This Smith and Wesson 19-3 represents my first gun purchase from GunBroker. Last week I hit every shop from Lancaster to Gettysburg in search of a 1960s or 70s era Smith and Wesson 357 or 44. There was absolutely nothing so I turned to the internet. Apparently all the good stuff is in Florida! My first venture into online gun sales was a positive one. A whole new can of worms has just been opened.

Nice!

I’ve purchased all my recent S&W revolvers online. I’ve probably “overpaid” for every one of them, but I really don’t care. The local gun shops are certainly aware of internet pricing and are not pulling out a dog eared Blue Book anymore. I’m just not willing to spend years scouring estate sales to find a deal.

Older Smiths, especially nice ones, have always been expensive here in Montana. I have experienced THE longest dry period inn many years. Haven't found anything worth a damn at Shows or shops in over a year.

Several shops have also figured out "harvesting" the original stocks, especially Combats. I know of a 3" , M-24 at a LGS for $795that came in with RB Combats. But is inn it's box without stocks! I refuse to buy if they have been harvested.

WHY I have gotten back into knives again...At least they are available and affordable.

Nice M-19!

I Left a message with all my local shops to give me a call if something comes in. Yesterday my guy came through and told me someone just dropped off a 586-1 in near perfect condition on consignment. I was there a half hour after getting the call and bought it. $625. The above post makes me think about the rubber grips but I am sure the former owner kept the originals. There’s no need to worry because I bought a set of eBay in need of refinishing and now I have a reason to get it done.

Strangely when I lived in New York shops had tons of old used S&W revolvers for sale usually at pretty good prices. Now that I live in gun friendly Arizona they are hens teeth, and when they do come up for sale are rather pricey. Still looking for an old beater model ten for under 300 bucks but no joy

a lot of folks don't like the factory grips and replace them

often giving away or tossing the box and grips



we were lucky and have picked up a couple of estates over the years that had extra grips in the estate,


kept a few here and there to use in case we get something in that needed a set

Very nice score, OP. Enjoy it!

I owned a nice 2” 10-5 for a few years that must have had a trigger job. Trigger was nearly as smooth as my Python. Shouldn’t have let that one go, rough as it looked. I would love to find a nice stainless or nickel “4 Smith in .357 in good condition with a nice trigger someday.

My very favorite pistols are S&W 357 Magnums.
Yours looks great and if the trigger is anything like the one on my 686-3, your other guns are going to be very, very jealous.
Accuracy, of course, well, you know!

Lotta good nickle guns come out of Florida and the Gulf state because the fight the rust from tha salt air better than blue. I will also say any model 19-3, blue or nickle, 2 1/2, 4, or 6', are about the best looking of the K frames.

Now THAT is a Model 19! Congrats! Regards 18DAI

Thanks for the positive comments. It shoots as good as it looks. The single action pull is so light I was a little concerned about getting light primer strikes. Not the case at all. No hammer push off either. One of my buddies commented that it definitely seems like the action was worked on but I’m not so sure. It may have just been decades of honest use.

Nickle isn't generally my personal cup of tea, but that is a nice gun.