**Decision Made with PICS** Should I buy 70's or NEW

Ilove12gshotguns

Ilove12gshotguns

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Good day,

I am looking at buying my First revolver and and i have decided on a Smith & Wesson Model 19. My big question is whether to buy new or old.

Both have Pro's and Con's and heres what I have come up with.... tell me if I am out to lunch.

New S&W M19 Classic

Pros - New and known history / obviously not abused
- Has the internal lock / See this as a plus, family man
- better metallurgy and rifling
- Most reviews report better accuracy then the old series

Cons - Not as well built
- Most are reporting gas cutting/ blast marks on cylinders, some require repair out of box
- no collector value whatsoever
- heavier trigger then OLD series

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The "OLD/ORIGINAL" Series

Pros - Excellent and unmatched build quality
- Pinned and recessed if you find the 19-3 or older
- Will only go up in value
- Excellent triggers
Cons - No lock
- Unkown history or maintenance
- Not as accurate
- Barrel shrouds are known to crack due too poor metal type

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Im stuck and need some help deciding


Thanks
 
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buy older
the lock really serves no purpose because we have to trigger lock anyways (presonally perferred)
you never mentioned price and that is more of a deciding factor than anything I or anyone here could ever say
almost every gun out there is more accurate than the shooter.
 
For any S&W revolver other than 686/586, I'd buy 1970's or earlier. I believe the 586/686 series came out in 1980 so you got no choice there. I still have a 686-3 with Silhouette sights and have had three other 686-3s and two 586 no dash.
 
there are a lot of real nice older 19's out there, most are 4 inch, so that may let you out , if you have kids at home, to young.
I have a 19-2 and the trigger is as good as my python, thought that is after a trigger job. that 4 inch is as accurate as any gun I have.
I have new 686 in stock and the trigger is terrible to the older ones I have had.
The internal lock to me don't look right, I still think it is legal, but so have I have not got a answer back from my CFO, he did not know when I asked him.
But if you read the act, it should be a lock, you can use a trigger lock, a crane lock , or a cable though the barrel, frame, all work and legal.
I like old guns, so maybe I am not the one to comment.
In the end , it is what you like the best, they are all good, and I seem to like blue better than stainless.
If you have kids around get a real good safe, not a tin box to keep it in.
 
marshall said:
The internal lock to me don't look right, I still think it is legal, but so have I have not got a answer back from my CFO, he did not know when I asked him.
But if you read the act, it should be a lock, you can use a trigger lock, a crane lock , or a cable though the barrel, frame, all work and legal.
Click to expand...

if you look at what is written "(i) rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device " - the internal safety lock out might not meet that defination or the RCMP's interpation of "Attach". And as we know the trigger locks we use are only on there for appearance, considering how fast a recipracating saw with a carbide blade can cut one off so for a $12 item.........
 
marshall said:
there are a lot of real nice older 19's out there, most are 4 inch, so that may let you out , if you have kids at home, to young.
I have a 19-2 and the trigger is as good as my python, thought that is after a trigger job. that 4 inch is as accurate as any gun I have.
I have new 686 in stock and the trigger is terrible to the older ones I have had.
The internal lock to me don't look right, I still think it is legal, but so have I have not got a answer back from my CFO, he did not know when I asked him.
But if you read the act, it should be a lock, you can use a trigger lock, a crane lock , or a cable though the barrel, frame, all work and legal.
I like old guns, so maybe I am not the one to comment.
In the end , it is what you like the best, they are all good, and I seem to like blue better than stainless.
If you have kids around get a real good safe, not a tin box to keep it in.
Click to expand...

Hey marshall,
I have kids at home, I also have a 12(6), lol!
As for old over new, go old. As marshall said, the most accurate are the 4" barrels. Too bad you can't get one.
 
I have been buying "K"series S&W revolvers for a while now. Old ones. I would say buy three and one is a dud, wore out, shot out type of deal. You need to be careful.
 
Thanks for all the advice.

The internal lock, is just another step in the detection of safety. Not to be relied upon, and of course education and training are the best tools for saftey. I really couldn't care less about how it makes the pistol "look" as I am too young to remember when they first came around without them.

Looks like I will be going with the older versions, based on quality and value.
 
Ilove12gshotguns said:
Thanks for all the advice.

The internal lock, is just another step in the detection of safety. Not to be relied upon, and of course education and training are the best tools for saftey. I really couldn't care less about how it makes the pistol "look" as I am too young to remember when they first came around without them.

Looks like I will be going with the older versions, based on quality and value.
Click to expand...

