Unusual 3 inch 66-2

[18DAI]

I attended the Winston-Salem gunshow this past weekend.

There was an older gentleman there selling his modest collection. He had one very unusual piece. An ornately engraved 3" S&W 66-2. While that in itself is hardly unusual, the hammer on this 3" 66-2 most definitely was.

In my experience the average 66-2 should have a flash chromed hammer and trigger. This one did not. It was not case hardened either, as one would expect a replacement hammer and trigger to be.

It looked like it was dull/matt steel. It had no spur on the hammer either, and the spurless configuration did not match any OEM spurless hammer from S&W I have ever seen, but here is the unusual part. This hammer, at its base, had a small square, visible just above the frame (in the same location as the Taurus internal lock). The small square was textured......like the spur on a S&W hammer.

I inquired with the owner as to what it was. He held the revolver and pushed the square with his thumb, to the left. About 2mm of the left side of this "textured square" now overlapped the left side of the frame. "Its a safety" the old gentleman informed me. "With it slid out to the left, the action is locked up".

I've never seen anything quite like that. Has anyone here? It was remarkably well done. Superb craftsmanship. While I can't think of a reason I would want such a thing on a revolver, I'm in awe of how well made and inconspicuous it was.

Less inconspicuous was the old gentlemans asking price for this nice 3" 66-2. $5600!!

I thanked him and bid him farewell. TJ

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Wow, $5,600 is a big chunk of change!

You do realize though:

 

[RatDrall]

So he ruined the gun and wanted $5600 for it?

 

[bannockburn]

Thaddeus Jones

I seem to recall reading an article in some gun magazine/annual edition years ago which dealt with custom made safeties you could have installed on a revolver. Basically as a means to "kid proof" a DA revolver kept in the home for protection. Your description of the one you saw on the S&W Model 66 reminded me of one of the types in the article. Sort of like the sliding tang safety you might find on a shotgun, only this one was like a small checkered tab built into the hammer, that you moved sideways to activate. I think this blocked the hammer from being cocked, in either DA or SA mode. I don't remember if this could be done with the existing hammer, or if the manufacturer supplied their own custom part for the modification.

 

[18DAI]

bannockburn,

That sounds like what I observed. Quality craftsmanship. For a moment I though it was simply part of the ornate engraving.

It did indeed lock the hammer in place when the gentleman slid it to the left.

While I myself would not have a use for such a device on a revolver, it is a much better solution than what S&W came up with. No eyesore on the revolver, and the classic lines of a S&W K-frame are preserved.

Nice 3" 66's go for around $850 locally, when you can find one. Even with the tastefull engraving I felt he was about $3600 too high.

Thanks for the info! TJ