Used Smith & Wesson Stainless 6” .357 Mag, DA Revolver (66-1)

[bentoncity]

GunBroker.com - Error

Here's one I saw on gunbroker sold items. Others seemed to be from upper 700's on. But this one seems to be real close to what you got there. Hope it helps some.

His has a stamp on the right side of the frame and mine is stamped on the left side...??
Sold for $900.00... HOLY CHKHUK!!!! I'll his buyer mine for 850...

Dan

 

[K-22]

I agree with the above value however the grips are a non issue and won't affect the sale to a true S & W aficionado - Heck I wish I were closer to you as I am currently looking for a 6", 66 or 19 !

They appear to be factory Goncalo Alves target grips and were probably the original 'football' style in that the left side had the carved out area to make room for a speedloader however it appears someone may have taken it a bit further and cut out a larger amount of wood (as on some aftermarket grips). Also they might not be a matching set as the 'grain' and color does not match, and at the time S & W did their best to 'match both grip halves. I have a few sets of these grips and they all match fairly well.

Original 'football' grips below:

View attachment 1108069

The gun dates to 1980.
Those would not be the original grips.
In 1976, they changed from the "Football" to the speed loader style cut-out..
The prices on S&W grips has reached the point of insanity.
The finger groove "Combat" style, in particular.
If I had those grips, I would give them a very light sanding, and apply a few thin coats of Lin-Speed, or Tru-Oil.
Best,
Gary

 

[RVTECH]

His has a stamp on the right side of the frame and mine is stamped on the left side...??

Yea they must have decided to confuse people a bit by putting the S & W 'Crest' on the left on some models.

My 66 no dash has both on the right side!

 

[orygun]

I stand corrected. I had no idea how high prices for S&W grips have gone. Will try to get my foot out of my mouth.

Yup. Turn your back for a moment and some values go thru the roof! I bought some aftermarket grips for a K-frame and thought about selling the "football" grips that were on it. For once I made the correct decision to keep them.

I'm happy the OP's gun is a 6", cuz if it was a 4" I'd be trying to figure out how to get it to Oregon!
Looks like a very nice gun.

 

[OldBroad44]

@bentoncity I'd say $800-900 would be a fair price on either end of the trade. $100 more with box and papers. This is a pre-lock 66-1 with a pinned barrel and recessed cylinder chambers. Mention all three of those phrases specifically in the ad, as all three indicate a quality level not available in current 66es and are a big deal to collectors and shooters of olds SWs. I think the $600-700 price others mention do not take into account that this is is a pinned barrel recessed cylinder model.

I don't see any rust on the trigger. If what you're seeing looks like a different color that's okay; its a different kind of stainless steel. If its rust it will look like rust, not like a different color of metal with sorta rusty colored swirls in it. There is no lock, the preference of many buyers of these older Smiths. There is also a pinned barrel; the current version of no pinned barrel is a down grade. The pin guarantees that the barrel is screwed into the frame exactly the right amount so the front sight is not canted. Your photos don't show whether the cylinder chambers are recessed. Just judging from the gap between back of closed cylinder and frame, I think it has a cylinder with recessed chambers.

According to info in the American Rifleman article by Dan Campbell, "A Look at the Smith and Wesson 66", which is available on the internet, the pinned barrels and Recessed cylinders were dropped as of the model 66-2. You should add a photo showing the open cylinder from the back of the gun so the recessed cylinder chambers will be clearly visible. That's the "money shot" for this model. The article says the SW Model 66-1 was manufactured from 1977 to 1982.

If I were buying this gun, other things I'd like to hear, assuming it's true, is bore and muzzle are clean and lands and grooves are sharp (ie barrel has not been shot so much its worn out). Clean gun if necessary and inspect with a bore light. And lockup is tight. (If you don't know how to check that, say so and I'll describe. Its checked on each cylinder position when hammer has been cocked and allowed to drop half way. There is a little play in the cylinder before hammer is cocked and dropped. Tight lockup means when hammer is dropping cylinder is aligned exactly meaning no play in cylinder.) And screws are all undamaged. And whether or not there is any rust or other damage. And what trigger pull is like. Usually on these old smiths the single action is relatively light and completely crisp with no creep. And the double action is smooth and lovely. Also inspect for cracks in forcing cone.

