The two-piece design combines an inner barrel with a shroud.įor a better understanding of how the new two-piece system works, I reached out to Grant Cunningham. Classic Model 66 revolvers used a single-piece barrel that required a greater degree of labor to complete assembly. One of the most significant differences is the use of a two-piece barrel system. As the “-8” suggests, these new production handguns have a number of differences from the earlier production versions of the Model 66. The extra weight can help reduce muzzle flip.Īs previously mentioned, the new guns are designated as 66-8 models. 357 Magnum, a heavy barrel is not necessarily a bad thing. A little muzzle heavy, the gun still points very well. When the new Model 66 arrived, it immediately felt like an old friend. I own several including a Model 10 and Model 64. I’ve always felt that the K-frame revolvers balance very well in my hand. With more than 100 years of real-world use, the frame design has proved to be a great combination of durability, size and weight. The new Model 66 is built on the company’s K-frame, a medium-sized frame that traces its roots back to the 19th century. While there are minor differences between the 4.25″ gun and the 2.75″ version, both are essentially the same. It was introduced at the 2017 SHOT Show and also identified as a 66-8 revolver. More recently, Smith & Wesson released 2.75″ barrel version of the Model 66. Equipped with a 4.25″ barrel, the newly released revolver was dubbed the Model 66-8, indicating the eighth major revision. (Note: For more information on the history of the Model 66 and all of the Smith & Wesson firearms, I suggest reading The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson.)Ĭustomer demand prompted a return of the Model 66 to the lineup in 2014.
SMITH AND WESSON MODEL 18 WEIGHT UPDATE
For example, the first engineering update designated the gun as Model 66-1.Īlthough it survived in the company’s catalog past the mass transition of law enforcement agencies to the semi-automatic pistol in the 80s and 90s, Smith & Wesson dropped the gun from its catalog in the mid-2000s. These updated versions are designated on the gun’s frame with a hyphen and number. Various changes to the design took place over the years – several significant enough to warrant a model number update. Note the shorter barrel and ejector rod as compared to the modern 2.75″ barrel Model 66-8. This is a snubnose version of the classic Model 66 with a round butt.
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