Which of these Smiths is the Belle of the Ball?

[Marko Kloos]

Ok, let's try out this poll thingie.

Here are some of the *&* orphans that have recently found their way into my gun safe. I am very partial to all of them, but I am interested how the tastes of fellow wheelgun lovers run.

Monetary value aside, which one of these fine revolvers would you pick if you had the pick of the litter?

I kept the pictures small for the sake of load times and bandwidth.

Model 19, 4" round butt, with Pau Ferro monogrip.

Model 640 "Lew Horton" Carry Comp, with Ahrend's Cocobolo grips.

Model 25-2, 6.5" pinned barrel, with Pau Ferro monogrip.

Model 686, 2.5" round butt, with dark red grips from a 65LS.

Model 28 "Highway Patrolman", 6", made in 1972.

Model 36, 3" pinned heavy barrel, square butt.

Model 686-nought, 6", made in 1981.

 

[justinr1]

I have to go with the model 28. Probably the best .357 Smith has ever made (besides the 27), which is prettier. I wish Smith would make a run of the 6-shot N frame, but they never will. They have put to much engineering and marketing capital in the L frame. Oh well.

justinr1

 

[C.R.Sam]

I would be happy to dance with all the blued ones.

The 4" 19 round butt threw me. 4" 19 is my favorite non pocket wheel. Is that a custom round butt? I have only seen 2½" 19s in factory round butt. One by my knee as I type. Had to vote for your 19 cause never had one like it.

Sam

 

[Marko Kloos]

They made a very small number of M19s in 4" RB configuration, and they are extremely rare. Some 2.5" RB 19s were rebarrelled with 4" barrels, and those are a bit more common. Finally, some gunsmiths do a SB to RB conversion on them.

I don't know whether mine is an original 4" RB or a rebarrelled 2.5" RB, but it sure looks purdy. I just couldn't bring myself to pay *&* good money to verify whether this particular M19 started its life as a 2.5" or a 4" gun.

 

[PATH]

I'm sorry but Cinderella is a Mod.27.

 

[C.R.Sam]

I know bout convertin square butts to round butts but didn't know bout the limited run of 4"ers. Even if a barrel switch, tis still a nice piece. I didn't know Smith charged for runnin a number against the specs. Good night for larnin I guess.

Thanx, Sam

 

[BigG]

Sorry guys, but the true "big dog" is the 29 AKA the 44 Magnum before they went to the number system.

BTW, if you have a snubby you need a ROUND BUTT and a 2" bbl for best results.

 

[Marko Kloos]

Yeah, but everybody and their mailman has a 2" RB snubbie. You don't often see SB J-frames with 3" pinned heavy barrels.

 

[loknload]

Which Smith

While I don't have all of the Smith's pictured, I do own the 686 2.5 inch. I love it, For a short barreled handgun it shoots really well I love it I probably will pick up on the 27 and 28 sometime in the future, The 686 will remain one of my favorites

 

[Mike Irwin]

Lend,

S&W was manufacturing the 6-shot N-frame Model 27 up until about 4 or 5 years ago.

 

[justinr1]

Mike, are you sure that Smith was making the 27 up until 5 years ago. 8-10 maybe, but not 5. Surely.

justinr1

 

[Mike Irwin]

Justin,

The Model 27 was still being cataloged as a semi-custom shop item as late as 1996.

 

[7th Fleet]

I voted for the 2.5" 686, since mine is such a sweet pistol. I own most of the others listed, but that snubby .357 with finger gooved walnut grips is such a fine gun. I could just as easily have voted for most of the others.

7th

 

[Marko Kloos]

I have to say that the 686 in 2.5" is really growing on me...it's compact, powerful and surprisingly accurate for a shorty. I am planning to use it as my alternate CCW, to share carry gun duties with the Model 19. I have a Goncalo Alves monogrip on orde which should be here on Thursday, they'll look similar to the one on the 19.

My personal favorite of the bunch is the Model 19 4". It just points and balances like nothing else, it's very elegant, and the round butt is just the icing on the cake. That said, I'd have a hard time having to pick between any of them...it's like trying to decide which one of your puppies to save.

 

[loknload]

686

Just looked at a used 686 6" this afternoon, Has the factory wood grips on it and it looked to be in good condition. Didn't handle it though for a good examination. They were asking $299. for it. I may have to give this a ponder and go back for a second look see and with the check book of course
Did get a second speed loader for my 686 though

 

[BigG]

Nice collection, Lend!

Question: I thought only Taurus owners could afford a digital camera. hmm-mm

 

[HankB]

My vote is for the M28 because it's the only one I KNOW, without looking it up, is "pre-sellout."

 

[Marko Kloos]

Actually, they're all way pre-sellout. The youngest one of the bunch is the 640 Carry Comp, which was made in a run of 250 back in 1991.

The 19 is late 80s, the 25 was made betwen 1967-1974, the 686 2.5" is late 80s, the 28 was made in 1972 (original box with price tag of $127), the 36 is 1979, and the 686 6" was manufactured in 1981.

Those pics were not taken with a digital camera...I just scanned the guns at 600 dpi on my Acer scanner. It gives you much better resolution with small objects than the most expensive digital camera.

 

[jtduncan]

The 610 you forgot to include!

 

[Marko Kloos]

I do not have a Model 610, although I'd sure like one...preferably with a 4" or 3" tube. I saw one a month ago at Bullseye in Lawrenceville, GA...but alas, it was a Classic Hunter model with 6" barrel.