Your favorite classic Smith & Wesson wheelguns?

[ron]

Many votes for the S&W 28 Highway patrolman. How about the Model 27 with it's fine
checkered top strap, barrel and rear sight???? Also deep blue finish. 357 magnum on the 44 frame.
The model 27 was Smith and Wesson's flagship, a direct descendant of the "Registered Magnum".
My model 27-2 produced in 1976

 

[ron]

Never thought I'd see the day when .38 Special and .357 Magnum were so expensive....
That is , if you can even find 'em on a store shelf.
Also where are all the 158 grain choices...?....sigh.
Andy

You have to roll your own. The first cartridge I started reloading for was the 38/357 in 1978.
Most all of my guns have never seen a single round of factory ammo.
Cranking out some 38s.

 

[orygun]

Never thought I'd see the day when .38 Special and .357 Magnum were so expensive....
That is , if you can even find 'em on a store shelf.
Also where are all the 158 grain choices...?....sigh.
Andy

I agree on the prices. NUTZ!
Most of what I've found on the shelves is a fully jacketed "training" ammo. And I think it's something weird, like 147gr?
Ron's right, but I haven't had my press mounted for quite a while. When I do get around to that, I will load up everything I have components for.

 

[homeuser6]

any four inch N frame works for me as long as it is equipped with pc magnas . it's about the fit to my hand. model 58 or new york 520 are my favorites.

 

[aHFo3]

I have a 4" 15 with 3 T's that is just perfect in my hand. Also, my grandpa's k22 target masterpiece from 1948 with an added Tyler T grip adapter makes me smile.

 

[OldBroad44]

When it comes to revolvers I prefer snubbies for concealed urban carry, where they may need to be in a pocket or fanny pack sometimes. Or 6 or 6.5" for woods (still concealed) carry, SD, camping, hiking, hunting. My urban/home edc is a 686 snubby with Crimson Trace grips. But I wouldn't turn down any K or L frame smith in .357 mag for that role. I just prefer the extra weight and muzzle-heavy balance of the 686/586. It makes it easier to point shoot accurately. My hand can tell exactly where the muzzle is pointing much better than with a semi auto or a revolver that isn't underlugged. By the time you get to a 6" revolver, the barrel itself is heavy enough so your hand can tell quite accurately where the gun is pointing even if the barrel isn't underlugged. Not so with a 4" non-underlugged gun. And a 4" gun is much harder to carry in a pocket or fannypack. So I prefer snubby revolvers and 6 or 6.5" revolvers but not 4".

For the snubby revolvers, I stick with SWs in .357 mag. Not into the unpleasantness of shooting .44 mag out of a short barrel. For 6.5" I like 44 mag in the SW 629-4 and under (= pre-lock pre-MIM) guns. For scoped guns for hunting I'd go with a Ruger Super Redhawk in 7.5" or 9.5". Mine is 9.5". By the time it is scoped it's so bulky I'm not going to be carrying it on my belt. Its in a holster carried over my shoulder or in my pack or in my hand. Its a Ruger, so it can handle .44 mag +P which SW cannot. In addition, the Ruger Super Redhawks are much better designed for scopes than the SWs.

If I were still doing long hiking trips where I carried all my food and supplies for weeks, and expected many shooting practice sessions along the way I might buy and carry a 6" 686 and carry it instead of my 6.5" 629-3. Fact is, .44mag ammo weighs much more than 357 mag. And there is nothing bigger than black bears in my ordinary stomping grounds.

 

[Pnwbrrt]

My first handgun ever was a smith and Wesson model 10 in 38.spl. beautiful blued steel and walnut grips. I got it for Christmas when I was 12 years old. My dumb bubblegum traded it for an AK47 when I was 18.

 

[aHFo3]

My first handgun ever was a smith and Wesson model 10 in 38.spl. beautiful blued steel and walnut grips. I got it for Christmas when I was 12 years old. My dumb bubblegum traded it for an AK47 when I was 18.

Was it an Arsenal, Norinco or a Saiga? Aside from sentiment, that could've been a great trade

 

[OutwardHound]

My vote is for the two I have, no surprise. Model 28 no dash, .357 mag 4 inch barrel was my first "big boy" gun. Its almost as old as I am! A police trade in back in the 80's when the 'wonder nine' tsunami was sweeping the country. Not pretty by any means but a decent shooter. My 649-3 stainless ( pre lock) .357 mag was my first concealed carry handgun purchase. Some folks don't care for the 'hump back' but it was love at first sight for me, haha. I would still like to find a 'gently used' Model 13 at a decent price.

 

[orygun]

My 649-3 stainless ( pre lock) .357 mag was my first concealed carry handgun purchase. Some folks don't care for the 'hump back' but it was love at first sight for me, haha.

Yeah, that's a neat handgun. I had one. I'm not chasing another. But it wouldn't hurt my feelings to have one in the safe.

 

[Jerry]

Model 57 (no dash) in 41 mag with a 4" barrel

 

[Deavis]

K-22

M57

4" 19

6" 686

 

[Deavis]

Oh…. Forgot one

25T

 

[nammac]

Hmmmm…

K-22 6" Target Hammer, Target Trigger, Target Grips
M28 Highway Patrolman 6" with a tuning job that produced single holes at 100 ft

Miss both of those, because I stupidly let them slip through my hands.

 

[Dozer99]

Believe it of not, I have never owned a S&W revolver. I own plenty of Ruger's and Colt's, but just never found one that really caught my eye. My wife however has 3, and her favorite is a Model 14-3. She loves that gun (meaning I have to keep my grubby little mitts off of it).

 

[Ura-Ki]

FInally got one of my Unicorn's a S&W Model 1875 ( AKA, Schofield) in THE Cartridge to have, .45 Colt!

 

[mlin]

Model 19 is my pick.

 

[SKSipe]

Just for the fun: what are you all time favorite classic, rather than necessarily contemporary, Smith & Wesson revolvers? It can be ones you currently own, did in the past, or are on the lookout for now. And since "classic" is completely subjective, no real hard'n'fast rules. Just S&W goodness.

Enjoy.

I think my favorite S&W Revolver (I hate the term wheel gun) was a K38 masterpiece that my buddy purchased from the Rod & Gun Club on our Army base in Germany in 1977. At the same time I purchased a S&W Model 29 which I still have to this day. Love it! At the time, the Model 29 was being sold at the Rod and Gun Club for around $250.00.

 

[gmerkt]

I like anything J, K, L or N frame.

 

[2ndtimer]

The one I always wanted, but never could find a clean reasonably priced example, was the 28-2 w/ 4" bbl.

Like this one? Got it for $225 with the original box and tools. Picked up the target grips for $25. Ahhh, 1998, the good old days.