The S&W Model 19 is a revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

 produced by Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...

 on its K-frame platform. The model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum

.357 Magnum

The .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...

. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known as the S&W Model 27

S&W Model 27

The Smith & Wesson Model 27 is the original .357 Magnum revolver and was first produced in 1935; and is still being produced. The Model 27 was built on Smith and Wesson's carbon steel, large N-frame, was available at various times with 3", 4", 5", 6" or 8" barrel lengths and had adjustable...

.

History

The .357 Magnum is the oldest handgun "magnum" cartridge. Smith & Wesson played a major part in the development and success of the cartridge and revolver that went with it. Firearms writer and experimenter Philip Sharpe is credited for its development during the 1930s when police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 agencies were asking for a more powerful round. S&W's Dan Wesson

Daniel B. Wesson II

Daniel Baird Wesson II was an inventor and firearms maker and the great-grandson of inventor and firearms maker Daniel Baird Wesson who was co-founder of Smith & Wesson. Wesson worked in Smith & Wesson, the family company, from 1938 until 1963 when it was acquired by Bangor Punta. He left and...

 agreed to produce a new revolver that would handle "high-intensity" .38 Special

.38 Special

The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...

 loads, but only if Winchester

Winchester Repeating Arms Company

The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...

 would develop a new cartridge. Winchester introduced the .357 Magnum, which was dimensionally identical to the .38 Special except for a .125 inch longer case, and the first revolvers (referred to as ".357 Magnum Models") were completed by S&W on April 8, 1935.

Retired Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector of the U.S. Border Patrol

United States Border Patrol

The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...

, famous gun fighter, and noted firearms and shooting skills writer Bill Jordan

Bill Jordan (Marine)

William Henry "Bill" Jordan was an American lawman, United States Marine and author.Born in 1911 in Louisiana, he served for over 30 years with the U.S. Border Patrol, while also serving as a US Marine during World War II and the Korean War...

 consulted with Smith & Wesson on the design and characteristics of the Model 19. Jordan's idea for a "peace officer's dream" sidearm was a heavy-barreled four-inch K-Frame .357 Magnum with a shrouded barrel like the big N-frame .357 and adjustable sights. After a year of experimentation with improved-strength steels and special heat-treat processes, the result was the .357 Combat Magnum (later designated Model 19), with the first serial-number gun (K260,000) presented to Jordan on November 15, 1955.

Styles

The Model 19 was produced in blued carbon steel or nickel-plated steel with wood or rubber combat grips, an adjustable rear sight, semi-target hammer, serrated combat-type trigger, and was available in 2.5" (3": Model 66—rare), 4", or 6-inch barrel lengths. The weights are 30.5 ounces, 36 ounces, and 39 ounces, respectively. The 2.5- and 3-inch barrel versions had a round butts, while the others had square butts.

The Model 19 was produced from 1957 (first model number stampings) to November 1999. The Model 66 was produced from 1970 until 2005. The Model 66 differed by its use of stainless steel

Stainless steel

In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....

and its smooth target-type trigger. The Model 19 and the Model 66 had the same trigger options.

Engineering changes were designated with a "dash-" number after the model number. The engineering changes are as follows:

• 19 (1957): Stamping of model number.
• 19-1 (1959): Change extractor rod, right to left-hand thread.
• 19-2 (1961): Cylinder stop changed, delete triggerguard screw.
  • (1963): Introduce 6" barrel.
  • (1963): 50 manufactured with 2.5" barrel, serial range K544672–K544721.
  • (1966): Introduce 2.5" barrel as standard.
• 19-3 (1967): Relocation of rear sight leaf screw.
  • (1968): Delete diamond-insert grip.
• 19-4 (1977): Change gas ring from yoke to cylinder. (Not really an "improvement". It did make it slightly easier to clean if there was heavy leading, but basically was a cost-cutting measure.)
• 19-5 (1982): Eliminate cylinder counterbore.
• 19-6 (????): ??
• 66 (1970): Stamping of each model.
• 66-1 (1977): Changed the gas ring from the yoke to the cylinder.
• 66-2 (1982): Eliminated pinned and recessed, slightly lengthened cylinder.
• 66-3 (1986): New yoke retention system/radius stud package/hammer nose bushing/floating hand.
• 66-4 (1994): Change rear sight leaf, drill and tap frame, introduce Hogue grips, change extractor.
• 66-5 (1998): Change in frame design: eliminate cylinder stop stud/eliminate serrated tangs/change to MIM hammer with floating firing pin/change internal lockwork.
• 66-6 (2002): Introduced internal lock.
• 66-7 (?): Two piece barrel and internal lock,

(2005): Discontinued.

External links

• S&W M19 under S&W M&P revolver.