Dammit...

[Angry White Male]

Greeting all! New poster here, along with review of my new Model 66. Longtime firearms owner, first time S&W owner.



I should add that I live in Canuckistan, where the vast majority cannot own older 66's with 4" barrels or less, as barrels here generally speaking have to be over 4.16" in length for ordinary citizens to own. Silly rules, but it is what it is. (This explains why some newer revolvers have barrels produced in what would be considered historically odd lengths in the US. 4.2", 4.25", etc.)



As I've always liked the older K frame Magnums in 4", I am excited to finally get my hands on one that I can actually own! So, let's get right down to the nitty-gritty...



First off, I think there's something wrong with it. First time with it at the range today, and noticed it's shooting a bit high. Shooting done @ 7 yards. Of course I had my little screwdriver on hand to fine-tune the sight. Rear sight was already adjusted all the way down, right from the factory. Tight. No more room for adjustment. Now we've got a problem. You shouldn't have to take a Dremel and chop down a new sight just to aim it! I'm trying to think of the geometrics that could cause this... Is the barrel not linear? Is it 'bent up?' I don't know! I've never had an issue like this before on a brand new gun. The guy that test-fired it at the factory should have known right away that something was borderline, as he would have known he bottomed the rear sight as much as it could go. It perhaps should have went into a bin, instead of into the blue plastic box!



I really want to like this gun, so let's move on for now...



Fit and finish elsewhere is great! I see no marks, burrs, etc. Everything else seems to line up properly. One little niggle I have is that the new ball detent at the front of the cylinder just barely catches into the groove, but it nonetheless does and I wouldn't expect to see a problem arise because of this.



Trigger pull crisp and clean, but extremely heavy! So heavy, that I installed a Wolff spring kit before I went to the range. I used a fish scale for a rudimentary trigger pull assessment. Understand that I could not pull quite linearly on the trigger with my fish scale, but nonetheless here were the numbers: Stock: 14lbs~ pull. Wolff reduced mainspring pull: 8lbs~ pull. I also used the 13lb return spring, and that seems to function just fine for me.



Now the problems with the Wolff reduced power mainspring in my particular gun, and this is with the mainspring strain-screw fully tightened in... It will not reliably fire. American Eagle .357's had maybe a 80% success rate. Fiocchi .357 targets and Hornady .357 HP defense rounds both had literally a 10% success rate in their primers firing. What I will do about this, is get the Wolff 'standard' mainspring, which is claimed to match the pull/force of the factory S&W mainspring, but yet others still claim to see trigger-pull improvement even with the 'full power' Wolff mainspring. I can report back on these claims once I manage to do this myself, which will be sooner rather than later! When I pull trigger, gun must go boom!



So, there ya have a long-winded first post! A few issues to deal with, but I am consistent almost to the point of OCD! I will get this revolver right, but it may take a bit of work yet!

[Angry White Male]

Dammit...  You fucking yanks should be able to start making quality shit again, when I pay over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars for a new revolver!



Sorry for the copy pasta, but I didn't want to type it out again.



FUCK!

[Angry White Male]

I'm trying not to get pissy about this, but I spent a lot of money 'upgrading' to S&W.



Contrary to what you people may think, I do target this, and I'm fucking pissed off now.

[Angry White Male]

Now I gotta cry to S&W, and it may or may not go anywhere.  Understand this is a revolver that costs well over $1,000 CDN.  I often wonder why I even bother with things/hobbies, as they usually cause me nothing but hassle.



As the thread name implies, it is time for some 'Dammit.'  Drinks are on me.

[Berry Sweet]

I'm trying not to get pissy about this, but I spent a lot of money 'upgrading' to S&W.

Single & White?

[kiebers]

:MG_216:

[Bricktop]

[Angry White Male]

I think I'm going to contact S&W customer service, and see what they say about the sight issue.  Maybe they know of a solution...

[Angry White Male]

It niggles me, and I don't like being niggled.  I wasn't niggardly, on the contrary spending well over $1,000CDN for it.

[Angry White Male]

Maybe they won't renig on their 'Lifetime Warranty" claim.



I wasn't niggardly, the problem niggles me, and I hope they don't renig...

[Bricktop]

Is it gun registered?



Do you have a pistol licence?

[Angry White Male]

Yes.  Handguns here all have to be registered.  Long guns used to be also, but the Harper government scrapped the long gun registry.



Yes.  Here, it is called a 'Restricted' endorsement.  One can take extra steps and apply this endorsement to their regular Firearms Licence, which is for long guns.

[Bricktop]

Now, on my reading of Canadian firerams law...posted elsewhere...you need to fulfil certain requirements to possess a pistol.



How did you qualify for said special requirement?

[Angry White Male]

Here, now I'm trying to remember, as it was like 15 years ago I had restricted applied...



First off, as with all Firearms Licenses issued here, there is a criminal records check.  The RCMP does not release the 'threshold' one must meet, to acquire either types of licensing (Long Gun and Handgun).  Herman has only his regular long-gun license, as he has a criminal record.  They may or may not issue him a restricted license, depending on what his record consists of.  Again, these thresholds are not made public, but I would assume a "Restricted" endorsement holder would be subject to higher standards.  If someone spent some time in a mental hospital, and was deemed a danger, this could most likely also send a 'red flag,' but again this is not disclosed to the public.



To get a restricted, you are tested on your knowledge of the restricted gun.  I.E. safe storage, transport, etc., which does differ from long guns.  You also have to have two references that know you, vouch on your behalf that you are of good character.

[Angry White Male]

You used to be able to just "challenge" the test, meaning that if your were really knowledgeable you could take the test in front of, say, a licenced firearms instructor.  They recently changed that, and now everyone has to take an approved 'training' class before taking the test.  I think it was like a day long course...