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December 3, 2012, 09:41 PM | #1 |
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Check out my new (rare?) smith model 19
picked it up at my local gander mt. for $425 out the door. it caught my eye because i had never seen a 4 inch barrel model 19 with a round butt grip.
what do you guys think i have here?
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December 3, 2012, 09:53 PM | #2 |
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Tell us the serial number and model number, examples Mod 19-1, 19-6 or whatever it is.
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December 3, 2012, 09:58 PM | #3 |
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sorry. accidentally deleted that from my original post.
it is a 19-5 ser# ayy3961
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December 3, 2012, 10:07 PM | #4 |
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S&W Model 19(-5) 4" ROUND BUTT - U.S. GOVT. CONTRACT
My book says that only 2.5" barrel lengths came with a round butt from the factory. Your pistol is most probably one of the Government contract guns I linked to above. Your serial number fits in the right range. If its not, then the barrel was put on later. Its probably one of the contract guns though.
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December 3, 2012, 10:32 PM | #5 |
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Nice find! There were runs of that gun done for the Office of Naval Intelligence and a couple of other agencies.
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December 3, 2012, 10:40 PM | #6 |
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wow that's awesome. any idea how many of these are out there?
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When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power - like God must feel when he's holding a gun. |
December 3, 2012, 10:54 PM | #7 | |
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Tom Servo
Quote:
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December 4, 2012, 12:02 AM | #8 |
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It looks a lot like mine that was stolen.
It was a gunsmith job with 2.5" barrel replaced with 4". The frame topstrap does not match up with the barrel rib. A 2.5" roundbutt has a thicker barrel rib and no step at the front of the topstrap. If you put on a standard 4" barrel, you get that little jog there. Maybe the Navy guns were the same, I have not seen one. |
December 4, 2012, 12:52 AM | #9 |
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If that is a Naval Intel piece...
(A) How would you prove it?
(B) If so...what is your guess on the value? I'm going to SWAG the price...call me crasy...call me, whatever...$2,500 U.S. dollars. But don't call me if real because I don't have money like that. Big talk with no skin in the game. |
December 4, 2012, 07:21 AM | #10 |
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The only way to know for sure exactly what it is is to get a letter from S&W. That will tell you the configuration in which that serial number left the factory.
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December 4, 2012, 11:34 AM | #11 | |
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Quote:
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December 4, 2012, 12:38 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
It your case though, owning a revolver that was special ordered and relatively few of produced, it would be worth it to posses the factory letter. Not only will it be nice to have, it will enhance your pistols value, beyond the expense of the letter. S&W Letter of Authenticity Request Form
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December 4, 2012, 10:10 PM | #13 |
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sounds good. i will look into getting that letter. it would be cool to know its history.
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When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power - like God must feel when he's holding a gun. |
December 4, 2012, 10:45 PM | #14 |
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Congrats on a great model 19. It does not get any better than the 19.
Enjoy, Howard |
December 4, 2012, 10:49 PM | #15 |
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I had one like that. Back in the 70s (man weren't those great years?) Bill Jordan advocated round butt 19 w/four inch barrel. I sent two 19s to Smith to swap the barrels. (Four inch and 2.5 inch, respectively.)
I didn't like them because the barrel ribs didn't line up, so I reversed it. That gun in your link looks like mine. |
December 4, 2012, 11:37 PM | #16 |
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ftballgod, as others have stated S&W made a number of R/B M-19's, for ONI, Marine embassy guards, FBI, and several European and Asian governments. Your M-19 has a collectors interest but is not really rare. Keep it, shoot it, and enjoy it.
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December 5, 2012, 10:03 AM | #17 |
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If your serial number starts with AYY, AYP or any prefix close to those it is likely a 19-5 from a Diplomatic Security Service order.
The DSS ordered several runs of RB 2.5 inch and RB 4 inch 19-5's. The ONI guns were 19-3 and IIRC the NIS 19's were a mix of 19-3 and 19-4's.........been awhile and I don't remember. I do remember that the majority of the ONI guns were later sent to the FBI for their use. Those RB 19's were demilled and destroyed - with a few converted to "red guns" for training - during the Clinton regime. To my knowledge no ONI guns have survived to make it into civilian hands. There are actually a few NIS RB 4 inch 19's still in service today. And more than a few DSS 19's, although they are in foreign Embassy service. Not CONUS. Nice 19 you have. Regards 18DAI.
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December 8, 2012, 07:57 AM | #18 |
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that looks a lot like one of the myriad Smith .38's still floating around Navy armories to this day. The Navy seems to have an institutional belief that we should hold on to every esoteric small arm ever purchased, hence the .38 Smiths, M-14 line throwing guns, SIG M11's (despite the Beretta M9 being the "official" pistol), and every Mossberg 12 ga. you can name popping up all over the service. At one point I was even issued an M16A1, early sight and no forward assist included! haha. It's to the point that that I wouldn't be too shocked to see a 1903 springfield pop up somewhere in active use by whatever command still has the damn thing.
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December 8, 2012, 08:35 PM | #19 |
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Got one like it also. Mine has a wide hammer and
and trigger. I bought mine at a pawn shop three or four yrs. ago for $349. Its a nice piece. Congrats! |
Tags |
4 inch , model 19 , rare |
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