None of this should be interpreted to mean there was some design flaw with the earlier Model 19s, and certainly is not an indication that older Smiths are "relatively fragile" - they most certainly are not. And with regard to the admonition from Smith that you should not fire .357s in a Model 19, that's the first time I've ever heard that one. Most shooters will wear themselves out before they run into any issues shooting .357s, particularly with heavier bullets, in the M19, and older Smith revolvers remain some of the best examples of quality firearms ever made. If you like the modern versions with the IL, that's fine - they're for the most part well-made and take advantage of modern materials and machining, but many of us prefer to own, and shoot, guns that are reminders of an earlier time when individual craftsmanship was held in higher regard.
I'm certainly not trying to spread any misinformation. I'm simply providing a fact, and I leave it to others to make use of it as they see fit.
The fact is:
I was told directly by Smith and Wesson not to fire
any .357 in my 70's era model 19 as it could damage the firearm. I even asked the question of occasional .357 loads, and let me repeat that Smith advised
none.
Who knows? Maybe this guy didn't have a clue. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he was towing a party line dreamed up by Smith attorneys. Isn't it strange though? Doesn't it give you just a little cause for pause?
I also want to add that several revolver smiths that I called when I was getting advice about my model 19 said the same thing you did: shoot it and don't think about it. Let me also say that
most advised me to keep the .357 loads to a minium in a K frame, and some even agreed with Smith and Wesson: do not fire .357 from the gun. Where does that put me? S&W said no .357 in a 19, and most of the gunsmiths said keep .357 at a minium. It means for my purposes, a model 19 won't work.
Since I like to shoot, and I like to shoot full house loads, I have decided that the modern N and L frames are where I like to live. It's not because I'm concerned that a vintage Smith will explode on me, but because that little bit of doubt has entered my mind. More vintage Smiths for everyone else I guess!
The point of my post is not to disparage the vintage Smiths. I just am wary of the way folks romanticize the older guns. You yourself said that when you hold an older Smith you get nostalgic. I can appreciate that, but I just don't feel the same way. A gun is a tool regardless of how it's made. If it performs, it performs. If it suffers from potential durability issues on the loads I want to shoot, than regardless of how "handmade" it is it doesn't belong in my safe. The manufacturer directly tells me that the gun in question cannot handle the loads I want to shoot in the gun, I lose a little faith in the gun. Again, I'm not a collector so perhaps we differ on that front.
I still like the older N frames, and from what I've heard they are quite durable. I probably have a pre-lock 629 in my future.
![[crying]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/006.gif "Crying [crying]")
