Hey thanks for the comment! I too have 19 4” blued from the late 70s / 80s with original wood stocks and box and I guess I’d have to put that one at the top of my list. Something about a blued 19 4” that’s kind of magical to me. This is my only 2.5” if memory serves me right and I’m really partial to 4” but I know guys that just want the 3” versions or only want 2.5”, etc……kind of the fun in the smith revolver line up…..so many different versions and options.
..my dad had the 'Combat Magnum' with the 2.5 in bbl..he got it some time around the mid 60s but sold it before moving from NJ to FL with mom in 1979..some jerk told him the laws in FL "just hadda be worse than NJ.." I know dad regretted that until he died...I've been trying to find one for years..traded my 1952 Soviet SKS earlier this year for a 19-3...
I have owned all three barrel lengths being the 2 3/4 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch models. I still have the 4 inch model even today although I bought it in the mid 1970s. All were/ are very good specimens of a very good revolver
I think you’re right in regards to the 66-8 having the updated features and checking a 2007 product guide (catalog) there is no mention of the 66 either standard or classic series. I believe the .357 magnum calibers were at that time assigned to the L frame, at least until the Classic series was expanded.
66-8 came out around 2014 or 2015. It is currently in production in with a 4" and a 2.75" barrel. I own the latter. Picked it up this Spring. Love it. My understanding is that the 66-7 was only produced in small numbers after the 66-6 was discontinued in the early 2000s.
My friend recently showed me his 66 no dash 2.75. His dad died a while back and he was just getting around to going through everything he had in his closet. He’d ordered it from the hardware store in the small town we grew up in. He’d put some goofy eBay Turkish wooden grips on it but it was still a looker. His dad had opened the box a couple times maybe. Had receipt with ridiculously low price and all. I was in a rush to get on the road so didn’t get to really look at it closely. I know it was recessed,pinned & all. And everything was mint. Unfired at the time. Dk if he’s shot it yet. Seeing him soon. Going to try & help him pick a holster. His dad liked the good stuff! The few guns I had time to see were top shelf! I had my 2.5 inch 67-2 on my hip at the moment. Both are nice but I liked his best. Think the grip thing was…his father had a tendency to be flashy at times. It was a special order. I think he’d ordered it with a set of pimp grips. Mother of pearl or something my friend didn’t like. The older ones are a little more difficult to get grip replacements for. Like this guy mentioned,grips are made for mim guns. Not hand polished. I found that out when I ordered VZs. Black and red/wood look. Smooth ones. The soft rubber pachmyers that came on it had gotten sticky and leaving a black mess on everything. Went with a Garrett Industries stx(not 2.0 version)I don’t have a lot of kydex ,but its a higher quality feeling & looking kydex holster with Herman oak leather lining .figured I’d modernize it up since I started going in that direction with the g10 grips. They took some hand fitting to close the gap in front.width of a credit card and 1/2 roughly. No mention of that on vz website but live & learn. Altamonte grip site has info on fitment for everything. I at least check the gun I want to buy different grips for on altamontes site 1st even if I don’t buy the grips from them. A m/h ride owb with leather straps & snaps is what the Garrett holster is. I have a straight drop right now but a few degrees can’t would be even better…maybe. 1/2 fbi or a little bit less. The R .grizzle GS2(Ron grizzle in GA is my next holster. That fast on off is handy. I thought this gun was comfortable and good on a thick leather belt w roller buckle I already had .and it did work. But eventually I got a kore nylon. I couldn’t wear it every day because it was so stiff. But around 1.5 years or so I was swimming in some shorts with the kore and it felt better afterwards it was takeing the shape of my waist on slowly anyway but think the swimming & laying around on beach,camping ect helped finish the break in. & the push for a better feel sitting,firm up standing is a good thing. The leather is rated for 4 Lbs vs Nylon at 8 lbs. I have no problem with the slickness of the grips,kydex wearing this revolver under most of my tshirts /shirts in general. I got a p365xl because the good older metal guns I was carrying are getting expensive and nearly irreplaceable. The plastic guns are a dime a dozen,lighter & if you fall out of a boat or whatever it’s no big deal. I don’t care for the squared lines of simi auto pistols as far as concealed carry goes. Revolvers are better. Both are doable. You just have to find the right gear or make it in some cases. I get nice $100+ holsters from bargain bins for around $5 when I find one. For instance,Put a little cant a made a “Gvmt 45”holster fit a beautiful beretta 81 with a cpl needles & saddle Stitch .finally held a Kimber K6S 3” & more recently 4” target model. Tiny little 6 shot. And the trigger/overall quality is worth paying for the r grizzle holster. Trigger is So stageable and recessed & all. I am leaning towards a earlier,3years into production or so ,DAO w blue rubber grips. blade front sight,pinned if I want a small dot night sight or something down the rd. Look at his site. R grizzle has some beautiful guns. A nice old blue smith would/does look sweet in his holsters. I don’t think I can spend that $ for good leather for a plastic fantastic.
