?s about S&W Model 66

[Pukindog12]

I was in a LGS looking for a Bersa Thunder 9HC Pro and during casual conversation the fellow behind the counter pulled out one of his personal firearms he said was for sale. It was a S&W Model 66 with a 3" barrel and Hogue grips. He said it was a .38 Special and he wanted $375 for it. I looked at it while it was in the box and didn't ever pull it out to inspect it. I seen the left side and noticed it was a prelock and in beautiful condition from what I could tell. I asked him again if it was a .38 and he said yes.

The first question is did S&W make a Model 66 in .38 Special? I thought they were all .357 Magnums.

The second question is if it is a .38 is $375 a good price for a 3" barrel? I know for a 3" barrel .357 Magnum that is a very good price.

Any insight provided is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Radagast]

S&W made the Model 68 in .38 special for the California Highway Patrol. It was a six inch barrel gun. Apart from the caliber and cylinder length it was identical to the 66.
A limited number of 66s with three inch barrels were made. According to the Standard catalog of S&W these were all in .357 magnum. The majority of short barreled Model 66s are 2.5 inch versions, again all are .357 magnums.

 

[Pukindog12]

I went back to the LGS and and handled and inspected thoroughly the S&W Model 66. It is a .357 Magnum. I don't know why the fellow stated it was a .38. He also now wants $400. Doesn't matter. I pick it up tomorrow evening.

 

[Confederate]

The best way to tell is to simply look at the gun. Look at the right side of the barrel and the caliber stamped on it. If it's in great condition and it is a .38 Special, whether you buy it is something you have to determine. One of the greatest benefits of the .357 is its versatility. In my opinion, it has the greatest stopping power of any handgun, including the .44 magnum. That said, I would only use that power in certain circumstances, such as road trips, camping, hiking and mostly outdoors.

I would not use it indoors. The .38 Spc is one of the most underrated calibers, mostly because in its early days police used heavy round nosed bullets that over-penetrated people and ricocheted. In many cases they would not penetrate cars or tires; and actually, that's one of the reasons the .357 was developed. Initial testing with the .357 impressed the highway patrol. Officers were thrilled to see that car tires were shredded with just one shot and that bullets would penetrate car bodies and seats and take out fleeing felons. But now .38 Spc loads are effective manstoppers, and their use in homes and apartment buildings are highly recommended. But for outdoor uses, the .357 is superb because it's really in its element. That said, it's just too powerful for use indoors, IMO.




Modern .357s are smaller and better designed.

.

 

[Fishslayer]

The first question is did S&W make a Model 66 in .38 Special? I thought they were all .357 Magnums.

The second question is if it is a .38 is $375 a good price for a 3" barrel? I know for a 3" barrel .357 Magnum that is a very good price.

The M66 is a .357 which, of course, can also fire .38 Special.

The 3" M66 is a somewhat rare & very desirable piece. At $375 I would not have left without it.

If it is indeed a 3" M66 it would seem the dealer doesn't know what he has.

I went back to the LGS and and handled and inspected thoroughly the S&W Model 66. It is a .357 Magnum. I don't know why the fellow stated it was a .38. He also now wants $400. Doesn't matter. I pick it up tomorrow evening.

Must read whole thread.

Good for you. I passed on a 3" M66 a couple years ago at $600+. Been kicking myself ever since. :banghead:

EDIT: You sure it's actually 3"? Revolver barrel length is muzzle to the cylinder face. Even if it is a 4" $400 is still a decent price.

 

[18DAI]

Nice score! Congrats!!

Locally a 3 inch pre lock 66 brings $650 to $850, depending on condition and box/docs ect. IF you could find one!

Enjoy yours!

 

[MrBorland]

If it's a true 3" 66, $400 is a steal. The only time I've seen them, they were in the $1k range.

Be aware, though, that S&W also made a 3 1/4" 66. IIRC, they were 66-5s. It's not as collectable as a true 3". Unlike the latter, it has a fiber optic front sight, and the barrel extends a bit beyond the underlug.

I'd also look closely to see if there's evidence the barrel was cut down to 3".

 

[dfariswheel]

S&W made only a few VERY short runs of 3" Model 66 revolvers, mostly sold by RSR and Ashland Shooters Supply in Ohio in the 1980's.

These are rare, sought after guns by both collectors and shooters.
These make arguably the finest carry revolver of them all.
If you paid $400, you got it for about 1/2 what it's worth especially if it's in the original box.

Here's my Ashland Model 66 Dash-3, apparently only 2200 made.



Compared to the standard 2 1/2" model:

 

[S.B.]

LGS? ***?
Steve

 

[Radagast]

LGS= Local Gun Shop.

 

[BYJO4]

Congrats, you got a nice deal.

 

[Fishslayer]

Looks like Pukindog hasn't gotten back from the range yet with his new toy.

I'm sure he'll post some pics when he gets back...

 

[Pukindog12]

Too good to be true.

I wish I could my friend. I called him Tues. afternoon to meet up and he informed me it wasn't for sale anymore. He stated his wife wanted to keep the gun for herself. For a lack of a few bucks and being too late on Monday evening I missed out on a great opportunity.

So much for integrity being alive today.

 

[dfariswheel]

One of the Prime Rules of gun buying is:
When you SEE it....BUY it. Because it won't be there to buy when you go back.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I don't think you should be too hard on him, especially if his wife really wanted to keep it for herself. It is a tough choice and one's SO usually wins in the end

 

[Fishslayer]

For a lack of a few bucks and being too late on Monday evening I missed out on a great opportunity.

Ah, well. Another will come along. I've missed out on some good deals by wanting to do some research. Better to miss out than get burned, IMO.

Next time you see a 3" M66 that cheap you will know to pounce and pounce hard.

 

[MIL-DOT]

Your LGS owner is full of shinola. He gave you an excuse that he knew no one could argue with. I bet someone else saw it at that price and freaked out and the guy finally figured it out and then yanked it out of his hand,saying "sorry,this was supposed to be on lay-away, I forgot to remove it from the display." I just base guess this on my experience with LGS owners being hustling scumbags.

 

[Fishslayer]

Your LGS owner is full of shinola. He gave you an excuse that he knew no one could argue with. I bet someone else saw it at that price and freaked out and the guy finally figured it out and then yanked it out of his hand,saying "sorry,this was supposed to be on lay-away, I forgot to remove it from the display." I just base guess this on my experience with LGS owners being hustling scumbags.

I would never say anything but that would be my guess, too.

I know if I saw something like that in my LGS I would tell the owner, but he is a straight shooter & there's no doubt in my mind he would honor a deal regardless.

 

[joed]

Oh well, guess you missed that one. Keep an eye out and you'll find another.

 

[FERLACH]

I have a 3" #66, it is from the Smith Wesson Performance Center