Smith & Wesson Model 19

About the Smith & Wesson Model 19

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a six-shot, double-action/single-action revolver chambered for .357 Magnum (and compatible with .38 Special), built on Smith & Wesson's medium-size K-frame. Conceived through a collaboration between Smith & Wesson and legendary U.S. Border Patrol officer Bill Jordan, the Model 19 was designed to be the ideal law enforcement sidearm: a .357 Magnum revolver that could be carried all day and shot accurately when needed. The first 'Combat Magnum' was completed on November 15, 1955, and presented to Jordan. When Smith & Wesson adopted numeric model designations in 1957, the Combat Magnum became the Model 19. The current production Model 19 Classic, reintroduced in 2018, features a 4.25-inch barrel with a two-piece design (a 410 stainless steel barrel threaded into a carbon steel barrel shroud), a high-polished blued finish, click-adjustable rear sight, red ramp front sight, color-casehardened hammer and trigger, and checkered walnut grips. The single-action trigger pull measures approximately 4 pounds 4 ounces (19 N), while the double-action pull is approximately 9 pounds 8 ounces (42 N). The modern Model 19 Classic employs a frame-mounted firing pin rather than a hammer-mounted pin, and includes a ball detent cylinder locking system.

Bill Jordan, one of the most renowned combat shooters in American history, conceived the Model 19 as the ultimate law enforcement revolver. His philosophy was that an officer needed a sidearm powerful enough to stop a threat but light enough to carry comfortably through long shifts. The result was the 'Combat Magnum' - a revolver that defined the golden age of American law enforcement sidearms and served as the standard duty weapon for countless police departments, federal agencies, and the U.S. Border Patrol from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Smith & Wesson Model 19 specifications

The Model 19 was Bill Jordan's 'peace officer's dream' - a medium-frame revolver that could handle the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge while remaining comfortable enough for all-day carry. Jordan, who served 30 years with the U.S. Border Patrol, envisioned a heavy-barreled K-frame .357 with adjustable sights, combining the accuracy of a target revolver with the portability of a duty weapon. Demand was so great during its first six months of production that the entire initial block of 5,000 serial numbers were sold. The Model 19 quickly became one of the most popular law enforcement revolvers of the 1960s and 1970s. However, concerns arose about frame cracking with sustained use of full-power .357 Magnum loads, leading Smith & Wesson to develop the stronger L-frame Model 586/686 in 1980. The original Model 19 was quietly discontinued in 1999 as semi-automatic pistols replaced revolvers in law enforcement. At the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings, Smith & Wesson reintroduced the Model 19 Classic with modern internal components but classic aesthetics. The Model 66 is the stainless steel version. Base specifications are for the 4.25-inch barrel Classic model. The loaded weight estimate includes six .357 Magnum cartridges at approximately 12.6g each.