S&W Combat Magnum

[fimore]

This model 19-2 2.5 Combat Magnum has to be the most handsome gun I own. I picked it up Friday morning and have been debating whether to shoot it or not.

On Saturday I received a new holster for it from Tucker Gun Leather.

[Gunsnwater]

Nice. If you don't know, don't shoot the light bullet weight magnums in it, they flame cut the top strap and can crack the forcing cone. Now your hooked, less for me

[pennlineman]

Beautiful revolver, congrats! I see no reason to not shoot it, it's been shot before. Shoot mostly .38 specials out of it for practice and when you do shoot magnums avoid lite weight bullets like 110's and 125's. Do that and that revolver will last you a long, long time. The K frame .357's did have an issue with splitting the barrel with lite weight bullet magnum loads, probably the reason they dropped production of them in favor of the then new 586. Still great revolvers for what they are. I have one like yours plus a 4 and two 6" barreled 19's, one blued and one nickel. Also a 4" 66. Enjoy!

[Bravo Whiskey]

That is really nice!. I have a 19-3 4"

[PA1936MN]

Very nice looking revolver. I'd shoot it. If you bought a holster for it and your going to carry it you might as well shoot it.

So can someone explain to me in more detail the issues with using light magnum loads in this particular revolver.

Thanks

[bogey1]

So can someone explain to me in more detail the issues with using light magnum loads in this particular revolver.

Thanks

^^^this^^^

[Hodgie]

Very nice I have a 19-3 that I purchased a few years back for peanuts as compared to what they are going for now. Shoot it clean it and store it properly and it will only increase in value.


Here's mine.

[Emptymag]

Now THAT is a heck of a first post!

NICE revolver!!! That's exactly what comes to mind when I picture the ideal revolver.

Thanks for sharing!

[pennlineman]

Very nice looking revolver. I'd shoot it. If you bought a holster for it and your going to carry it you might as well shoot it.

So can someone explain to me in more detail the issues with using light magnum loads in this particular revolver.

Thanks

The K frame .357 magnums were designed around the use of 158 grain bullets and things were fine. When they started coming out with the 125 and 110 grain bullets the models started developing the issue of the barrel cracking near the forcing cone. The most rearward part of the barrel. This issue never surfaced until the advent of the lighter weight bullets being push faster than the 158's.

The K frames were a smaller more lite weight .357 compared to the larger N frame .357's. This made them a lighter in weight and a less bulky package to carry around. This did not come without compromise. It was fairly common knowledge, even back then. That while the N frames could handle a healthy diet of .357 whereas the K frames were best used by practicing with .38 specials and occasionally shooting a few magnums through them. A steady diet of magnums through the K frames would cause the to loosen up much quicker than the larger N frames.

In the 80's S&W addressed this problem by discontinuing the K frame .357's for the slightly more beefy L frame which has no problem with the lite weight bullets and can withstand a more steady diet of .357's before loosening up. This started with the models 586 and 581 then shortly after the 681 and 686 which is still in production.

[Hodgie]

OP I just reread your post and see that you were debating on shooting it yet purchased a holster. If you plan on carrying this revolver which I am not against however your going to see a lot of holster wear over time with it. If you look at these on the auction sites many were once police issued and appear to have been shot very little but have major finish wear because of sitting in a holster and being drawn every once in awhile.

Just food for thought.