Good choice!
 
I have a 1963 38 special 14-2 and I love it, in fact after I bought that one I had to have a K frame Smith&Wesson in a 22 model 617.
Never used the internal lock on the 617, I use trigger locks.

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Ilove12gshotguns said:
Thanks for all the advice.

The internal lock, is just another step in the detection of safety. Not to be relied upon, and of course education and training are the best tools for saftey. I really couldn't care less about how it makes the pistol "look" as I am too young to remember when they first came around without them.

Looks like I will be going with the older versions, based on quality and value.
Click to expand...


Good boy, unlike women, older Smiths (in good tight condition) are more desirable than the newer ones:p
 
This one is really a no brainer. Get the older one. New production S&W's are hit and miss in terms of quality (and more often 'miss' than 'hit', it seems).

As for the lock, you are probably the only one out there who sees it as a benefit. In this country, you are required to store your handguns locked away by law. If your gun its already locked in a safe, why do you need another lock?
 
I agree with most people here about buying an older one but my personal experience is that older ones are only better if you know how to fix them or they’re obviously not shot much. I purchased more than a few that were described as “tight” when in fact they had endshake, mild cylinder play, or headspace at the very max end of S&W’s specs. Now a quick order on Brownells totaling $40 and I have been able to shim them back and replace the bolt to take the play out and I was happy. Most people don’t pull out the feeler gauges when assessing their used revolver for resale. They know it goes bang it looks nice so it’s all good and tight right? Well not necessarily.

New S&W’s got a bit of a bad rep in recent years due to poor quality control. I can attest to falling victim of this as well with two of my brand new S&W revolvers. The good part of this story is their warranty service corrected everything in both cases and will very little effort required by me. I’ve seen new 686 internationals revolvers for $750 recently!!! That’s amazing value ! $750 will not get you much on the used S&W revolver market.

Just my 2c
 
Put me down for an old M19 (or any S&W/Colt revolver)...I've owned several dozen over the years, and had precisely 3 newer guns with the lock. A 686 Talo, 629, and a model 63. The trigger on none of them was comparable to any of my old revolvers. The only one of those three I kept was the Model 63, because it's just a really fun plinker and one of my daughters really like to shoot it. If I could ever get my hands on an old 63...I'd be all over it. Buy the best quality/condition you can afford, and you should be happy.
 
I much prefer the workmanship of the older M19. The bluing and trigger were much better. I also think the modern lock and the relieved cylinder latch looks ugly.
However, if you plan on shooting a lot of full house. 357 loads, the modern metallurgy of the current K frame is better.
 
Older is better.

The new S&W's are hit and miss and have amateur muzzle crowns, They need to fire that so called "machinist".
 
good points there, my M19 has some end shake , not to bad yet, but no big deal when I get to it, a bigger deal is a Dan Wesson, on rapid fire they have a short throw, and I was getting light hits, bit of end shake in that, weak spring, also transfer bar trouble.
The best trigger I ran into was a single action only model 14 that came via Trade EX, I have never felt a Smith trigger like that.
I sold a as new 617 to a fellow and he was complaining about how it shot, on paper, some times good, some times not, I shoot like that lots.
So we sand baged it and a older 8" 17-3, I think.
With Fed gold match it would shoot about 1/2" and the old one 3/8- 1/2 in, CCI green tag the new one was the same at 3/8", the old one was about 1/4 in, the 617 would shoot crappy ammo better than the old one. We where shooting at 25 -30yrsd,my eyes are not that good on open sight any more.
Back to the 4 inch model 19, I shoot that way better than 6 inch guns.
MuthaFunk said:
I agree with most people here about buying an older one but my personal experience is that older ones are only better if you know how to fix them or they’re obviously not shot much. I purchased more than a few that were described as “tight” when in fact they had endshake, mild cylinder play, or headspace at the very max end of S&W’s specs. Now a quick order on Brownells totaling $40 and I have been able to shim them back and replace the bolt to take the play out and I was happy. Most people don’t pull out the feeler gauges when assessing their used revolver for resale. They know it goes bang it looks nice so it’s all good and tight right? Well not necessarily.

New S&W’s got a bit of a bad rep in recent years due to poor quality control. I can attest to falling victim of this as well with two of my brand new S&W revolvers. The good part of this story is their warranty service corrected everything in both cases and will very little effort required by me. I’ve seen new 686 internationals revolvers for $750 recently!!! That’s amazing value ! $750 will not get you much on the used S&W revolver market.

Just my 2c
Click to expand...
 
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