Wow thanks for a great reply, buying these guns from hardware stores back in the day was very common and to your point the number of grip / stocks options is pretty crazy especially if you include all the custom ones. Funny again how no one seemed to care for the standard magna stocks but smith kept using them. @@wbwills2
Picking up a mint 66-3 tomorrow, but it won’t be mint for long as I intend to use it as my EDC gun. I’ve spent decades shooting semi autos and only recently discovered revolvers. Such beautiful guns. Great video. Very informative. Thank you for posting it.
Thanks for the comment. They really are gorgeous firearms. The revolver , and particularly S&W, almost seems like a renaissance piece, great engineering and craftsmanship. Let us know what you think of it after you shoot it.
Just picked one up for $700 not too bad, but overall pretty good shape.. no scuffs that can’t be polished. Didn’t have the magnas but that’s ok. Hard to find.
I don’t know why I haven’t seen this video until tonight. I finally found a LNIB 2.5” Model 19-4, two weeks ago. I paid a bundle for it, but it really was perfect, complete with box, docs, and tool kit. The stocks are serial numbered to the revolver, and I’ve carried it daily since it arrived. I was hoping a Model 66 from the same time period would be less expensive, but the opposite is true. You have a beautiful revolver, and your presentation was spot on. 👍👍👍💥
Thanks so glad you found something you were hunting for, fantastic that it was the complete package as well, unfortunately all these solid condition smith revolvers with box and papers are pretty expensive now, especially the 19s and that 2.5” barrel. I still have a fair share of .357 revolvers but as I moved up in age I find myself shooting more .38 SPL and really enjoying those platforms and the pricing isn’t as terrible at times as the .357s.
I have a 66-1 six inch barrel made in 1978. The Smith trade mark on mine is on the right side, but I'm not sure when it switched sides. I want a 2.5 inch 66, either a dash one or dash 2, and I'll get one eventually. But good grief, they are very expensive! Then again, all the Smith revolvers from this time period seem to have doubled in the last eight years. Very nice revolver you have there!
They are kind of a work of art or engineering marvel or some combination IMO. I just traded a 1911 I don’t shoot for 15-3 from about 1977 and I have to say, as a 4” k frame dedicated to the.38 spec cartridge that might be one of the best revolvers I’ve shot. I thought I might like it better than the 10-5 I have and that proved correct. Not taking anything away for the 19 or other .357 magnum version but that 15 was quite surprising in its balance, trigger and sight picture.
Thanks, funny I was just looking at a 686, that’s actually my favorite platform for .357 mag, that gun just sits down and is almost a pleasure to shoot that round, if you can say that about.357 magnum. It’s true made for that cartridge. The 66 has a refinement and balance to it but that 686 or 586 just seem like they are indestructible, kind of like an N frame.
