S&W Combat Magum - The Firearms Forum

todd51 · 11-19-2011, 06:44 PM

Well I satisfied my two year search for a 4" K frame S&W today. Went to the OGCA gun show this morning and found two that I liked, one blue and one nickel. Well I am a sucker for nickel and it could be had for $50 less soooooo. I came home with the Model 19-4 S&W Combat Magnum .357 in nickel.

Serial # is 38K23xx. Do any of you have the resources to tell me the approximate manufacture date? Is there a publication that has the mfg dates for S&W. I have resource data but it stops about 1972.

Oneida Steve · 11-19-2011, 07:19 PM

Your new gun was made in 1978. You did well to get a nickel gun for less than the cost of a blued model. Nickel is generally more money due to being less common.

The book Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (SCSW) is the best source for S&W date of manufacture information.

permafrost · 11-19-2011, 07:21 PM

Beautiful, Todd!
Don't make 'em like that any more. Let us know how she shoots. I can see a new addition of the " old guys" coming.

Brisk44 · 11-19-2011, 07:30 PM

She's a beauty Todd, nice find.

todd51 · 11-19-2011, 07:31 PM

Thanks Steve for the date info. You know how prices are at a gun show they are all over the spectrum and don't always make sense.

Yes PF, looking forward to shooting this new one. I have a real soft spot for the S&W K frames. Trouble is that will soften up the wallet real fast too.

Noticed I can't spell nickel either, ha.

The Old Guys are pretty much fair weather shooters so don't know if I can get them out in the winter weather but you can bet I will slip down there myself if they won't join me, ha.

garydude · 11-19-2011, 08:51 PM

Congrats Todd on another beautiful addition to your collection. I'm also looking forward to the range report!

JUNKKING · 11-19-2011, 09:29 PM

Congrats Todd Very nice indeed!!

vytoland · 11-19-2011, 10:18 PM

that is one fine looking S&W .357 magnum,. a collector piece for sure

okiefired · 11-20-2011, 09:07 AM

Ya know, its just damn hard to improve on something like that.

okie

Jim Hauff · 11-20-2011, 10:43 AM

Todd,
Those 19s are, IMHO, the most visually pleasing of the S&Ws and they fit my hand very well. I felt lucky to get one from a friend a few years back at what I thought was a bargain price - a 19-3, I like yours better wanna trade???????

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todd51 · 11-20-2011, 11:42 AM

I like yours Jim, well I love yours and your have the TT & TH which really sets them off, heck I like them all. Just can't afford them all. There was another 19-4 in blue that I almost bought but I am a sucker for nickel. There was also a very, very nice N frame 27-2 5" barrel "for a few dollars more" but I passed on it which may have been a mistake as I think the 27-2 5" is the nicest revolver Smith ever made but there is always tomorrow and another gun show. A year back I got a 19-4 six inch barrel also in nickel so now it has a stable mate. I'll pass on your trade offer. I have kicked my self for evey gun I ever got rid of but it used to be I had to sell one to buy one but now I am going to keep them as long as I can.

Jim Hauff · 11-20-2011, 12:11 PM

todd,
I enjoy your logic. You now have a BRACE of 19-4s in NICKEL - I really like the look of nickel plated guns. Good find and VERY very nice piece you have there. How about a pic of the 6" and the 4" together?

Double D · 11-20-2011, 01:12 PM

Almost makes me wish I would have kept that 44 spl I had a while back. I know you remember that one todd, you were tempted by it too. Congrats on your purchace, I know you have been wanting to fill that void for quite some time. Enjoy.

The Duke · 11-20-2011, 01:16 PM

Really nice piece, Todd...Slickest out of the box pistola I ever had was a M-19 in Nickle that looked just like the one you got...You will enjoy it...Great carry gun also...

todd51 · 11-20-2011, 01:26 PM

OK Jim you asked for it so here is some gun porn.

Yes sir Duke, as soon as I get some leather for it I will be wearing it down in the hills. These are all shooters and not safe queens.

I do remember DD. So far I have resisted the temptation to get into the 44's

Thank you all for the nice comments. This old man is getting some real enjoyment out of this forum and the guns I have been fortunately to obtain.

Double D · 11-20-2011, 01:48 PM

Real nice!

Jim Hauff · 11-20-2011, 02:04 PM

WOW. Very nice! Shoot 'em! Nickel cleans easily. LOL

The Count · 11-28-2011, 06:14 PM

I have yet to get a nice nickel S&W. Anybody have experience taking used nickel S&W to a polishing wheel with the green medium (chrome oxide I believe) ? Can one get most minor scuff marks out this way or is the result doing more harm?

fleetwood1976 · 11-28-2011, 09:43 PM

great gun, i got the blue 19-3 in 4 inches. you will love it. be sure not to leave much powder solvent on the nickel and wipe it off quickly after cleaning.

todd51 · 11-28-2011, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the tip fleetwood. I got it pretty dirty Friday. A shame to do that to such a nice revolver but that is what they are for.

fleetwood1976 · 11-29-2011, 10:25 PM

Awesome pic. A nickel finished smith is definetly my favorite type of handgun.

