What's Your Favorite S&W .357 Revolver?

[CCK]

I would like to hear which S&W .357 you all favor and why. I had my sights on a pre-lock 4" 586, but then read a bit on the model 27, and pinned and recessed Smiths. I am mainly interested in pre-lock guns, older models, the kind that they don't make like they used to, etc., but please tell us your favorite model and why you like it best.
Thanks!

 

[rcmodel]

Model 19 blue & Model 66 stainless I guess.

At least thats the two I have kept around for 40 years.

rc

 

[golden]

S&W L-frame

I say the L-frame since I have both the adjustable sighted 586 and a fixed sighted 681. The L-frame works very well for me except they are heavy.

Jim

 

[sappyg]

I've always been partial to the model 19. Even bought an LNIB chrome 6" 19-5 once. I soon realized it was just too nice to shoot so I sold it. Still looking for the right one.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I'm torn. There is my Model 19-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975. First centerfire revolver I ever owned.





And this Model 28 I bought a few years ago.




I think for firing full power 357 Mag loads all afternoon I prefer the heft of the Model 28. But I have a very sentimental attachment to my Model 19.

 

[Waveski]

For me : 586 no dash , 6".


Why ? I have to be honest in saying that I only own 1 other Smith in .357 - a model 60 , which is less than fun to shoot when loaded with .357 magnum.

That stated , the 586 is a well balanced revolver with a fine trigger ; it handles recoil nicely , and is pleasing to the eye. Loaded with .38 special it recoils like a full frame .22.

When it comes to pleasing the eye , the models 19 & 28 posted by Mr. Johnson are hard to beat.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

8 3/8" 686 is the most accurate out of all my revolvers. It isn't D&T, though. My 7 shot, 7" 686 with a Burris FastFire III is my most fun to shoot.

 

[Malamute]

The 19s are very nice to carry, and for shooting less than max loads. The 27's are a true masterpiece of gunmaking art. Besides the general quality of finish, the entire top of the frame, rear sight and barrel are finely checkered. They are also the toughest for heavy shooting.

I like the L's, but they dont do either the heavy duty shooting or the easy carry as well as either the 27 or the 19.

 

[46Slick]

I only have a Smith model 60 .357 3" barrel so that needs to be my favorite. Somewhere I read that this gun does not like a diet of full house .357 mags, so I limit it to .38 s&w unless carrying it.

 

[ROAshooter]

........"I'm torn. There is my Model 19-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975. First centerfire revolver I ever owned."

Driftwood...I have the exact same M19 you show the pic of.....it shows a detail that is missing on S&W for some years now.......the small... obscure.."hump/bump" peeking out from the base of the trigger.
How many do you think know what this is for......

after looking your pic again...I see that my M19 has the wide target trigger...

.and I have an exact matching M17....that at a gun store event...in 1975....a Smith factory tech.....tuned the 19 and the 17 to have identical trigger pulls...they are a pair of my most prized possessions....

retired the two to preserve their pristine condition.....replaced with a S&W first year 686 no dash(1980)...and 617...when they came out...both in 4"

 

[2ndunamended]

686+, 6-inch. Love the extra round and overall feel of the gun.

 

[J-Bar]

Most of my Smith and Wessons are .38 Specials. My one .357 is a 4 inch blue 19-3 (#3 from the top in the thumbnail). It resides by my bed, so I guess it must be my favorite .357.

It was previously owned by my brother-in-law's father-in-law...that qualifies as family in the South!! So I am happy to keep it in the family.

Like most of the vintage S&Ws, it has a trigger like butter. I have friends who are used to semi-autos, and when I urge them to try the trigger, I usually get a "Wow!" with raised eyebrows. If shooting a classic Smith revolver will not convert them to revolvers, nothing will.

The other three are a Model 18 .22 LR, Model 15 .38 Special and a Model 10 bull barreled .38 Special. Our carry guns, a Model 36 for her and a Model 60 for me, remain concealed, as they should.

 

[Malamute]

Driftwood...I have the exact same M19 you show the pic of.....it shows a detail that is missing on S&W for some years now.......the small... obscure.."hump/bump" peeking out from the base of the trigger.
How many do you think know what this is for......

I do.

They stopped putting them in the duty/carry guns after they caused embarrasment a couple times, but the frame was still cut for them. They just left the part and its screw out.

 

[Busta Prima]

The model 66.

 

[rcmodel]

How many do you think know what this is for......

I do too.

It's for the same thing the little steel rod inside the rebound slide spring was for on some models.

Do I win anything??

Thought not. :banghead:

Rc

 

[joneb]

This may not get much respect here but I'm pretty happy with this,
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=135741&d=1296943890
Oops sorry, this is a S&W thread my bad

 

[Twiki357]

For carry it would be my 3 inch model 13-2 or 2.5 inch model 19-3, but my 6 inch model 27-2 that I bought new in 1963 (My first gun) will always be special.

 

[Valkman]

I've kept my 4" M66 since about 1990 so I guess it's my favorite - it was a police turn-in and really smooth shooting. I also have a 642 but it's not a shooter like the 66 is.

 

[captain awesome]

Definately my 27-2.

And please, enlighten us youngsters what that "bump" is for.

 

[fausto]

I have a 28-2 4" and a 19-5 2" 1/2 , I like them both but I'm in love with the first one.
Now, if I could ever find a 27 with a 3" 1/2 barrel here in Italy............... that would be my sweetheart.

 

[Deaf Smith]

There lies my favorite S&W AND my favorite Ruger.

The reason is obvious. I've had them for over 30 years.

Deaf

 

[Ruger Redhawk]

I had one of S&W M 27’s that were made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 357 magnum. (1935-1985).I sold / traded it off and I sorter wish I had kept it.
Then I had and regretfully sold a blued M19 6" I bought new in the early 70’s.

I still have a couple of the 686's a 4" & 6", I also have a couple of the Model 66’s, a 4" and a 2 ½”. I got my 4” 66 in the early to mid-1970’s. I got the
2½” from a good friend who passed away years ago and I really don’t know how old it is but he passed away around 1980. I haven’t fired any of these Smith’s very much.

My wife’s late husband had a M19 Nickel . It's been locked away for about 10 years. I hate to admit without going to get it out I can’t remember if it’s a 4” or a 6”. I don’t think he fired it very much and there is some flaws in the nickel. If it was actually mine it would have be long gone. I have never liked a nickel gun. I like the “L” frames but my all-time favorite Smiths are the old “K” frames and the little “J” frames.

 

[bannockburn]

S&W Model 686 with a 4" barrel.

 

[CajunBass]

I've probably owned all the K/N frame Smith & Wesson 357's at one time or another. 19, 13, 28, 27, a "Pre-27"...you get the idea.

I liked them all. Pretty simple.

But the one I kept, was a Model 28-2 from the early 70's.

 

[stu1ritter]

586, 4" barrel, first year with serial AAAxxx
Stu