@@madisonrodriguez634 can’t go wrong with that. Actually IMO hard to go wrong w a smith revolver from say the 50s to the mid 90s or so assuming the gun is in good working condition.
@@thedailydefender1408 I agree! The newer ones are nice but I’ve also seen from a lot of different opinions out there that Smith & Wesson has been lacking with quality control but older models in working order last decades. Thanks for the video! Keep making videos especially a video if you get another older S&W, if you get the chance to get one and I’ll be sure to tune in! God bless
@@madisonrodriguez634 thanks, I’ve seen different opinions to your point about current QC, I have / had a couple of the Classic series and really can’t say anything bad about them. But as you may know, prior to MIM parts and more advanced mfg, they had to take each part and hand fit them to the gun with slight adjustments so you were essentially getting a hand fitted or semi custom gun and I think that’s what folks are attracted to when they hold and feel older smith revolvers. Plus there was a time when smith made statements they were an expert metal working shop, implying they understood how critical the parts were to the finished product. Also the reason you see the value of old smiths, even back to the 1920’s, as high as they are.
By mere dint of the name "combat magnum" should infer the gun is capable of combat with magnum. Albeit easier and convenient that 38 loads fit and more cozy, the reason for modern upgrades is to ensure it is actually "combat and magnum" capable for the most heinous loads. I understand the harkening to vintage style and sentiments, but there are 38s available that take even +P including vintage guns that don't boast "combat or magnum" as a selling point. I'd be cautious to find that one just the next magnum load would be the one that cracks the forcing cone and a world of hurt after.
Your 66-2 is wearing N-frame stocks, as can be seen with the top of the stocks rising proud of the frame and backstrap. Your Combat Magnum is a K-frame. Hence the "funky gap" you describe. These stocks appear to late late-issue factory, not aftermarket.
Thanks completely agree it’s a k frame and I’m pretty positive they are aftermarket stocks (although I have to admit I try a lot of different things from different sources so tend to loose track a bit) but you bring up a good point that the aftermarket guys maybe covering their bases with a grip that will fit both K and N frames, thus the small gaps….
Could you or somebody please explain what the difference is between silver/stainless M19 snub nose and this M66 snub nose revolvers? Both have the same design and finish. But why are they called M19 and M66? Exactly same revolvers!
Fantastic gun, but had to stop watching at around 3 minutes and at least 15 or 20 "uhhs." You do a great job providing thorough info. But all the uhhs are terribly distracting.
You've got a problem with your vocal delivery where you'll start a sentence loud and clear, but then steadily talk softer and softer and then by the end of your sentences, you can't really hear what you're saying at all and sounds like you're mumbling to yourself.
There is a reason I own a 66, and a blue 19, and a nickel, 19...all a 2.5 inch "Combat Magnum". Excellent EDC firearm. Thank you for the review.
Hey thanks for the comment! I too have 19 4” blued from the late 70s / 80s with original wood stocks and box and I guess I’d have to put that one at the top of my list. Something about a blued 19 4” that’s kind of magical to me. This is my only 2.5” if memory serves me right and I’m really partial to 4” but I know guys that just want the 3” versions or only want 2.5”, etc……kind of the fun in the smith revolver line up…..so many different versions and options.
..my dad had the 'Combat Magnum' with the 2.5 in bbl..he got it some time around the mid 60s but sold it before moving from NJ to FL with mom in 1979..some jerk told him the laws in FL "just hadda be worse than NJ.." I know dad regretted that until he died...I've been trying to find one for years..traded my 1952 Soviet SKS earlier this year for a 19-3...
I have the Blue I have the stainless. but I am missing the nickel
Great gun! During the 80’s, that was my duty gun with the 4” barrel. We carried.38 rounds.
Thanks , yep really enjoy. We were issued model 67 4” , of course also.38 w +p loads.
How many have you sent there with it during your duty?
