I remedied that:
That gives me a set, at least in frame size, of the S&W combat revolver series:
Top to bottom: Combat Masterpiece (15-3), Combat Magnum (66-3), Distinguished Combat Magnum (686-1)
To be fair, the names themselves applied to the "pre-model number" 15s and 19s. Unless they've got horrible finish issues, those are now collectors' items, with the resulting price tags. I buy guns to shoot, not collect.
A range report on the 686 will come later, as it's bloody hot.
10 comments:
Solid! My first pistol was a 686. In the 90s. I thought it was going to be the only one I'd never have to mess with. Spend any money on. Then I learned how to check cylinder timing. Dangit... THEN I lost the Hogue Grips.
I still like it, but now I have spent money on it.
Very nice! K-frame fan here all the way.
L frame .357s for the win. I always feel like I have to baby my 66-2.
Mack, I treat my 19 and 66 as though they're .38s that have the capability to handle .357s if needs must.
The 686 and my 27 are magnums.
I started out with a Model 66, and--shame on me--I used it to test hot .357 loads when I was new to reloading and thought that hotter was always better. when I brought the poor thing into a police department armorer that tuned all my Smith revolvers several years back, he had to resist the urge to slap me when he saw how badly I'd abused it. But he repaired it and made me swear never to do that again...or else. It's a .38 now for practice and only sees +P or magnum loads when carried.
Nice!
Myy mother had a S&W that looked like a Model 10, but the cylinder only held 5 and it wasn't a magnum.
Hers was stolen from her Memphis apartment, and I can't figure out what it was. Does anyone have any ideas? any places online I can search? I'd like to replace it.
3383,
Do you remember the barrel length?
Offhand, I'd guess a Model 36.
Not a snubbie.
It had a 4" tapered barrel, a semicircular front sight (from the side), a tiny lug in front of the ejector rod, and wood grips.
It also wasn't a .38 special (I should've said that), just .38 S&W.
It seemed old, but had been taken care of. My mother greatly preferred it to the much larger and bangity .357.
One of the places I checked was the S&W Wikipedia page. NONE of the Model Whatevers matched.
I thin the S&W .38 S&W revolvers were made on the I-frame, which was a little smaller. I don't believe they made the change to numbered models.
My guess is that the gun was a S&W Regulation Police. Smaller than a K-frame, five shots, 4" barrel.
From what I can gather, the Regulation Police transitioned to being a J-frame six-shooter and was designated the Model 31.
I asked the right person!
I found pictures of the Regulation Police, and that is it.
The pictures came from Gunbroker, which carries on with their excessive asking prices, but now I can look for reals.
Thank you very much, Comrade.
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