View Full Version : My S&W 19-4
My dad recently retired after 34 years of service and gave me his first duty weapon...which was really cool.
I don't know much about it, other than it seems to be a pretty standard model that was issued to law enforcement. How can I find out what year it was made? He did tell me that he had a wider trigger and hammer put on.
Serial # 35Kxxxx
Anyhow, just thought you guys would be interested. It's pretty cool to see what the old man carried back in the day. Hearing him talk about when the switch to Glocks was made, the amount of ammo they were able to carry was unbelievable.
As a LEO family, this one is staying with us forever! (I hope to pass along one of my own to my future son/daughter)
Onto the pictures...
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0797.jpg
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0798.jpg
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0800.jpg
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0799.jpg
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0802.jpg
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Very nice gun.
Kind of unusual for a 6" barrel adjustable sighted gun with target hammer, target trigger, and full size grips to get issued, though.
Must have been a "well financed" police department.
I've got a Model 17 that looks identical to yours in .22LR that my brother gave me years ago. It is nicknamed a K-22.
I'll bet with some 38 wadcutters, your gun will shoot great.
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The serial dates it to sometime in 1979. To get the EXACT ship date you can write a letter to S&W and they will give you all the information they have on that gun, that their records may hold. Fifty dollar fee though.
That would have came in a blue, two piece cardboard box, with a cleaning kit, screw driver (sight adjustment tool) and an instruction sheet.
The half inch wide target hammer and target tigger are a bit unusual on a duty weapon, as is the six inch barrel. Generally a four inch gun with the standard 1/8" wide trigger was the norm.
I carried a 19-2 as my first duty gun starting in 1974. We carried six 158 gr mags in the gun and TWELVE on our belt! EIGHTEEN rds was it, unless a guy carried some extra rds in a jacket pocket or a backup.
FN in MT
Thanks for the good information guys.
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Very nice gun.
Kind of unusual for a 6" barrel adjustable sighted gun with target hammer, target trigger, and full size grips to get issued, though.
Must have been a "well financed" police department.
I've got a Model 17 that looks identical to yours in .22LR that my brother gave me years ago. It is nicknamed a K-22.
I'll bet with some 38 wadcutters, your gun will shoot great.
.
The serial dates it to sometime in 1979. To get the EXACT ship date you can write a letter to S&W and they will give you all the information they have on that gun, that their records may hold. Fifty dollar fee though.
That would have came in a blue, two piece cardboard box, with a cleaning kit, screw driver (sight adjustment tool) and an instruction sheet.
The half inch wide target hammer and target tigger are a bit unusual on a duty weapon, as is the six inch barrel. Generally a four inch gun with the standard 1/8" wide trigger was the norm.
I carried a 19-2 as my first duty gun starting in 1974. We carried six 158 gr mags in the gun and TWELVE on our belt! EIGHTEEN rds was it, unless a guy carried some extra rds in a jacket pocket or a backup.
FN in MT
Straight Shooter
04-30-12, 07:33
What that is..is OLD SCHOOL BAD-ASSERY...thats what.
Awesome gun. I would have a narrow, smooth trigger, but other than that...the gun is a very viable defense weapon.
Im a revolver guy..and thats a great piece.
Nice pics too.
Beautiful M19, I also have one in nickel that I enjoy shooting very much.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/LSntegra/Guns/DSC00609.jpg
Straight Shooter
04-30-12, 07:53
DAMN...yall are killing me.
NICE PIECE you have also Kenny!!
I had a near perfect 4" 19-4, target trigger, hammer and sights, and large grips, that I sold like a dumb ass.
I wish I had never sold it, it and every other gun I have ever sold.
Guns are for buying, not selling! :D
And old S&W wheelguns are for collecting!
Guns are for buying, not selling! :D
And old S&W wheelguns are for collecting!
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/montanaguy375/IMG_2910.jpg
Been buying , shooting and carrying them for 40+ years. Unfortunately I've only been able to afford to buy and stash in the safe...for the last seven or eight years.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/montanaguy375/DSC_0096.jpg
My original MT Hwy Patrol duty weapon from 1985. M-28-2 4" , Carried this guy for about five years until we switched to 5903 nines. Note mirror like holster wear at muzzle. LOL.
Good old gun that was accurate, and reliable. A bit heavy though.
FN in MT
FN, I am envious, sir. :)
FN, I am envious, sir. :)
Just wanted to "out" myself as a crazy S&W revolver collector and lover. No intentions other than that.
I'm a member of the S&W Collectors Assoc. You should see what a few of those fellows have!! Literally lifetimes of buying and trading into the BEST of the best. Collections where every other gun displayed is knockout perfect, rare, one of a kind, owned by someone famous, etc.
I've got maybe two dozen truly rare or desireable variations in the 80 or so. About 1/3 of the rest are shooters, the other simply new or like new examples of various models. My collection runs from WW2 to 1990 or so. Not much after that. I enjoy the hunt for the boxes, manuals, accy's and of course the guns themselves.
Keeps me off the streets at night.
FN in MT
Cool. I use the same 6" 19-4 in ICORE but with Uncle Mike's round butt grips that I modified for the square butt frame. I find the target trigger a hindrance though for that kind of match.
Just wanted to "out" myself as a crazy S&W revolver collector and lover. No intentions other than that.
I'm a member of the S&W Collectors Assoc. You should see what a few of those fellows have!! Literally lifetimes of buying and trading into the BEST of the best. Collections where every other gun displayed is knockout perfect, rare, one of a kind, owned by someone famous, etc.
