Educate me on revolver options

[Snapdragon]

So it pretty much boils down to a model 15 if you want a .38, or a model 19 if you want a .357.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I wouldn't mind a 66 because I can fix scratch's in stainless way easier than nickel, but I don't want a blued gun at this point.

I do have a friend offering me his 19-5 for 750.... I have not seen it personally, but he claims it looks impeccable and probably comes with the box. Can I get an age check?

SN 257k***

 

[SSGSAD]

where are you located?

Speedway, e mail sent .....

 

[IndyGunworks]

that gun ended up having a 2.5 inch barrel..... not what I am looking for...

Really leaning towards a 66 at this moment.... I wouldn't turn down a 19 in nickel for the right price though.

 

[billybob44]

Fixed sights shoot well....

all the model 10's I am seeing don't have the adjustable rear sights.

Model 10's do NOT have adjustable sights..They usually will shoot well with 146-160gr. projectiles.

The Model 10 was made to shoot the 158gr. bullet as well, or better than any adjustable sight model.

I have several Model 10's and a Ruger GP-100 with fixed sights that shoot better than me..Bill.

 

[IndyGunworks]

the ruger just looks to utilitarian for me. Consider this my search for my version of a bbq gun.

 

[Leadeye]

You're looking for the top gun, look around and go to an auction, they're around. S&W Model 14 K 38.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Nope... I want to maintain the ability to load .357's so the 66 is what I am shooting for now.

 

[Leadeye]

Nope... I want to maintain the ability to load .357's so the 66 is what I am shooting for now.

This maybe?

 

[IndyGunworks]

That's a full underlug barrel so I am guessing its an L frame not a K frame.... So not quite. Unless that was some sort of frankengun.

 

[Papadaca]

Smith n wesson or Rhino.

 

[Twangbanger]

Indygun,
Since you're looking at the 66, let me twist things in that direction a bit. The conversation has centered around vintage dash- guns, as it always does when Smith revolvers are discussed on the internet. Have you considered the new model 66? Smith has done something really interesting with that gun. The weakness of K-frame .357s was always durability with a steady diet of magnums - that's why they developed the L-frame. Now I know you're probably not going to shoot all magnums, but still hear me out on this: when Smith came out with the Model 69 .44 Magnum 5-shot L-frame, they put a ball-detent lockup on the front (locks front and back) for extra strength to get all that power in such a small gun. The payoff for the rest of us is, they carried that same lockup over to the new Model 66 .357. I've always loved the feel of K and L frame Smiths. That new 66 has the possibility to be the most durable K-frame .357 they've ever made. Even if all you're shooting is .38s, that durability still matters. It basically puts Ruger-like lockup strength into something that has the size and trigger smoothness of a Smith K-frame. That is not something to be sneezed at. This will be my next revolver purchase, and I'd urge you to check it out. Smith has tried a lot of different things, but I think they may have stumbled upon a real "sleeper" here, and people may just not realize it yet. The .44Mag L-frame was a somewhat crazy idea, but in terms of what the design change made possible when carried across to the 66 K-frame, I think it really has merit. (As soon as funds allow, I'm getting one to take some of the load off my 586, which I've already had rebuilt once).

Another thing I will mention, and I will take a lot of crap about this from the people with the older guns on this, but I don't care. Smith themselves cannot even work on the old guns completely anymore. All the parts are not available. The craftsmanship skill-set is also disappearing on the old guns. Even if you have a good Smith revolver smith, as I do, availability of older parts is still becoming an issue, no matter how good your gunsmith is. When you shoot revolvers a lot, and get into things like replacing ratchets and hammers and etcetera, you will eventually have to cannibalize off other old Smiths. My K-14 is becoming a limited-shooting and safe gun more and more, because things like the old hammers with the integral firing pin are becoming unobtainium and I'm afraid of eventually putting it completely out of order. I know you may not be a high-volume revolver shooter, but it's still something to consider. Smith revolvers are heirlooms. You want it to be around a long time. Something like that new ball-detent M66 is going to be very tough, and have parts that you can actually obtain and have fitted if you ever need them.

(Asbestos suit on...just wait for them)

 

[IndyGunworks]

You raise some good points.... Ill counter with one and a question.


1. I HATE HATE HATE supporting a gun that has that damn integral lock built in. I don't like it, I don't want it, I don't need it, and they don't provide and option to not have it....

