S&W's most eye-appealing full-sized DA revolvers

And now for something completely different



https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/model-686?sku=11760

L-frame 686 + 7-shot .357 Magnum, 5" barrel

UncleEd said:

By eye-appealing I mean the aesthetics
of the guns and this can be a very
indvidual taste.

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Like all things in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, the real beauty of any revolver is how it feels in my hand and how it prints on paper.

Not that I own one, but a pre-war blued RM in 3.5" to 5" would be the top of my list.

This to me is the most aesthetically pleasing of all S&W DA revolvers, along with one of their nicest looking knives that they made:

I rather like the clean straight lines of this, er... sewer pipe.

ANY blued S&W N frame---any barrel length---any caliber.

Hmm! No one has mentioned the 686 Mountain Gun.

This is a blued 1979 Hwy Patrolman, Mod 28. It is a rescue.

I bought it rusted, pitted and neglected so it had quite a rough previous life. I had it refinished and tuned by a LGS. I replaced the factory magna grips with white, target grips as I have a personal affinity for white grips. The white also contrasts starkly with the dark blue finish. It's that contrast that catches eyes when it's taken out to the range.

Pic:



Bayou52

Bayou52

I replaced the factory magna grips with white, target grips as I have a personal affinity for white grips. The white also contrasts starkly with the dark blue finish. It's that contrast that catches eyes when it's taken out to the range.

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Me too!

Well white... and ivory too!

^^^^ Very nice, bannockburn!

Bayou52

Bayou52

Thanks! And kudos to you for the nice restoration of your Model 28!

I guess I always have liked the look of a nicely blued, along with a color case hardened finish, handgun with white or ivory colored grips on them; makes for a nice visual contrast.


To the OP: I apologize that none of these handguns are S&W revolvers. Got a little off track there but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to put everything back in order.

Please carry on.

^^^^ Another beauty! Thanks!

Bayou52

I guess I'll object to "sewer pipe" too, even if it was tongue-in-cheek. I think a 4" Model 29 is the best-looking revolver in the line-up, and a good candidate for best-looking revolver of all time.

I will say that the grips on the "Classic" series guns are generally not great looking, and of course the finish on the blued guns isn't quite as good as that of yesteryear.

Of the current line-up, I think the 4" Model 27, with the checkered top strap, takes top honors.

I've always loved the Mountain Guns profile.

I think combat grips can make any modern Smith look appealing.

In my opinion, my 5" Full Lug Model 29 takes top honors:



Bob Wright

Old Dog said:

"Sewer pipe?" Objection, your honor, purely subjective.
View attachment 1074927

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Me too...the 4" M19 is as classy as it gets.

I like my 6.5” M25

Pat Riot said:

And my model 10-7

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Man, there's no better looking revolver than the plain-jane Model 10 -- I'm partial to those pencil-barreled dash 5s, 6s, 7s... Wish I'd snapped 'em up in the early 90s when law enforcement was trading in revolvers en masse and you could find tables full of 'em at gun shows, sometimes for under a hundred bucks.

Stainless N-frame with a full under-lugged barrel, any length, fluted cycling, chambered in a cartridge starting with a 4, moonclips for bonus points.

The half lug versions always look better to me.

I like the look of the 4" better, but my 6" Model 28 has a great personality.

Agree with some previous comments,
M10 and M25 are to my mind's eye, the most appealing.

UncleEd said:

While we may differ on the best-looking
S&Ws, let us all agree that on the whole
we ladies and gentlemen here are all
quite an attractive bunch of folks.

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Well, I have a face custom made for radio.