Originally Posted by bpasek

I am looking at buying my first handgun. I was in out local gun store the other day and I came across this model 19. I was told it was late 70's. It had a wider hammer and a wider tricker which I was told it is harder to come by that. It was all black. It had a 4 or 5 inch barrel. It looked in great shape not 100%, but looked pretty darn good. The tag said 450$. Is this a good price, and what else should I look for when I go back to maybe put a deposit down?

Thanks, to all

Its deep blued...not black. It has a 4" barrel. Target hammer and target trigger were just 2 of the options you could buy it in....nothing really special about them.

Price wise?? I cant really say..?? Great pistol though...wish I had mine back but I traded it in when I bought the 66 ( same model only SST)

The S&W Model 19 Combat Magnum is one of the great .357 Magnum revolvers. If you want a carry gun (I call my Model 19 my American Express gun, never leave home without it) I'd opt for the standard hammer and smooth combat trigger. Otherwise you'd have a fine gun. The price sounds a little steep, maybe $350~$375 sound more reasonable.

Note that the L-Frame revolvers are sturdier if heavy magnum loads are going to be its main diet.

Bob Wright

Originally Posted by bpasek

I am looking at buying my first handgun. I was in out local gun store the other day and I came across this model 19. I was told it was late 70's. It had a wider hammer and a wider tricker which I was told it is harder to come by that. It was all black. It had a 4 or 5 inch barrel. It looked in great shape not 100%, but looked pretty darn good. The tag said 450$. Is this a good price, and what else should I look for when I go back to maybe put a deposit down?

Thanks, to all

$450 is a bit high, but not out of line for a nice minty-looking S&W model 19 nowadays. I know folks who have paid more for new-ish examples, and I recently bought a rather beat-up 4-inch one that was made in 1966 (finish is worn and even has some rust spots, but mechanically the gun is very tight and smooth) for a good bit less than that, so I'd say the price is on the high side of fair. Whether $450 is high for that gun depends on its exact condition and the market forces in your part of the country. If stuff like this is in demand, the price will be higher.

The wider hammer and trigger on this type of handgun were designed for target-style single-action (thumb-cocked) shooting. The wider/longer hammer spur is easy to reach for thumb-cocking, and the deep checkering pattern provides a sure grip so your thumb doesn't slip off when pulling it back. The wide trigger spreads out the force from your trigger finger over a larger area, which makes the trigger pull weight "feel" lighter. However, most folks who want to shoot a revolver for defensive use in double-action mode (just pulling/squeezing the trigger to make the hammer move to the rear and then fall - no pulling the hammer back with the thumb) prefer a thinner trigger, as it is easier to manage through the long DA squeeze without accidentally pulling the gun to the left or right. This generally isn't a problem with the short, light weight, and very crisp single-action (thumb-cocked) trigger pull; once cocked, only light pressure on the trigger is needed to make it fire.

The S&W model 19 has been very popular for decades, as its light weight and compact size makes it easy to carry or use, and yet the cartridge is powerful enough for most needs. Many guns are powerful but too large/heavy, or small and light but use a weak cartridge; the .357 magnum model 19 is a good compromise between power, portability and shootability. The grip size also fits, or can be made to fit (with replacement grip panels), many people with hand sizes from small to large. As a .357 Magnum caliber weapon, it can also safely use the shorter and less powerful .38 Special ammunition for practice, informal target shooting, or introducing new shooters to the shooting sports in a more friendly way by using low-powered gentle-kicking ammo.

In short, it is a great choice for a first handgun. I would ask the dealer if he would warranty the gun for safe use; that is, if it doesn't function properly and safely, he would refund your money or give you the entire amount back in trade-in for a store credit against the purchase of a replacement weapon. Don't expect an accuracy guarantee, as there are simply too many things (like poor-quality ammo or similarly bad shooters ) than can cause accuracy problems. Just ask if he will guarantee that it will work correctly, or provide a refund/trade-in (or free trip to the gunsmith or factory for repair) if it doesn't.

My new-to-me 4-inch model 19 is the one at the bottom of the photo below. Ugly as it is, it's a nice shooter in SA mode. Personally, I'm not too fond of the wide trigger on it, but I can get that replaced if I really want to. Most revolver parts aren't no-fitting, drop-in replacements like automatic pistol parts, but it can be done by a gunsmith. You can see the smaller/shorter hammer spurs on the two middle guns in the photo, for comparison. It's hard to tell by the side view of the photo, but ALL the other guns have thinner triggers than the M19, some by a little, some by a lot. Top to bottom (all of these are S&W K-frame revolvers): Model 66 .357 magnum (stainless steel), 6-inch barrel; model 617 10-shot .22 (also SS), heavy/under-lugged 4-inch barrel; model 15 .38 Special 4-inch, and model 19 .357 4-inch.

Im a big fan of that Combat Masterpiece too.!!!

Bought one of these a few months back and have to say, it is a sweet wheel gun.
450.00 is a bit more than what I paid but still a good price in my book for a good dependable revolver.

Originally Posted by Sully2

Im a big fan of that Combat Masterpiece too.!!!

Sweetest shooter of that bunch, by far, and a sentimental favorite, too. Carried one in the Air Force, shot it a bunch (they gave the marksmanship instructors 1000 rounds a year of each rifle and pistol caliber to stay "proficient", and I never finished a year with any left over). Even won an USAF elementary-level pistol leg match with my issue M15.

Good times...

I carried a M19 4" bbl for three years (1963-1966) in RVN. I was out of MACV MAU and they let us carry personal sidearms as they didn't issue sidearms to our teams. It was reliable and sturdy backup that I never had to use. The aircrews carried M&Ps (pre-Model 10) so .38 Spcl ammo was available. I had been sent to S&W Armorer training previously when I was with AD Platoon so I was familiar with the revolver's workings. I carried a small field parts kit with me all the time, but I never did any field repairs. I carried the M19 in the 4 o'clock position as I was usually shooting from a prone position and that was the only place on me I could reach from that position.

I sold it to an incoming Army NCO when the Army relieved us in 66, as we couldn't carry any weapons home.

DJ Niner...Your four inch model 19 isn't ugly. It looks purdy to me! What kind of grips do you have on it?

I haved loved the M19 ever since I was 8 years old and stared at one a deputy was wearing while my dad and I were waiting in the checkout line at Western Auto. The deputy caught me staring at it and just smiled.

The grips on ALL those revolvers are the same; Hogue Monogrips in soft rubber. Three of those guns have square-butt grip frames, and the 10-shot .22 on the right is a round-butt, but Hogue makes a round-to-square-butt grip that makes them all feel exactly the same in my hand. I swear it feels like they used MY hand to make the original mold.

The rubber ain't much to look at, but it keeps them right where I want them when the shooting starts, and I think the grip angle is perfect for rapid double-action shooting. It's function over form for me, in handgun grips, at least.