Just bought a S&W Model 19-3

Another 19-3 owner here. But mine wears a 6 inch barrel.

You're in for a treat. They really are a lovely gun to shoot. For some reason I really like the weight and balance of the K frame more than the other options.

To find out if your gun is round or square butt framed simply remove the grips. If the back strap curved down and back forward then it's a round butt. If it slopes to the rear all the way down then it's a square butt.

Proper S&W grip options include the smaller magna grips and the target model grips. I believe that the target grips are also sometimes called the presentation grips. Or perhaps the presentation grips were a different finish. Then there's the rather rare S&W combat grips that command silly amounts of money.

Get a set of the proper S&W grips if you want. But you may find like I did that you prefer one of the aftermarket options for actually shooting the gun more effectively. In my case Hogue grips fit me to a "T".

Very nice. You'll really enjoy shooting it.

Welcome to the club. But you can't have just one, they come in different sizes you know:





And, sorry, this is a 19-5, but you get the idea.


Vern

whatever

Typically the 4" and the 6" barrel models came with a square butt while the 2.5" model featured a round butt. Standard grips for your 4" Model 19 would have been the slightly larger target stocks.

Which would have been standard on the gun when it was new? Would both fit my gun?

Click to expand...

Take off your grips and compare your frame to this image:



Shop for grips accordingly. The factory target grips for the square butt look like this:



Factory round butt grips look like this:



You can usually get either one at gun shows. However, I'd recommend you look at Hogue or Pachmayr grips also.

Some grips will allow you to use them on both style frames. It's always best to take them off your particular gun to make sure you order the right ones.

You've bought a very nice revolver and there is no shortage of grip choices for your model. Cruising Gunbroker or forum classified ads will net you literally hundreds of choices for good prices.

You may well end up with a few sets before settling on " just the right ones. " If you have " normal size hands " you will find that finger groove grips fit you well and feel like they were made just for you.

They are great guns. I'm a fan of Ahrends retro combat grips.



I shoot mostly light target loads, either in .357 or .38 Special cases. Around 3 grains of Bullseye with 125 or 158 gr lead bullets. I shoot some low level .357. Very little full power .357 and none of the super hot light bullet stuff.

Howdy

Here is a photo of my 19-3 that I purchased brand, spanky new in 1975. It is still wearing the grips it came with. At the time they were called the Oversized Target Grips and the wood was Goncalo Alves which was very popular for fancy handgun grips at the time. Search around a little bit and you will find very similar grips.



S&W is selling grips that are pretty similar today, except on one side they have been cut away for speed loaders. That is a relatively new development.

In any case, you want grips for a square butt K frame.



http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_758002_-1_757843_757837_image



The Rosewood Heritage grips that Eagle makes are just about identical to what came on my Model 19-3, except Rosewood instead of Goncalo Alves.


http://www.eaglegrips.com/guns/KL-Frame-Square-Butt-G.html

Here's my 19-3 I bought new in '76 or '77. It wears Pachmyer grips:

grips for your 19

Try manventureoutpost.com-scroll to firearm accessories,then to grips--go thru the pages(usually around page 4 or so) you'll find some very nice wood grips from Houge at very reasonable prices. Grips usually costing $70and up, you can get here for less than $50. I've bought several, and they really dress up a S&W.