In the ad I'd mention that the grip is worn as shown, and didn't come with gun. I wouldn't bother fixing or replacing grips, as most revolver people will figure on replacing the grip to one that fits their hand perfectly anyway, so won't pay extra if you upgrade the grip.

The K-frame model 66 was mostly replaced by the equivalent L-frame model, the 686. After people got used to shooting full power and heavier loads as a regular diet in their 357s instead of practicing mostly with .38sp, the 66es came to be thought of as a bit light for a steady diet of magnums. They would get cracked forcing cones. But mostly only in the hands of people who put tens of thousands of full power rounds per year through their guns such as competition shooters. The L frame 686 is a medium frame gun but is heavier built and also has an under lugged barrel that changes gun from a traditional to a muzzle-heavier balance. However, very few people shoot their 66s enough to crack the forcing cone even if they do use a steady diet of full power loads. And lots of people prefer the handier weight and traditional rather than muzzle-heavy balance of the 66. For many, the 66 is their favorite woods gun or handgun hunting gun. The 4" barrel versions of both 66 and 686, by the way, are more popular, but there are also more of them.

Carol

 

[DirectDrive]

1980
$700 - $900

 

[RVTECH]

They would get cracked forcing cones. But mostly only in the hands of people who put tens of thousands of full power rounds per year through their guns such as competition shooters.

Good point about the forcing cone however aside from competition shooters the cracked forcing cones were narrow in scope and mostly with the 4" or shorter barrel models AND from using the Super-Vel ammo which at the time was loaded with 110 grain bullets to insane pressures for law enforcement.

The short, 110 grain bullets at 1400 FPS from this ammo resulted in excessive heating and buildup of debris in the cone and coupled with the flat spot on the bottom of the cone and excessive pressure of the ammo many forcing cones cracked.

Fortunately the 'era' of the majority of the cracked cones was relatively short and mostly ended when the Super-Vel company went out of biz in the mid 70's.

While the cracked cones was a real issue it was not particularly widespread and with any luck most of guns that experienced it have been repaired or safely out of of service. It has been recommended to the owners of early K frame .357s always use bullets 125 grain or heavier and reasonable pressures!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Yup. Turn your back for a moment and some values go thru the roof! I bought some aftermarket grips for a K-frame and thought about selling the "football" grips that were on it. For once I made the correct decision to keep them.

I'm happy the OP's gun is a 6", cuz if it was a 4" I'd be trying to figure out how to get it to Oregon!
Looks like a very nice gun.

I have the 66-2 in 4" stainless .357 mag. Will NEVER part with it. Best $500 I ever spent.

 

[orygun]

I have the 66-2 in 4" stainless .357 mag. Will NEVER part with it. Best $500 I ever spent.

I understand your love for that gun. I'm looking for another 686, but a 66 could well be substituted. If I still had the 65 I owned 25+ years ago, I'd not be looking.

 

[RVTECH]

I have the 66-2 in 4" stainless .357 mag. Will NEVER part with it.

Ditto this but with my 4" 66 no dash!

I had previously sold a 4" M-19 (stupidly) and always wanted to replace it.

I had been looking for TWO S&Ws actually - a 19 and a 36 and in an odd sequence of events they came to me - but in a 66 and 60 - and for the right price!

 

[DirectDrive]

There's something about the break quality on a Smith revolver trigger.
Quite possibly the best production trigger on the planet.

 

[OldBroad44]

Ditto this but with my 4" 66 no dash!

I had previously sold a 4" M-19 (stupidly) and always wanted to replace it.

I had been looking for TWO S&Ws actually - a 19 and a 36 and in an odd sequence of events they came to me - but in a 66 and 60 - and for the right price!

Yeah. In .357 mag I don't think you can beat the older pre-lock SW 66 and 686. The fit and finish is superior to anything SW makes today. All the redesigns SW did involving switching to MIM for some parts and redesigns to move firing pin to frame and add lock all involved changing to designs that required less hand fitting so would be cheaper to produce. So when you see a modern SW with a lock, you're looking at a gun that has been through several cycles of down grades compared with the old pre-lock versions with the firing pins on the hammers.