A quality revolver deserves consideration for almost any handgun chore.
I have owned all three barrel lengths being the 2 3/4 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch models. I still have the 4 inch model even today although I bought it in the mid 1970s. All were/ are very good specimens of a very good revolver
Thanks, agreed, which is your favorite barrel length. I’m assuming 4” as that’s the one you kept.
4:09 I’m pretty sure the product line ended with the 66-7, since the recent ones that were re-released are the 66-8.
I think you’re right in regards to the 66-8 having the updated features and checking a 2007 product guide (catalog) there is no mention of the 66 either standard or classic series. I believe the .357 magnum calibers were at that time assigned to the L frame, at least until the Classic series was expanded.
66-8 came out around 2014 or 2015. It is currently in production in with a 4" and a 2.75" barrel. I own the latter. Picked it up this Spring. Love it.
My understanding is that the 66-7 was only produced in small numbers after the 66-6 was discontinued in the early 2000s.
My friend recently showed me his 66 no dash 2.75. His dad died a while back and he was just getting around to going through everything he had in his closet. He’d ordered it from the hardware store in the small town we grew up in. He’d put some goofy eBay Turkish wooden grips on it but it was still a looker. His dad had opened the box a couple times maybe. Had receipt with ridiculously low price and all. I was in a rush to get on the road so didn’t get to really look at it closely. I know it was recessed,pinned & all. And everything was mint. Unfired at the time. Dk if he’s shot it yet. Seeing him soon. Going to try & help him pick a holster. His dad liked the good stuff! The few guns I had time to see were top shelf! I had my 2.5 inch 67-2 on my hip at the moment. Both are nice but I liked his best. Think the grip thing was…his father had a tendency to be flashy at times. It was a special order. I think he’d ordered it with a set of pimp grips. Mother of pearl or something my friend didn’t like. The older ones are a little more difficult to get grip replacements for. Like this guy mentioned,grips are made for mim guns. Not hand polished. I found that out when I ordered VZs. Black and red/wood look. Smooth ones. The soft rubber pachmyers that came on it had gotten sticky and leaving a black mess on everything. Went with a Garrett Industries stx(not 2.0 version)I don’t have a lot of kydex ,but its a higher quality feeling & looking kydex holster with Herman oak leather lining .figured I’d modernize it up since I started going in that direction with the g10 grips. They took some hand fitting to close the gap in front.width of a credit card and 1/2 roughly. No mention of that on vz website but live & learn. Altamonte grip site has info on fitment for everything. I at least check the gun I want to buy different grips for on altamontes site 1st even if I don’t buy the grips from them. A m/h ride owb with leather straps & snaps is what the Garrett holster is. I have a straight drop right now but a few degrees can’t would be even better…maybe. 1/2 fbi or a little bit less. The R .grizzle GS2(Ron grizzle in GA is my next holster. That fast on off is handy. I thought this gun was comfortable and good on a thick leather belt w roller buckle I already had .and it did work. But eventually I got a kore nylon. I couldn’t wear it every day because it was so stiff. But around 1.5 years or so I was swimming in some shorts with the kore and it felt better afterwards it was takeing the shape of my waist on slowly anyway but think the swimming & laying around on beach,camping ect helped finish the break in. & the push for a better feel sitting,firm up standing is a good thing. The leather is rated for 4 Lbs vs Nylon at 8 lbs. I have no problem with the slickness of the grips,kydex wearing this revolver under most of my tshirts /shirts in general. I got a p365xl because the good older metal guns I was carrying are getting expensive and nearly irreplaceable. The plastic guns are a dime a dozen,lighter & if you fall out of a boat or whatever it’s no big deal. I don’t care for the squared lines of simi auto pistols as far as concealed carry goes. Revolvers are better. Both are doable. You just have to find the right gear or make it in some cases. I get nice $100+ holsters from bargain bins for around $5 when I find one. For instance,Put a little cant a made a “Gvmt 45”holster fit a beautiful beretta 81 with a cpl needles & saddle Stitch .finally held a Kimber K6S 3” & more recently 4” target model. Tiny little 6 shot. And the trigger/overall quality is worth paying for the r grizzle holster. Trigger is So stageable and recessed & all. I am leaning towards a earlier,3years into production or so ,DAO w blue rubber grips. blade front sight,pinned if I want a small dot night sight or something down the rd. Look at his site. R grizzle has some beautiful guns. A nice old blue smith would/does look sweet in his holsters. I don’t think I can spend that $ for good leather for a plastic fantastic.
