smith and wesson model19-4

JoeNovosel

JoeNovosel

New member
I just picked this up in a trade for some mre's. Just wondering what year its from. Serial number is 48k2664. Thanks for the help
 
If you pull the grips, does it have three or four screws holding the side plate to the frame??? If four, it's one of the older ones and worth really checking out...If three, then it's one of the newer series K frames...You can usually go to your local gun shop/smith and they generally have values by age/ser. #, but the prices are possibly out of date by the time most of the books are published...Model 19s were a pretty common LEO issue back in the late 50s and through the 70s...
 
Make sure that is the serial number on the bottom of the grip frame. Is so, it shipped in 1978/1979. S&W does not document manufacture dates, only the date it shipped.
 
Model 19 is a 'K' frame, Model 29 is an 'N' frame (larger)...'J' frames are in the Chief's special (5 shot) category....In the early 80s, S&W came out with an 'L' frame that is in between the K and N in size and weight...Made carrying much easier than the N frame, and easier to shoot with the .357 mag, loads than the K frame models..
 
78-79 vintage. I had a few of these and they are my favorite K frames. They were designed as a .38 Spl that can occasionally fire .357 mag. Keep that in mind and you'll be fine. They came about for LE as a gun that could be carried around all day because of the lighter weight.

Its downfall is the forcing cone is the weak spot at the 6 o'clock position. If these guns are fed lots of light 125 gr mag rounds the forcing cone will crack. And S&W does not make barrels for these any longer. And now you know why S&W came out with the L frame.

Try to stay away from mag loads using the lighter bullets and it will last a long time.
 
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Its a k model for sure. Its marked as 357 on barrel. Guess i dont know what you mean by its designed as 38 but shoots 357? It is capable of shooting both?
 
It is designed to shoot both but a steady diet of magnum loads can loosen it up and as mentioned the 125's have a tendency to erode the forcing cone at an accelerated rate.

quote=JoeNovosel]Its a k model for sure. Its marked as 357 on barrel. Guess i dont know what you mean by its designed as 38 but shoots 357? It is capable of shooting both?[/quote]
 


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