Excited! smith model 19

[anothernewb]

After about 6 months of searching for a reasonably priced 4" .357 with adjustable sights - I finally found one - from someone on this forum, ironically.

no pics yet. But as soon as the money arrives at the seller - there's a smith 19-3 on it's way to me.

Hoping this will fit the bill for training the wife and the 14 year old on centerfire pistols. Darn wife is so petite - just about anything other than a J frame or a pocket pistol semi has too large of a grip for either of them. and shooting a j frame isn't fun on an extended range session. She's tried the GP100 but it's too heavy for her to hold well, and the 14 year old is just plain scared of it.

Right now they both use an SR22.

Hoping that some nice mild 148 wadcutters out of the smith will train them up on handling recoil. Not to mention giving them a chance to use something else on the range. (and - of course I'll just have to shoot it regularly to make sure it's safe and in good working order for them....)

Someday I'll find a 9mm semi auto that will fit her hand well. but for now the toy budget is tapped. gotta save up again for a few months. Hopefully I can start shopping for one again next december or so. In a small twist of fate - the wife has handled my HiPower AND the 1911 rather fondly, although she admits that the 45 is too hard on her wrist at this point. Hopefully that will diminish with practice, and the fact that we're working with some weights to build up her arm and wrist strength.

 

[Iggy]

You picked a good one.. That gun with magna or even a pair of old service grips should work well for persons with small hands.

It will be a pussy cat with wadcutters and will do anything needed with magnum loads when needed.

 

[BCRider]

My own 19 set the stage for my little K frame collection. The are a great gun for range plinking, serious target shooting or just about anything else short of driving tent pegs into hard ground...

I second Iggy's suggestion for some 148gn wadcutter ammo. The kick in a 19 with only a hair more recoil than a .22. And they produce a short range POI that matches standard 158gn .38Spl loads for the most part.

One thing with the 19. It'll take .357Mag loads just fine as long as you stick with the 124 or, better yet, 158gn bullets. The reputation these older K frames have for splitting forcing cones came from using them with light bullets that produced crazy high velocities. Stick with 158gn Magnum loadings and the gun will eat them up and smile.

 

[svtruth]

Congratulations

Model 19 is one of the high water marks of firearms production.
Essentially a sonnet in blued steel.
Good luck

 

[Piraticalbob]

For your wife, you can choose Pachmayr Compac or Compac Pro grips to fit her hand, if the stock grips are too large (and if it's wearing target grips, they probably are).

 

[Old Fuff]

Even better for small hands, so long as you stick to mid-range .38 Special ammunition, are the small service stocks that came on pre-war .38 Military & Police revolvers, and will fit on later K-frames - such as the model 19. Duplicates will be found here.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Products/1369320.htm

Several other styles are available (with or without checkering or medallions)

 

[BYJO4]

The model 19 is a great revolver.

 

[mbopp]

I bought my 4" 19-3 new back in '75 or '76. It's still my favorite "walk in the woods" gun.

 

[bobinoregon]

Big Smith fan, got a pair of them. That's my favorite model .357

 

[robctwo]

I love the 19-3. I shoot mostly light .38 Special reloads. I have smallish hands, the Ahrends retro combat work well for me.

 

[bannockburn]

anothernewb

Great choice as the Model 19 is a very versatile K frame that works well for just about everyone size wise.

 

[anothernewb]

Got the news that it's on it's way to me. Got excited and went to make some ammo - wound up making 500 rounds of 148 wadcutters for it last night. Guess I was at the bench longer than I thought!

 

[ATLDave]

I've only got one revolver that I actually shoot, and it's a Model 19. Even though it's a little dinged up (I bought it that way at a good price), the darn thing is still beautiful, delightfully balanced, and shoots like a dream. I bought it primarily because I decided that I needed to get better at revolver DA shooting, in part because I thought it would improve my trigger control on autos. Along the way, though, I kept having fun shooting it! Now it's one of my favorite guns, and someone would have to double the money I've got in it to pry it away.