Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch – Superb Blued Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch is the long-barrelled Model 27, the revolver that introduced 357 Magnum to the world in 1935. Six and a half inches of blued barrel on an N-frame, with checkered walnut grips, is the configuration that made the model famous and remains the one collectors ask for.

Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch The Original 357

When Smith and Wesson developed 357 Magnum, they built a gun worthy of it. The Registered Magnum, which became the Model 27, was hand-finished to a standard no production revolver had reached before, with each one individually registered to its owner. Everything since has been measured against it.

The N-frame is the largest of the traditional Smith and Wesson double action frames, and it is the reason the Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch handles magnum ammunition so comfortably. Weight absorbs recoil, and full-power 357 from a long-barrelled N-frame is a firm push rather than the sharp snap it produces from a lighter gun.

It also chambers 38 Special, which is the practical answer to shooting a magnum a great deal. Cheap, mild 38 Special for practice and full-power 357 when it matters, from the same revolver, with no adjustment required.

Why the Longer Barrel

Six and a half inches gives 357 Magnum room to reach the velocity it was designed to produce. The cartridge was developed with long barrels in mind, and it shows a larger velocity gain from added barrel length than most handgun rounds do. For hunting and for maximum ballistic performance, this is the length to have.

A longer barrel also means a longer sight radius and more weight out front. Both steady the revolver, and both make precision shooting easier. On a target line or from a rest, the Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch will outshoot most people who pick it up.

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. On a Classics revolver that trade is the entire point.

Grips are checkered walnut. Grip shape determines how the gun rolls under recoil more than any other factor, and hand-checkered wood on an N-frame is both functional and handsome. Six rounds, a smooth double action pull and the option of single action complete the package.

Shooting the Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch

With 38 Special this is one of the most pleasant revolvers made. N-frame weight, a long 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 changes character, but far less than a lighter revolver would. The frame weight and the barrel length soak up a great deal of the impulse, and most shooters find magnum loads entirely manageable here in a way they are not from a small frame gun.

Running it double action is the skill worth building. A smooth double action stroke on a quality N-frame is one of the more satisfying things in shooting, and the single action option is there for a deliberate long shot, which on a barrel this long is a genuinely useful capability rather than a novelty.

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. Walnut grips benefit from a light coat of an appropriate finish every year or two.

Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 150341
• UPC: 022188134391
• Caliber: 357 Magnum, also fires 38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 6.5 inches
• Finish: blued carbon steel
• Grips: checkered walnut
• Frame: N-frame
• Action: double action and single action

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch

A blued steel N-frame with walnut 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 genuinely accurate revolver that will reward range time.

The N-frame handles a steady diet of full-power 357 Magnum far better than a smaller frame does. If you intend to shoot magnum ammunition regularly rather than occasionally, this is the size of gun to do it with.

A six and a half inch barrel is not a carry length. This is a range, hunting and collection revolver, and it makes no pretence otherwise. The four inch version of the same model exists for shooters who want to holster it.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson Model 27 Classic 6.5 Inch suits revolver enthusiasts, collectors and magnum shooters: anyone who wants the original 357 in its classic configuration, handgun hunters, target shooters, and buyers who appreciate a blued steel revolver with wood grips.

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