Smith & Wesson Model 19

About the Smith & Wesson Model 19

The Smith & Wesson Model 19, known as the Combat Magnum, is a six-shot, double-action revolver built on the medium K-frame and chambered in .357 Magnum, representing one of the most influential and successful law enforcement revolvers ever produced. Developed in collaboration with legendary Border Patrol Inspector Bill Jordan and introduced in 1957 as the .357 Combat Magnum (designated Model 19 when Smith & Wesson adopted numerical model numbers that year), this revolver combined the power of the .357 Magnum cartridge with the lighter, more manageable K-frame platform rather than the heavier N-frame used for the earlier Model 27. After a year of experimentation with improved-strength steels and special heat-treating processes, Smith & Wesson successfully chambered the powerful magnum cartridge in the K-frame, with the first serial-number gun (K260000) presented to Bill Jordan on November 15, 1955. The Model 19 features a fully shrouded ejection rod, heavy barrel profile, Baughman ramped front sight, and fully micrometer-adjustable rear sight. Available with 2.5-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch barrel lengths, the 4-inch version became the standard for uniformed law enforcement throughout the 1960s-1980s.

Bill Jordan wanted a magnum revolver that didn't weigh like a boat anchor, and the Model 19 delivered. Legend has it that when Smith & Wesson engineers protested that the K-frame wasn't strong enough for .357 Magnum, Jordan replied that he'd shot enough bad guys to know the gun only needed to outlast the fight-not last forever. The Model 19 proved them both right: light enough to carry all day, strong enough for any gunfight, but admittedly not built for endless diet of full-power magnums at the range.

Smith & Wesson Model 19 specifications

Bill Jordan's vision for a 'peace officer's dream' sidearm was a heavy-barreled four-inch K-Frame .357 Magnum with a shrouded barrel like the big N-frame .357 revolvers and adjustable sights. The Model 19 became standard issue to uniformed officers of the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and Patrol Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol until both agencies adopted .40 caliber semi-automatic pistols in the late 1990s. The revolver can safely fire both .357 Magnum and .38 Special ammunition, making it versatile for training and reduced-recoil applications. The K-frame .357 Magnum proved controversial among some Smith & Wesson engineers who worried the lighter frame couldn't handle sustained magnum use, and indeed, heavy use of magnum ammunition over thousands of rounds could eventually cause timing issues or forcing cone erosion. However, these concerns were largely academic for most users, and the Model 19 proved durable enough for law enforcement service. The Model 19 was temporarily discontinued but returned to production in the Smith & Wesson Classic series with modern updates. The Combat Magnum name reflected its intended purpose-combat accuracy combined with magnum power in a package light enough for all-day carry.