s&w 66, is it good?

[sn0wflake]

I have the opportunity to buy a smith 66, from the 80ies I guess. Low round count (about 200 or so). And I just wonder if these revolvers are good. And how good. Compared to the latest gen 686 and current Ruger gp100 models.

[thermobollocks]

"Good" is generally shorthand for "suitable for purpose." What is your purpose? Smith vs. Ruger is one of those Glock vs. M&P sort of things that everyone and their dog will run into the ground, so we can safely ignore that for now. The 686 will be larger (L vs. K frame), and there are subtle differences between an '80s vintage and a brand new one. If you want a 6-shot .38, it's tough to go wrong with either of them. L, K, or N-frame is going to come down to how your hands are shaped.

An old one will be just as mechanically accurate as a new one, and a gunsmith will be just as able to slick up the guts however you like. It may even be easier to do so on the older one than the newer one.

The only thing I'd actually worry about is whether it's got a frame or hammer mounted firing pin, 'cause all of my round guns get dry-fired to hell and back, and the frame mounted one's easier to replace.

[sn0wflake]

25m precision shooting mainly and other timed, variable distance, precision stuff.

Sorry I didn't know I was opening a can of worms..

I have small size 8 hands and as of now my favorite revolver I have shot is a model 10-5 (I think) 38sp only, with rubber, grooved hogue grips.

I have shot a few smiths with the larger frames and they don't fit my hands too well. But to be honest I have no idea if the actual distance from the rear of the grips/frame to the trigger is changing, and they all had other wood grips too. I got to shoot a 38 built on a typical 44mag frame, and that was really hard for me, and I shot it really miserably too. It felt like I couldn't really reach the trigger appropiately when shooting double action.

I believe this one has the firing pin mounted on the hammer. And as far as I can decipher the internet talk pretty much all the ones that has the firing pin on the hammers are "good quality". Am I right here?

[sn0wflake]

But hey lets open this can of worms! Whats better/worse with the rugers in your opinion??

[thermobollocks]

25m precision shooting mainly and other timed, variable distance, precision stuff.

Sorry I didn't know I was opening a can of worms..

I have small size 8 hands and as of now my favorite revolver I have shot is a model 10-5 (I think) 38sp only, with rubber, grooved hogue grips.

I have shot a few smiths with the larger frames and they don't fit my hands too well. But to be honest I have no idea if the actual distance from the rear of the grips/frame to the trigger is changing, and they all had other wood grips too. I got to shoot a 38 built on a typical 44mag frame, and that was really hard for me, and I shot it really miserably too. It felt like I couldn't really reach the trigger appropiately when shooting double action.

I believe this one has the firing pin mounted on the hammer. And as far as I can decipher the internet talk pretty much all the ones that has the firing pin on the hammers are "good quality". Am I right here?

I was more trying to highlight that "is this good" is a really open-ended question.

So, let me piss off all of smith-wessonforums.com right about now. A lot of the things that "the Smith and Wesson community" or whatever look at fall into aestehtic quality from the factory and finishing touches that made the product just a little bit nicer. They're not necessarily related to what happens at the XX,000 round count. I had a 1967 model 19-3 for a while, and while it was pretty, I wouldn't necessarily want to soup it up and maintain it for competitive use. Forged and case-hardened internals vs. MIM'd and/or bead-blasted, for example, require different techniques and knowledge to get them good and greased. There's different sight systems, different replacement parts sometimes, and the like.

In terms of mechanical accuracy, unless someone's boogered something up from the factory, you're probably better off with a new gun rather than an older one. As for Smith vs. Ruger, I find the Smith triggers more pleasant. People who prep the trigger find Ruger's staging desirable, but I don't do that so I find it irritating. Smiths have a sideplate, Rugers have a trigger pack. That's kind of the big parts. I wouldn't throw big money at the Match Champion or 686SSR for what it's worth -- the extra that you pay doesn't really scratch any itch that I have. Oh, unless you want to throw hilarious fireballs downrange all the time, in which case yeah get a GP100 or Super Redhawk.

It sounds like you're trying to do PPC-ish type things. Luckily for you, old PPC guns come up on Gunbroker all the time. They're often.38 special only guns built off model 10s or the odd 19 (or even 66). Fitted match barrels, worked up guts, and if you're lucky the sicknasty 4-way preset adjustable sights with hilarious ribs. The cooler part is that because no one appreciates good PPC guns anymore, you can get something that may have set a guy back a grand in 1980 for under $800 now. Just watch out for those cerakoted ones with the mysteriously tight lockup.

Edited October 9, 2015 by thermobollocks

[Husker95]

If its a good price and you can afford it, it's probably worth buying regardless. It sounds LNIB and if you take care of it you will NEVER lose money on it. From that generation, there's a very good chance its a shooter too. Like Thermo said, i wouldnt throw any high-test +P+ down its throat but you dont have to. Slick it up and you'll have a nice revo that will last forever.

[GOF]

The 1980s were a turbulent time for S&W. I carried a Model 19 (blued version of 66) and later a 66 in uniform. But, those were cira 70s guns. I'm not sure I'd want a 1980s gun from S&W... too much management/production change going on then.... quality is a crap shoot.

I have two GP-100s (one 4 and one 6 inch)... IDPA & ICORE. Two inch groups at 25 yards (sandbag rest) and with a Wolfe spring kit and some internal polishing I get a 8 pound DA pull that will light off even CCI primers..... they've put a fair number of trophies on my wall.

I think I would prefer the Ruger GP-100.... as much as I liked my cira 1970s M19/66.

[Alaskan454]

The old S&W vs Ruger debate...I like them both but in general prefer Ruger all things equal. I have a slicked up 625 I shoot in IDPA, ICORE, and USPSA but also have a nearly identical custom Redhawk as well that comes along for backup. You can get a Ruger trigger just as smooth but almost never as light S&Ws. It will come down to the feel and cadence as to which you prefer personally. The aftermarket parts available for the smith brand are a huge benefit if you're going all out for competition as well. I'll always pick my GP100 when shooting a 6 shot 357, but it's a personal preference.

[PatJones]

The leaf spring in the K,L and N frame smiths can be tuned a little lighter than the coil spring in the Rugers. It's the nature of the way the springs store energy.

Many Rugers have a poorly fit hammer dog from the factory, this results in a weird "hump" in middle of the trigger pull. (That's the double action sear in S&W speak.) Properly fitting a new hammer dog and polishing the internal surfaces can make the Rugers feel really nice, but I've never been able to tune one as light.

If you have a S&W-trained finger, Rugers have a false reset where the sear has reset but the cylinder stop has not. It's more pronounced in some guns than others, but it locks up the gun until you get off the trigger and start the pull again.

I had a Ruger Security Six with a 3" barrel I really liked. The trigger tuned up great, but the grip angle felt more like a Colt single action so I sold it.

In general, the Smiths are "nicer" the Rugers are more durable. If I had to choose one revolver to grab before I disappeared into the mountains for the rest of my life, it would be a Ruger. I own Smiths because they're a bit more refined.

[bountyhunter]

The SW66 is my favorite revolver, an excellent gun but individual pieces may not be. I own about six of them and if you get a good one, you'll love it. I have previously posted why I no longer buy new SW products, but there are some very good older ones out there. And probably some very bad old ones, you have to know how to examine them.