2. I don't want rubber grips... I like the "classic" look. Does the new 66 have wood grip options, or accept older wood grips?

 

[Twangbanger]

There are some nice aftermarket wood grips for K-frames, Hogue even makes some. I don't like them for shooting, but they're nice for show. The lock is easily disabled...if you don't like it on philosophical grounds, I guess just keep a fistful of dollars handy and wait for an old gun to come available. You have to act fairly promptly if you see one for a good price. The $450 ones go pretty quick. The $600 ones sit around a bit longer, if you're inclined.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Will all K frame wood grips fit all K frames? assuming all square butt.... So I could buy a set at the gun show and they would drop right on to the new model?

 

[oldpink]

I would ask S&W directly if you want a solid answer about interchangeability of their old grips on their current models, but I would bet that it would work just fine.
I understand all the dislike for the lawyer-proofing of the key lock mechanism, but there are ways to take care of that with aftermarket parts (at least I believe so), such as this - http://www.brownells.com/handgun-pa...eties/s-w-revolver-thumb-latch-prod22092.aspx
Personally, unless the current manufacture S&W guns' key locks have a tendency to accidentally engage without using the key, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.
I have a circa 1984 Marlin 39A from right before they started including the crossbolt safety and another Marlin, a model 1894, with the crossbolt safety.
While I would prefer not having the crossbolt at all on the model 1894, in practical use it's no real problem at all, and it's there for when I want just a bit more margin of safety than just the half cock notch offers.
Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to get into a twist about it, and you can easily remove and replace the lock with a conventional latch if it really galls you that much.

 

[IndyGunworks]

, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

Principle. Just like I don't like large engravings on the barrel reminding me to read the owners manual.

 

[wesnellans]

Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to get into a twist about it, and you can easily remove and replace the lock with a conventional latch if it really galls you that much.

I think you misunderstand how the internal lock system of the Smith revolvers work. It has NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING to do with the cylinder latch. Separate pieces entirely. The internal lock is embedded in the left hand sideplate/frame section of the revolver. The latch knob sits on the outside of the gun, BY the lock hole in the frame, but has no involvement in the lock mechanism.

Simply replacing the latch "knob" will have no effect other than you've now got a new(er) knob.

The internal lock has been discussed in great detail in this thread: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/gunsmithing/327405-hillary-hole-how-deal-stupid-lock.html

 

[oldpink]

Okay, that answers some questions.
I still don't get all the angst over it, though.

 

[wesnellans]

Okay, that answers some questions.
I still don't get all the angst over it, though.

The problem is that we all have a tendency to "war game" a given scenario. "What can go wrong" is something we all (should) look at in a defensive firearm, I think anyone would agree.

The internal storage lock (and that's all it is, it's not a "safety") is a device whose SOLE purpose is to render the gun inoperable. There's NO other function for it to perform. Self-engagement of said device on the range would be an annoyance. Self-engagement of it on a defensive tool during an encounter would obviously be an.... issue.

It's not a situation of the locks self-engaging left and right all over the ranges and in the holsters of their owners. But the fact remains that there IS a documented history of these devices engaging under recoil and when dropped (bumped hard?).

Will it happen to you? Unlikely. Getting hit by lightning is unlikely in your life. But OH, BOY, if it happens to you, you'll know it. While it's an unlikely occurrence, I'm certainly not going to increase the chances of it happening by running around in the middle of the wet field with a metal rod in my hand in the middle of the storm, either. Nor am I going to INCREASE my chances of my gun failing me when I need it most by allowing an internal lock into the mix.

If I can REDUCE (not eliminate, you'll note) the chance of my defensive tool failing me when I need it most by eliminating a choke point in the design (again, a device designed to keep the tool from functioning), I'm going to do that. So it's either not going to have a lock in the first place, or, barring that possibility, if it can be removed, it'll be gone. If it can't be removed without hindering functionality, then I won't have it. Because I don't want even the POSSIBILITY of it being engaged when I need the gun the most.

It's not a safety that you can easily sweep off. If it's engaged, you need the little key to disengage it. And often times when they've failed you can't even unlock it WITH the key.

THAT'S the reason for the angst.

And the reason that Ruger revolvers are being mentioned so much in this thread - their current production mainline guns don't have internal locks to be concerned with. New Smiths do. Vintage Smiths don't.