[Garand]

S&W Model 66 .357 Magnum - YouTube

Well the snow has started to fall and my single action pistols get packed away, for the most part, until spring. My favorite revolver for use in winter is my 4" S&W M66 fitted with Pachmayer Professional grips. Since I bought this revolver second hand in 1986, I think I can conservatively say I've put 40,000 Plus .38+P's through it, and a couple of hundred of .357 magnums. At least half of that ammo was shot during the year I competed completely in IPSC in the revolver class. In 36 years, I've replaced the firing pin twice and about 3 years ago the pin that holds the hammer in place gave up the ghost. Not a bad track record.

 

[John in AR]

I've never owned a 66 or 19, but have had another K-frame (model 10) and a couple L-frames; all gone now. Great guns, all of them. Ever since picking up my first moonclip-fed revolver, they surprised me and quickly became my favorites. Now have an L-frame in 9mm and a redhawk in .45acp/.45LC, and am absolutely hooked on moonclips. In an ideal world, the 9mm would also be cut for both 9mm and.357, as the .45 is cut for both rimmed and rimless, but no luck on that so far.

 

[Garand]

I found moon clips on my 625 to be a pain in the butt! I'd take 600 rds in clips to a match just so I didn't have to deal with reloading them on site. On the nice side it was easy to pickup brass.

 

[BigEd]

I've had IIRC, 4 different K-frame S&W revolvers over the years.
I don't recall how much shooting I've done with them but I never had trouble with how they've functioned.
One of them was a 2-3/4" bbl 66 that had a pinned barrel and recessed cut cylinder. That one despite the short sight radius could really drive tacks.

 

[John in AR]

I found moon clips on my 625 to be a pain in the butt...

On the nice side it was easy to pickup brass.

There’s been several people who’ve told me the same thing about not liking moonclips. Maybe it’s because I shoot in rough grass instead of an actual shooting range, but I love how much easier & quicker is to pick up the brass; plus after just a year or so of using moon clips, reloads were faster than I could do after decades of using speed loaders.

It’s probably a minority opinion, but if I could use moon clips in all of my DA revolvers, I would. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Garand]

One of them was a 2-3/4" bbl 66 that had a pinned barrel and recessed cut cylinder. That one despite the short sight radius could really drive tacks.

I had a shooting buddy who bought a 2-3/4" bbl M19 about 6 months after I bought the M66 because he liked my M66 and that was the closest that he could get to finding one. He actually could drive tacks with that gun at 35 yds. I've also had for about 15 years a 2" bbl S&W M15 that was extremely accurate at 25 yds, I'm kind of kicking myself for selling it, my youngest daughter used to love it.

 

[BigEd]

And things changed so much in manufacturing processes.
I'm not saying the current QC is bad or anything.
But the older S&W revolvers from even the '80's, when I started shooting handguns, are fetching premiums.

It's just hard to fathom at times. Sign of getting old I guess.
It's funny funny when a good number of firearms on Forgotten Weapons I either shot and or owned.🤣

 

[Dorobuta]

I have a 25-5 in .45 Colt that I really enjoy shooting. S&W made a lot of very good handguns over the years.

 

[gtu838]

The 66 is one of the better all around 357s you could have. I owns the first year production 66 with original SS rear sight. One of my favorite revolvers.