Rhuga · 12-03-2011, 08:49 PM

The nickel finish is like good guys wearing white hats. I like em.

Zane71464 · 02-01-2012, 01:31 PM

NICE Todd! Good find(s) and for the Model 19-4 to be mfg. in "78 and still have a top-notch finish on it and ever cheaper than a blued version...I'm JELIOUS!!!

All three of those Smith's are just flat out awesome!!!
I salute you on your Smith's!

RunningOnMT · 02-01-2012, 04:23 PM

Those are nickel rather than stainless? That sure is a sweet family of Smiths you've got there Todd.

todd51 · 02-01-2012, 07:15 PM

Thanks for all the nice words fellows. I have been dieing this week what with the way warmer than normal. I should be down at the range shooting those guns but figuring this would be winter time I scheduled the painting of the inside of the house and I have been trapped here watching the painter and piling my stuff in first one room and then the next while the sun shines and the temperature climbs to 60. With any luck they will finish up tomorrow so I have hopes for Friday. Saturday there is a gun show on the west side of town so will have to go drool over the offerings.

11-19-2011, 06:44 PM	#1
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	S&W Combat Magum Well I satisfied my two year search for a 4" K frame S&W today. Went to the OGCA gun show this morning and found two that I liked, one blue and one nickel. Well I am a sucker for nickel and it could be had for $50 less soooooo. I came home with the Model 19-4 S&W Combat Magnum .357 in nickel. Serial # is 38K23xx. Do any of you have the resources to tell me the approximate manufacture date? Is there a publication that has the mfg dates for S&W. I have resource data but it stops about 1972. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member --> Last edited by todd51; 04-23-2013 at 08:07 PM..

11-19-2011, 07:19 PM	#2
Oneida Steve Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,028	Re: S&W Combat Magum Your new gun was made in 1978. You did well to get a nickel gun for less than the cost of a blued model. Nickel is generally more money due to being less common. The book Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (SCSW) is the best source for S&W date of manufacture information.

11-19-2011, 07:21 PM	#3
permafrost Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oklahoma, USA Contributor Posts: 1,771	Re: S&W Combat Magum Beautiful, Todd! Don't make 'em like that any more. Let us know how she shoots. I can see a new addition of the " old guys" coming. __________________ Stand and Fight

11-19-2011, 07:30 PM	#4
Brisk44 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Contributor Posts: 1,747	Re: S&W Combat Magum She's a beauty Todd, nice find.

11-19-2011, 07:31 PM	#5
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	Re: S&W Combat Magum Thanks Steve for the date info. You know how prices are at a gun show they are all over the spectrum and don't always make sense. Yes PF, looking forward to shooting this new one. I have a real soft spot for the S&W K frames. Trouble is that will soften up the wallet real fast too. Noticed I can't spell nickel either, ha. The Old Guys are pretty much fair weather shooters so don't know if I can get them out in the winter weather but you can bet I will slip down there myself if they won't join me, ha. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member

11-19-2011, 08:51 PM	#6
garydude Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Desert Southwest Proper Contributor Posts: 742	Re: S&W Combat Magum Congrats Todd on another beautiful addition to your collection. I'm also looking forward to the range report!

11-19-2011, 09:29 PM	#7
JUNKKING Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Just East of Pittsburgh PA Contributor Posts: 1,770	Re: S&W Combat Magum Congrats Todd Very nice indeed!! __________________ Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and again!

11-20-2011, 09:07 AM	#9
okiefired V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: OK. Posts: 186	Re: S&W Combat Magum Ya know, its just damn hard to improve on something like that. okie __________________ "If I ever meet a Texacan that hasn't drunk muddy water from a hoof print, I'll shake his hand and buy him a Daniel Webster ceeegar" Rooster Cogburn

11-20-2011, 10:43 AM	#10
Jim Hauff Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 2,980	Re: S&W Combat Magum Todd, Those 19s are, IMHO, the most visually pleasing of the S&Ws and they fit my hand very well. I felt lucky to get one from a friend a few years back at what I thought was a bargain price - a 19-3, I like yours better wanna trade??????? __________________ Jim Hauff ~ H&R Collector In Memory of Bill Goforth and Jim Ritchie

11-20-2011, 11:42 AM	#11
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	Re: S&W Combat Magum I like yours Jim, well I love yours and your have the TT & TH which really sets them off, heck I like them all. Just can't afford them all. There was another 19-4 in blue that I almost bought but I am a sucker for nickel. There was also a very, very nice N frame 27-2 5" barrel "for a few dollars more" but I passed on it which may have been a mistake as I think the 27-2 5" is the nicest revolver Smith ever made but there is always tomorrow and another gun show. A year back I got a 19-4 six inch barrel also in nickel so now it has a stable mate. I'll pass on your trade offer. I have kicked my self for evey gun I ever got rid of but it used to be I had to sell one to buy one but now I am going to keep them as long as I can. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member

