Found a goodie today

Nice. Bought one with a four inch barrel a long time ago. Took it to the range and shot it just yesterday. Fun, fun, fun.

She isn't hiding anymore,congratulations it's a sweet looker.

Nice. Spotting an affordable Smith in great shape is the most satisfying thing I can think of when slumming about the gun store counters.

I miss my old 4" m-19. Traded it off years ago for a 7.5" super Redhawk 454... before the market for nice S&W revolvers went up to where they are now..

Good for you AZAndy, thats a great find. Bluing looks super. Enjoy!

that is a sweet find. I think I will do a little gun search at the local gun shops and see what catches my eye.

AZAndy

It wasn't hiding in the case; it was just waiting for you to come by and rescue it! Very nice find my friend!

AZAndy said:

This was hiding in the corner of a case when I went to buy some powder and projectiles:

View attachment 765344

S&W Model 19-3, .357, 6" barrel. Good rifling, tight lockup, smoooooth 8 lb. trigger. I am pleased. Now I must go shoot it!

Edit to add: The serial number puts it at 1975.

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Just those grips alone are worth some $$! Great gun, but avoid the 110 and 125gr. HPs- tend to crack the forcing cone.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Just those grips alone are worth some $$! Great gun, but avoid the 110 and 125gr. HPs- tend to crack the forcing cone.

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And 158 grain 357 Magnum loads. I cracked the forcing cone on my Model 19 shooting a steady diet of 158 grain magnum loads. Fortunately, it was back in the 1980s when S&W still had replacement barrels.

Nice looking Model 19. Shoot primarily 38 Special level loads with the occasional magnum loads.

I'm not big into shooting 357 Magnum loads these days, but I use 357 Magnum cases for my loads primarily so I do not have clean out the carbon build up in the chamber when shooting 38 Special cases. Besides, I save my 38 Special cases for shooting in my 38 Special K frame revolvers.

Definitely pre 1980 with the pinned barrel and square butt grips.. Excellent find!

Howdy

Looks just like my Model 19-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975. Still have the box and all the goodies.






By the way, back then that style of grip was called the Oversized Target grips. Made from Goncalo Alves.






I paid $135 for it, but that was over 40 years ago.

My 19-4 was about $230 in 1980. Unfortunately, I did not keep the box.

Hiding in the corner 'till you called her " front and center" ! Great find...range trip!! Time to dance.

Mark

Those sneaky S&W revolvers, lurking in dark cases waiting for the unsuspecting...

Ah, the Model 19 -- king of the K-frames! I've gone through a few and found the dash-3 to have some of the best triggers as well as the best lock-up. Have some very evident flame-cutting on a dash-4, but doesn't affect functioning in the slightest. Here's my last dash-3, found about four years ago at my little LGS for a very agreeable $395 (why I love those guys; not great on new guns, but very fair on used stuff).

I have my father's 19, a great shooting revolver.....

sean m said:

I have my father's 19, a great shooting revolver.....

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Why do I feel really old when guys report that they have their father's or grandfather's gun, just like mine that I bought in my 20s?

Ditto.

I would never comment upon your age, but be glad us young whippersnappers have listened to our elders and appreciate the guns of your era.

Driftwood

Why do I feel really old when guys report that they have their father's or grandfather's gun, just like mine that I bought in my 20s?

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That's 'cuz we are really old! We've become the old fogeys of our era, much like we looked upon our fathers, grandfathers, and their friends back in the day when we were the young whipper-snappers.

Big difference nowadays is trying to keep up not so much with the youngins' but with the all that technology that's out there!