Question for the more experts about S&W revolvers

[Woodsy]

I currently have a .38 M14 (K38) 6", .38 M15 (Combat Masterpiece - my wife's gun) 4", .38 M60 2", .357 M28 8-3/8", .44 M29 8-3/8", .455 Mk II Hand Ejector (unfired), 10mm M1006 auto. I have also owned .22 M17 6", .357 M586 6" (set a few NZ records with that), 9mm 5906, .45 M4506, and a couple of .22 M41's. My first S&W was a .38 5" Victory Model that I bought in 1963 when I was at high school for 8 Pounds (including a packet of 50 rounds). I was the NZ sales and service agent for S&W for many years (1980's and '90's). Sadly the quality of S&W products is not as good as it was 20 years ago, but they are still good quality handguns.

I just remembered I once also owned a .22 Magnum 4" M18 which I sold the same day I bought it. It was the loudest revolver I ever owned!

[Woodsy]

My .357 8-3/8 is M27, not M28! It is the proper .357 Magnum and not the matt finish Highway Patrolman.

[Ovidio]

Thank you for all this great info.
I'm in fact looking at guns in the dash3 version, not much older.
They seem to be ok, strengthened but still "old quality".
Am I wrong or is it right?

[browningautorifle]

They changed things as time went on and added a new number, not great changes in most cases. The last great change was MIM, injected moulding of metal. They'll all be strong.

[CINDERS]

Only thing that was done to my S & W 357's was the chambers and extractor were very slightly beveled to aid the insertion of the shells in the speed loader as wad cutters are apt to get hung up on sharp edges the last thing you need when your drawing from the holster at a 50 yard barricade to shoot standing L then R handed, sitting then prone is to have a hang up & the jet loader spit the shells out all over the ground, wonder who that happened too.....

The S&W are well made pretty indestructible provided you keep the reloads within spec and not try to wring the very last ounce out of it the only other gun I owned which was in the same league was my Ruger Super Redhawk in 44 Magnum and that was built like a brick sh*thouse.

[browningautorifle]

the chambers and extractor were very slightly beveled

That was done by individuals. That was probably a used revolver?

[CINDERS]

Yep the S&W's were both 2nd hand the Ruger 44Mag I brought new in 1989 cost me $800/Au which was pretty steep he was pruportedly a family friend obviously not that close!

[browningautorifle]

Unless you get special revolvers the cylinder isn't chamfered. I used Safariland Comp 2s for mine. The long launcher types are too long to be handy. You saw what happened to you...

[CINDERS]

That 44M Mod - 29 8 3/8" would be my pick of your bunch Woodsy - "Feeling lucky punk" a little known fact is when they made Dirty Harry is that it's not a 44 Mag he has its a 40 Mag as they did not have for some reason the 44 Mag available to them so thats why in that particular movie you do not get too gooda close up peaks at the muzzle opening of the handgun he uses nor the shells.

[Woodsy]

That 44M Mod - 29 8 3/8" would be my pick of your bunch Woodsy - "Feeling lucky punk" a little known fact is when they made Dirty Harry is that it's not a 44 Mag he has its a 40 Mag as they did not have for some reason the 44 Mag available to them so thats why in that particular movie you do not get too gooda close up peaks at the muzzle opening of the handgun he uses nor the shells.

Yes, I bought the M29 in 1980 and have had a lot of fun and success with it in the last 37 years, and it is still going strong.