11-20-2011, 12:11 PM	#12
Jim Hauff Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 2,980	Re: S&W Combat Magum todd, I enjoy your logic. You now have a BRACE of 19-4s in NICKEL - I really like the look of nickel plated guns. Good find and VERY very nice piece you have there. How about a pic of the 6" and the 4" together? __________________ Jim Hauff ~ H&R Collector In Memory of Bill Goforth and Jim Ritchie

11-20-2011, 01:12 PM	#13
Double D TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Florida Contributor Posts: 8,066	Re: S&W Combat Magum Almost makes me wish I would have kept that 44 spl I had a while back. I know you remember that one todd, you were tempted by it too. Congrats on your purchace, I know you have been wanting to fill that void for quite some time. Enjoy. __________________ I own a bunch of scary guns. You want em? Come and take em..... Liberalism is a serious, non curable, mental disorder... NRA LIFE MEMBER Oath Keepers Member NRA Certified Instructor 30 Yr CC permit holder.

11-20-2011, 01:16 PM	#14
The Duke Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NW Louisiana Posts: 813	Re: S&W Combat Magum Really nice piece, Todd...Slickest out of the box pistola I ever had was a M-19 in Nickle that looked just like the one you got...You will enjoy it...Great carry gun also... __________________ Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

11-20-2011, 01:26 PM	#15
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	Re: S&W Combat Magum OK Jim you asked for it so here is some gun porn. Yes sir Duke, as soon as I get some leather for it I will be wearing it down in the hills. These are all shooters and not safe queens. I do remember DD. So far I have resisted the temptation to get into the 44's Thank you all for the nice comments. This old man is getting some real enjoyment out of this forum and the guns I have been fortunately to obtain. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member Last edited by todd51; 04-23-2013 at 08:07 PM..

11-20-2011, 01:48 PM	#16
Double D TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Florida Contributor Posts: 8,066	Re: S&W Combat Magum Real nice! __________________ I own a bunch of scary guns. You want em? Come and take em..... Liberalism is a serious, non curable, mental disorder... NRA LIFE MEMBER Oath Keepers Member NRA Certified Instructor 30 Yr CC permit holder.

11-20-2011, 02:04 PM	#17
Jim Hauff Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 2,980	Re: S&W Combat Magum WOW. Very nice! Shoot 'em! Nickel cleans easily. LOL __________________ Jim Hauff ~ H&R Collector In Memory of Bill Goforth and Jim Ritchie

11-28-2011, 06:14 PM	#18
The Count V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 264	Re: S&W Combat Magum I have yet to get a nice nickel S&W. Anybody have experience taking used nickel S&W to a polishing wheel with the green medium (chrome oxide I believe) ? Can one get most minor scuff marks out this way or is the result doing more harm?

11-28-2011, 09:43 PM	#19
fleetwood1976 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern Indiana Contributor Posts: 1,333	Re: S&W Combat Magum great gun, i got the blue 19-3 in 4 inches. you will love it. be sure not to leave much powder solvent on the nickel and wipe it off quickly after cleaning.

11-28-2011, 10:15 PM	#20
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	Re: S&W Combat Magum Thanks for the tip fleetwood. I got it pretty dirty Friday. A shame to do that to such a nice revolver but that is what they are for. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member

11-29-2011, 10:25 PM	#21
fleetwood1976 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern Indiana Contributor Posts: 1,333	Re: S&W Combat Magum Awesome pic. A nickel finished smith is definetly my favorite type of handgun.

12-03-2011, 08:49 PM	#22
Rhuga Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Henderson, Nevada Posts: 645	Re: S&W Combat Magum The nickel finish is like good guys wearing white hats. I like em.

02-01-2012, 01:31 PM	#23
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,358	Re: S&W Combat Magum NICE Todd! Good find(s) and for the Model 19-4 to be mfg. in "78 and still have a top-notch finish on it and ever cheaper than a blued version...I'm JELIOUS!!! All three of those Smith's are just flat out awesome!!! I salute you on your Smith's! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

02-01-2012, 04:23 PM	#24
RunningOnMT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Akron, Ohio Contributor Posts: 4,720	Re: S&W Combat Magum Those are nickel rather than stainless? That sure is a sweet family of Smiths you've got there Todd. __________________ "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

02-01-2012, 07:15 PM	#25
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,572	Re: S&W Combat Magum Thanks for all the nice words fellows. I have been dieing this week what with the way warmer than normal. I should be down at the range shooting those guns but figuring this would be winter time I scheduled the painting of the inside of the house and I have been trapped here watching the painter and piling my stuff in first one room and then the next while the sun shines and the temperature climbs to 60. With any luck they will finish up tomorrow so I have hopes for Friday. Saturday there is a gun show on the west side of town so will have to go drool over the offerings. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member