I've got maybe two dozen truly rare or desireable variations in the 80 or so. About 1/3 of the rest are shooters, the other simply new or like new examples of various models. My collection runs from WW2 to 1990 or so. Not much after that. I enjoy the hunt for the boxes, manuals, accy's and of course the guns themselves.
Keeps me off the streets at night.
FN in MT
I have a small collection of S&W revolvers that I have accumulated over the past 35 years. My first duty weapon was a 4 inch model 66. I carried that revolver (and a model 60 back-up) for 16 years until we went to the Glock 31/33 (my current service weapon(s)). I have purchased ten S&W revolvers over the years, traded for two more. I have never sold one :D.
Great Stories guys, keep 'em coming:D
http://i737.photobucket.com/albums/xx14/TD236/Revolver/IMG_0798.jpg
Looks like the slot for the overtravel stop is vacant.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/montanaguy375/IMG_1728.jpg
Small run S&W made for the MT Hwy Patrolmans Association in 1979. These were simply standard 66's with the addition of the shoulder patch on the sideplate, and some roll engraving on the barrel. The total run was 213 guns.
Bought the gun used, in the correct box, but lacking the proper grips. I was later able to find a set of the proper "presentation" grips with the cutout allowing the patch on the sideplate to be shown.
Paid half as much for the proper grips this past year...as I did for the GUN in 1981 or so. The insanity of collecting.
FN in MT
Looks like the slot for the overtravel stop is vacant.
Many agencies either ordered the guns without the trigger stop or removed them all. With Magnum loads some would cause the screw that holds it in the frame to come loose and allow the stop to rotate and block the trigger. We removed all of ours at my old agency.
Since this is show and tell, I'll show and tell about mine...I bought it from a former co-worker who carried it on-duty at an agency that he'd retired from. Considering it's history, it's in remarkable condition and he gave me a deal on it that I couldn't pass up. I've got the original grips for it also but one day it will wear a nice set of Herrett stocks. And yes, it does need to be cleaned :rolleyes:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/montanaguy375/IMG_1728.jpg
Small run S&W made for the MT Hwy Patrolmans Association in 1979. These were simply standard 66's with the addition of the shoulder patch on the sideplate, and some roll engraving on the barrel. The total run was 213 guns.
Bought the gun used, in the correct box, but lacking the proper grips. I was later able to find a set of the proper "presentation" grips with the cutout allowing the patch on the sideplate to be shown.
Paid half as much for the proper grips this past year...as I did for the GUN in 1981 or so. The insanity of collecting.
FN in MT
My agency did a commemorative in 1995 to mark the 100th anniversary of the agency. The revolver selected was the S&W 586 4 inch. They were blued by the custom shop, and had gold leaf lettering on the barrel and sideplate marking the anniversary. My name and radio number are engraved in the right side plate. I believe they made 1,000 total, with 600 set aside for agency personnel. It is the only S&W I own that has never been fired, never had the cylinder opened. It rests in the safe in it's oak presentation box.
Very special and nice revolver, TOMTOM.
You should enjoy it for many years.
I would suggest not using 357 Magnum ammo a lot, if possible, as the K frame 357's (like the model 19's) had a reputation for sometimes cracking the forcing cone (Barrel near the cylinder) as the metal there is rather thin.
My agency did a commemorative in 1995 to mark the 100th anniversary of the agency. The revolver selected was the S&W 586 4 inch. They were blued by the custom shop, and had gold leaf lettering on the barrel and sideplate marking the anniversary. My name and radio number are engraved in the right side plate. I believe they made 1,000 total, with 600 set aside for agency personnel. It is the only S&W I own that has never been fired, never had the cylinder opened. It rests in the safe in it's oak presentation box.
Mass State Police?? Only one I can think of that did that large a run. And I think the total was only a bit over 600.
Most agency commemoratives are fairly small runs.
Good idea to keep it pristine. Money in the bank.
FN in MT
Mass State Police?? Only one I can think of that did that large a run. And I think the total was only a bit over 600.
Most agency commemoratives are fairly small runs.
Good idea to keep it pristine. Money in the bank.
FN in MT
Pennsylvania Game Commission 1895-1995 100th Anniversary. Mine is in the safe, will be my son's someday.
Pennsylvania Game Commission 1895-1995 100th Anniversary. Mine is in the safe, will be my son's someday.
Aah! A quick check of the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" the Bible for we Collectors...shows that run was in fact 2500 units.
FN in MT
Very nice!! My old man used to shoot competitively with a 19-3 and every once-in-a-while he'd let me shoot it. It is so unbelievably smooth. Looking at 19's always takes me back to my childhood.
Anyway, here are my two 19-4's!
http://www.coberly.org/images/S&W_19-4.jpg
Kind of unusual for a 6" barrel adjustable sighted gun with target hammer, target trigger, and full size grips to get issued, though.
Must have been a "well financed" police department.
Some agencies issued 6" 357's in the 70s. It was more common if they mostly worked traffic, like the various Highway Patrol departments.
In those days, rookies were issued a M-10 or M-13 with small service stocks. If they carried it for a couple of years and didn't drop it much, they could be issued a Model 19. Lots of officers (and departments) upgraded to target hammers, triggers, and grips thinking that it made the piece more effective in a fight. In the case of the grips, it probably did.
Okie John
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