this 6 round group at 15 yards. These were all DA. I thought it was not too bad for my first outing with it. Looks like #6 got away from me a little bit but all and all not too bad. These were not exactly slow fire not exactly blasting away but smooth consistent sight and shoot. I might have to swap the grips more shooting will be needed to determine that. If anyone has suggestions for slightly smaller grips than the stock ones I am open to suggestions.



After that I simply loaded it up a shot until I was out of ammo. This what the target looked like after about 24 rounds give or take. 3 at the top were intentional. As was the one on the bottom right and bottom center, which did not stay on paper as planned. These were again at 15 yards and was a mix of DA and SA. For the most part looks like I was shooting low. Will have to work on that. Most likely a sight picture issue. I most likely reverted to a combat sight, cover the target sight picture, while shooting causing me to shoot low. What sight picture is correct for the 19 with standard sights? Most of my stuff is setup as POA=POI especially at 15 yards. That said it most definitely could have been simply IO error.



I brought along a Sig P228, CZ P01 and a BHP for kicks since I only had 50 rounds of 38 Spl. The DA on the 19 simply crushed the Sig and the CZ both of which have very good DA pulls IMHO. They seemed clunky in comparison. Maybe it is just new love messing with my head. To get it back on track I took out my Izzy BHP and shot another 50 rounds out of that to get me back in my Semi-auto mindset. That gun was built for me... thank you JMB and Saive.

I liked the 19 but I do not think it will replace my BHP or my 1911s. To sum it up my first range trip with my first S&W .357, even without shooting any .357, was all that I had hoped it would be. I have to order 500 rounds of 38 Spl and look for reasonable .357 rounds. I might roll my own as a friend has offered to let me use his press. Same guy whose 686 I shot which started this whole ball rolling. Who wants to set the odds that WVsig's next purchase will be reloading equipment. :eek:

I have to say that I really recommend that even the most zealous die hard semi-auto shooters should try and even buy a quality revolver like the S&W I picked up. It is a different feel and a different animal in a very positive way. Kind of like the way a 1911 feels different than the latest tactical plastic.The line from Star Wars kept running through my mind as I shot. "not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age." -Obi Wan
 
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I think the -3 K-frames were pretty good. Maybe they had less hand fitting than the post-war guns, but the bluing was very nice and this was still the P&R era.
 
I've always used point of aim/point of impact with my revolvers. Just make sure that you're not pulling the barrel down as you pull the DA trigger. Shoot a few SA and compare. If they are about the same, then you're probably shooting fine. The sights will need adjusting.

IIRC, Smith and Wesson revolvers were sighted in for 25 yards which means they would shoot just a bit low at closer range.
 
I have to order 500 rounds of 38 Spl and look for reasonable .357 rounds. I might roll my own as a friend has offered to let me use his press. Same guy whose 686 I shot which started this whole ball rolling. Who wants to set the odds that WVsig's next purchase will be reloading equipment. :eek:
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I just simply would not spend that money on the .38 Special ammo.

Spend it on some used .38 brass and some of the components and tools you'll need to get rolling. When I first started shooting center fire revolvers in the very late 80s, Black Hills was a brand new name in ammo and it was all re-manufactured ammo (factory reloads!) and I could get 50 rounds for $6 plus tax. Those days are gone. .38 Special used to have the economy of scale on it's side, but those days are gone also.

There truly exists NO BETTER CARTRIDGE ON THIS PLANET for a beginning handloader than .38 Special. I believe this with all my heart. And making your own ammo is a hobby that you simply will wish you'd picked up long ago. It's a very deep love for me and .38 is exactly the place to start.

There's a whole slew of good folks right here on TFL that will help along the way.

I can't find many more ways to rubber stamp your "possible" idea that "maybe" you should investigate further. ;)
 
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