 

[RVTECH]

Yeah. In .357 mag I don't think you can beat the older pre-lock SW 66 and 686. The fit and finish is superior to anything SW makes today.

This Is for sure!

My dads 79 year old 'duffle bag' Victory model is incredibly crisp and tight.

 

[41mag]

There's something about the break quality on a Smith revolver trigger.
Quite possibly the best production trigger on the planet

I was a late comer to S&W revolvers, preferring the likes of Colt Python, etc until a mere couple-decades ago. Smith eventually won me over.

The additional reality, that IF you don't like the trigger, it's easy enough to learn how to make it into what you DO like. And when/IF that fails, there's a host of skilled smiths around that can rectify your naive blunder. A proper S&W revo tuned for DA accurate fast range games is certainly a marvel.

 

[Deavis]

I was at the Albany show yesterday, on a table on the SW corner was 6" 66-1 without the original grips at $750.

 

[bentoncity]

@bentoncity I'd say $800-900 would be a fair price on either end of the trade. $100 more with box and papers. This is a pre-lock 66-1 with a pinned barrel and recessed cylinder chambers. Mention all three of those phrases specifically in the ad, as all three indicate a quality level not available in current 66es and are a big deal to collectors and shooters of olds SWs. I think the $600-700 price others mention do not take into account that this is is a pinned barrel recessed cylinder model.

Carol

Thank you. That's a ton more info then I knew. I'll take your advice in explaining.."(If you don't know how to check that, say so and I'll describe. Its checked on each cylinder position when hammer has been cocked and allowed to drop half way.)
In full cock, the cylinder wiggles in a circular motion about 1/64" I wish I had a borescope to take pics inside the barrel/cylinder. I've wire brushed and swabbed it a bunch and the barrel looks very nice. Clean lands, no gunk. Cylinder looks real clean.
ONE hole shows where it was touched up for some reason on one side. It's clearly not from the factory machining. I'm unable to get a picture of it. Doing a surface scrape across it is virtually un-detectable. If you didn't see it, you wouldn't know it's there. Here's some more pictures if they're of any help.

Huge Thank You from me to everyone helping me on this. I was running blind with this weapon..

Dan

 

[OldBroad44]

Glad to help, Dan. One nice thing about asking for advice on NWFA about guns that are all-time classics is somebody is likely to be very familiar with and highly knowledgeable about it. Many people when its such a beloved gun as the 66.

Tight lockup means the cylinder doesn't move at all in response to gentle rotational pressure when the hammer is cocked and released part way. There will usually be a little play in the cylinder before and after hammer is cocked but before released--about a mm.

Good luck with your sale.
Carol

 

[bentoncity]

Glad to help, Dan. One nice thing about asking for advice on NWFA about guns that are all-time classics is somebody is likely to be very familiar with and highly knowledgeable about it. Many people when its such a beloved gun as the 66.

Tight lockup means the cylinder doesn't move at all in response to gentle rotational pressure when the hammer is cocked and released part way. There will usually be a little play in the cylinder before and after hammer is cocked but before released--about a mm.

Good luck with your sale.
Carol

I made a short phone video but am unable to upload it to the forum. This cylinder moves a tad, like 1mm or so at 1/2 cock. Does the same when the hammer is down.

Dan

 

[OldBroad44]

I made a short phone video but am unable to upload it to the forum. This cylinder moves a tad, like 1mm or so at 1/2 cock. Does the same when the hammer is down.

Dan

The way to check is cock the hammer. Then use thumb to hold hammer from falling and pull trigger, using thumb to lower trigger part way. Then test rotation of cylinder by using fingers to put very gentle rotational pressure on it in a counterclockwise direction, the direction the cylinder normally turns on Smiths. The cylinder should not turn at all. If that's true on all cylinders the lockup is said to be tight. Is it?

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I understand your love for that gun. I'm looking for another 686, but a 66 could well be substituted. If I still had the 65 I owned 25+ years ago, I'd not be looking.

Oddly enough, I was looking for a 686 when I found my 66-2.