Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum – Superb Blued Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum is the revolver Bill Jordan asked Smith and Wesson to build: a K-frame chambered in 357 Magnum rather than 38 Special, giving a peace officer magnum power in a gun light enough to carry every day. It became one of the most admired revolvers ever made, and this Classic version brings it back blued, with wood grips and no internal lock.

Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum The K-Frame Magnum

Before the Model 19, 357 Magnum lived on the larger and heavier N-frame. Putting the cartridge on a K-frame produced a revolver that could be carried comfortably on a duty belt for a full shift and still deliver magnum performance when it mattered. That combination is why the Model 19 developed the following it has.

The Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum holds six rounds and wears a 4.25 inch barrel, which is the length most associated with the model and arguably the best compromise the design offers: enough barrel for the cartridge to work, short enough to holster comfortably.

It also chambers 38 Special, which is the practical answer to the K-frame magnum question. Cheap, mild 38 Special for practice and full-power 357 when it matters, from the same gun, with no adjustment required.

Finish, Grips and Sights

The barrel and frame are blued carbon steel. Bluing is a traditional finish rather than a modern coating: it looks right on a revolver of this design, it develops character with use, and it requires more care against corrosion than stainless does. That is the trade for the appearance, and collectors make it willingly.

Grips are checkered wood. Grip shape matters more on a revolver than on almost any other handgun, because the way the gun rolls under recoil is determined almost entirely by how the grip meets your palm, and checkering gives purchase without the abrasiveness of aggressive modern texturing.

Sights are the classic Smith and Wesson target arrangement: a ramp front with a red insert against a black blade adjustable rear. The red insert draws the eye in daylight, and an adjustable rear lets you zero for whichever load you settle on. That matters more on a 357 than most people realise, given how differently 38 Special and 357 Magnum print.

The action is double action and single action, with the smooth trigger the K-frame is known for and a solid frame with no internal lock.

Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum

With 38 Special this is one of the most pleasant revolvers made. Steel weight, a 4.25 inch barrel and a well-shaped wooden grip mean recoil is negligible and the sights barely move. It is an excellent gun for teaching double action fundamentals and for shooting a great deal without spending a great deal.

With full-power 357 Magnum it is a different animal. Recoil is sharp, the muzzle blast is significant, and it takes deliberate practice to shoot fast pairs well. That is not a criticism, it is simply the cartridge doing what it does from a gun this size, and the ability to switch between the two is the whole point of the chambering.

Zeroing deserves attention. Thirty eight Special and 357 Magnum can print several inches apart at 25 yards from the same revolver, and the adjustable rear sight exists precisely so you can settle that. Pick the load you will actually use, zero for it, and note where the other one lands.

Maintenance Notes

Bluing needs attention that stainless does not. Wipe the revolver down with an oiled cloth after handling, particularly after shooting or if your hands sweat, and store it somewhere dry. Neglected bluing pits, and pitting on a gun like this is both permanent and avoidable.

Magnum ammunition fouls a revolver considerably more than 38 Special does. The ring of carbon that builds at the front of the chambers is what eventually prevents longer 357 cases from seating, so if you practise with 38 Special, scrub the chambers properly rather than assuming a quick pass is enough.

Keep the cylinder face and forcing cone clean, and check that the ejector rod stays tight, as it can back out under recoil and lock the cylinder closed at exactly the wrong moment. Wood grips benefit from a light coat of an appropriate finish every year or two.

Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 14046
• UPC: 022188895940
• Caliber: 357 Magnum, also fires 38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 4.25 inches, blued carbon steel
• Action: double action and single action
• Grips: checkered wood
• Sights: ramp front with red insert, black blade adjustable rear
• Internal lock: none
• Frame: solid, K-frame

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum

A blued steel revolver with wood grips is bought as much for what it is as for what it does. That is a perfectly good reason, and this one is also a fully functional 357 that will shoot as well as any Model 19 ever did.

The K-frame in 357 has a historical reputation for showing wear under a heavy diet of full-power magnum ammunition, particularly with light bullets. Most owners practise with 38 Special and shoot magnums sparingly, which is both sensible and how the revolver was generally used in service.

Bluing is not stainless. It resists corrosion far less well, and a blued revolver carried against the body in a humid climate will show it if neglected. A wipe with an oiled cloth after handling is not optional maintenance on a gun like this.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson Model 19 Classic 357 Magnum suits revolver enthusiasts, collectors and traditionalists: shooters who want the classic K-frame magnum without buying used, anyone who values an adjustable-sighted 357 in a carryable size, and buyers who specifically want a Smith and Wesson without an internal lock.

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