Wow thanks for a great reply, buying these guns from hardware stores back in the day was very common and to your point the number of grip / stocks options is pretty crazy especially if you include all the custom ones. Funny again how no one seemed to care for the standard magna stocks but smith kept using them. @@wbwills2
Just found the channel. Dope stuff.
Thanks man, glad you like it.
Picking up a mint 66-3 tomorrow, but it won’t be mint for long as I intend to use it as my EDC gun. I’ve spent decades shooting semi autos and only recently discovered revolvers. Such beautiful guns. Great video. Very informative. Thank you for posting it.
Thanks for the comment. They really are gorgeous firearms. The revolver , and particularly S&W, almost seems like a renaissance piece, great engineering and craftsmanship. Let us know what you think of it after you shoot it.
..pretty much the same here...wsnt to get back into older Smifs and reloading 38/357..
Just picked one up for $700 not too bad, but overall pretty good shape.. no scuffs that can’t be polished. Didn’t have the magnas but that’s ok. Hard to find.
I have a 66-1 2 1/2” with the same grips. Love mine.
Those factory Magna stocks predate that fun by at least 15 years. The diamond mark on the stock ended in 1967.
Beautiful pistol. Thanks for sharing 🇺🇸
Thank you it’s a very enjoyable firearm.
@@thedailydefender1408 I don't own the 66, but i do own the 69 and absolutely enjoy it 🇺🇸
I don’t know why I haven’t seen this video until tonight. I finally found a LNIB 2.5” Model 19-4, two weeks ago. I paid a bundle for it, but it really was perfect, complete with box, docs, and tool kit. The stocks are serial numbered to the revolver, and I’ve carried it daily since it arrived. I was hoping a Model 66 from the same time period would be less expensive, but the opposite is true. You have a beautiful revolver, and your presentation was spot on. 👍👍👍💥
Thanks so glad you found something you were hunting for, fantastic that it was the complete package as well, unfortunately all these solid condition smith revolvers with box and papers are pretty expensive now, especially the 19s and that 2.5” barrel. I still have a fair share of .357 revolvers but as I moved up in age I find myself shooting more .38 SPL and really enjoying those platforms and the pricing isn’t as terrible at times as the .357s.
I have a 66-1 six inch barrel made in 1978. The Smith trade mark on mine is on the right side, but I'm not sure when it switched sides. I want a 2.5 inch 66, either a dash one or dash 2, and I'll get one eventually. But good grief, they are very expensive! Then again, all the Smith revolvers from this time period seem to have doubled in the last eight years. Very nice revolver you have there!
Thanks , I was just at a show today and a lot of smith revolvers and yes the prices continue to remain high and I don’t see that changing.
The switch of the logo to the other side happened in the 1980-1981 time frame.
it was pretty much the 125 gr JHPs that wore the forcing cone after MANY magnums.
I have a S&W Model 66-2 4 inch barrel. Great revolver.
...I love the older blued Smifs myself...just bought a 13-2 the other dsy for 800 bux..also have a 66-2 with a pinned bbl but no recessed chambers
They are kind of a work of art or engineering marvel or some combination IMO. I just traded a 1911 I don’t shoot for 15-3 from about 1977 and I have to say, as a 4” k frame dedicated to the.38 spec cartridge that might be one of the best revolvers I’ve shot. I thought I might like it better than the 10-5 I have and that proved correct. Not taking anything away for the 19 or other .357 magnum version but that 15 was quite surprising in its balance, trigger and sight picture.
