[gun noob]

Here's another gun from grandma's safe collection. Markings indicate a S&W Model 66 .357 Magnum, Stainless finish, with a HUGE Leupold M8 scope atop it!
Serial No. 7K70960; stamped inside the cylinder pivot is "23352" and "C12".
What's it worth? I dare not remove the scope, as the rear sights have been removed to mount it.

 

[Alpo]

Not nickel. Stainless. Smith models starting with 6 are all stainless. 60, 65, 66, 629, whatever. Starts with a 6, it's stainless.

 

[gun noob]

Thanks for that, made the correction.

 

[Alpo]

Value? Hmmm. 4" 66 - maybe 5 to 600. That would be one in great shape. That one looks to have lead a hard life, judging from all the varnish that's chipped off the grips.

It would be hard to sell, in my opinion, because of the scope. Most folks that want a scoped pistol want longer tubes and, mostly, bigger bores. And if you take the scope off, then it's missing the rear sight - NOT ALL THERE.

It's pinned and recessed. That's a plus. No lock. That's a BIG plus.

If someone knew where he could pick up a K rear sight, or had one in his stash, he might go 500. Hell, I might go five, 'cause I'd be figgering I could turn that Leupold scope for a hundred, maybe a hundred and a half.

 

[Bindernut]

Not nickel. Stainless. Smith models starting with 6 are all stainless. 60, 65, 66, 629, whatever. Starts with a 6, it's stainless.

As Alpo pointed out the Model 66 is stainless steel. It's the stainless version of the Model 19.
If it's a 66 (with no dash number after it), then it's a first generation from '70-'77.

Regardless of which dash-variant it is, I would agree with Alpo's value of $500. If it's a very early 66 ('70 through '71 or '72), it should have originally had a stainless rear sight assembly too instead of black as on the later ones. I'm not familiar enough with the 66 history to know when that serial number cutoff was though.

Replacing the rear sight isn't a big deal. You can usually find them for under $100...and could probably trade the scope setup even up or maybe in your favor to get a factory sight for it.

A 4" K-frame is an interesting model to put a scope on.
I could see where it would make a dandy small-game hunting rig though.

 

[Alpo]

By the serial, I make it '76. That would make it a no-dash, as the -1 happened in '77. But, since 66s came out in '70, and THE BOOK says "first production" guns had stainless sights, I can't decide on the sight. Would ALL no-dashes be "first production", or just early no-dashes?

Hmmmmm. The more you know, the more you find out you don't know.

 

[Bindernut]

From what I've been told, just the first two years or so of 66 production had the stainless sights. I don't remember ever seeing a serial # cutoff for when they switched though.

I have seen no-dash 66s with black sights come through our local shop.
Our local SD sold off all of their 66s when they switched to autos and personal-owned firearms in the late 80s. These were new around the 1976 era so they would've been late no-dash 66s. All were black-sight.