Would you recommend the S&W 66 or the S&W 686 pre lock? Great video!
Thanks, funny I was just looking at a 686, that’s actually my favorite platform for .357 mag, that gun just sits down and is almost a pleasure to shoot that round, if you can say that about.357 magnum. It’s true made for that cartridge. The 66 has a refinement and balance to it but that 686 or 586 just seem like they are indestructible, kind of like an N frame.
@@thedailydefender1408 Thank you for the information! I think I’m going to try my luck on a 66! :)
@@madisonrodriguez634 can’t go wrong with that. Actually IMO hard to go wrong w a smith revolver from say the 50s to the mid 90s or so assuming the gun is in good working condition.
@@thedailydefender1408 I agree! The newer ones are nice but I’ve also seen from a lot of different opinions out there that Smith & Wesson has been lacking with quality control but older models in working order last decades. Thanks for the video! Keep making videos especially a video if you get another older S&W, if you get the chance to get one and I’ll be sure to tune in! God bless
@@madisonrodriguez634 thanks, I’ve seen different opinions to your point about current QC, I have / had a couple of the Classic series and really can’t say anything bad about them. But as you may know, prior to MIM parts and more advanced mfg, they had to take each part and hand fit them to the gun with slight adjustments so you were essentially getting a hand fitted or semi custom gun and I think that’s what folks are attracted to when they hold and feel older smith revolvers. Plus there was a time when smith made statements they were an expert metal working shop, implying they understood how critical the parts were to the finished product. Also the reason you see the value of old smiths, even back to the 1920’s, as high as they are.
I have one on my belt right now!
Pretty good gun to take on a hike
Are those altamont combat grips?
If I remember correctly they were just an aftermarket set of stocks I found.
@@thedailydefender1408 they are nice. I after a year how is the 66 working out for you? Does it carry well?
By mere dint of the name "combat magnum" should infer the gun is capable of combat with magnum. Albeit easier and convenient that 38 loads fit and more cozy, the reason for modern upgrades is to ensure it is actually "combat and magnum" capable for the most heinous loads.
I understand the harkening to vintage style and sentiments, but there are 38s available that take even +P including vintage guns that don't boast "combat or magnum" as a selling point. I'd be cautious to find that one just the next magnum load would be the one that cracks the forcing cone and a world of hurt after.
Your 66-2 is wearing N-frame stocks, as can be seen with the top of the stocks rising proud of the frame and backstrap. Your Combat Magnum is a K-frame. Hence the "funky gap" you describe. These stocks appear to late late-issue factory, not aftermarket.
Thanks completely agree it’s a k frame and I’m pretty positive they are aftermarket stocks (although I have to admit I try a lot of different things from different sources so tend to loose track a bit) but you bring up a good point that the aftermarket guys maybe covering their bases with a grip that will fit both K and N frames, thus the small gaps….
Could you or somebody please explain what the difference is between silver/stainless M19 snub nose and this M66 snub nose revolvers? Both have the same design and finish. But why are they called M19 and M66? Exactly same revolvers!
Beat it with that k frame that’s made primarily for 38special
Love it & have it. Looong comment below. If you care to read it. Thx.
In communist states, the model 66 with magnum rounds would be a great use of force multiplier.
I don't think those are original Smith & Wesson grips
Correct they are not.
Fantastic gun, but had to stop watching at around 3 minutes and at least 15 or 20 "uhhs." You do a great job providing thorough info. But all the uhhs are terribly distracting.
You've got a problem with your vocal delivery where you'll start a sentence loud and clear, but then steadily talk softer and softer and then by the end of your sentences, you can't really hear what you're saying at all and sounds like you're mumbling to yourself.