{"id":6514,"date":"2017-10-20T11:47:14","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=6514"},"modified":"2021-07-27T15:53:02","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T19:53:02","slug":"review-sw-model-66","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: S&#038;W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Since first detailing my adventures in searching for the ideal carry revolver in 2015, I have gotten a lot of questions about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/the-best-revolver-in-the-world\/\">3-inch S&amp;W Model 66-6 I eventually chose<\/a>. Unfortunately, the 3-inch versions of this gun are pretty scarce, so it&#8217;s not something I&#8217;ve been able to recommend as an easy off-the-shelf option for other wheel gun aficionados. At SHOT Show this year, I got to take a quick look at what would seem to be the next best thing: Smith &amp; Wesson&#8217;s new 2.75-inch version of the Model 66. I finally got my hands on one of these six-shooters a few months ago, and I have a some thoughts about S&amp;W&#8217;s latest attempt at the mid-size magnum. The full review is in the video below, or you can scroll down and read the transcript.<\/p> <div class=\"entry-content-asset\"><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p> <noscript class=\"idle-load\"><div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"> <div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\"> <div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_513s4uhgoh dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\"> <div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/513s4uhgoh\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/noscript> <\/div> <hr \/> <p>The Smith &amp; Wesson Model 66 Combat Magnum is one of my favorite revolvers ever, but they were tough to find for a while once production ended in 2005. Two years ago, Smith &amp; Wesson re-launched the Combat Magnum with the slightly redesigned 4-inch Model 66-8. This year they added a 2.75-inch version that\u2019s a little more friendly for concealed carry, and that\u2019s the model we\u2019re looking at today.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing.jpg\" alt=\"Firing the 2.75&quot; S&amp;W 66-8\" width=\"1200\" height=\"641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-600x321.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-1024x547.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-768x410.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-350x187.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Every version of the Model 66 is a stainless 6-shot .357 magnum with adjustable sights built on the medium Smith &amp; Wesson K-frame. It was first introduced in 1970 as a stainless steel alternative to the original blued-steel Combat Magnum, the Model 19. Both were extremely popular police sidearms through the last few decades of the 20th century. Like most revolvers at the time, the Model 66 was usually found with a 4-inch barrel although 6-inch and 2 \u00bd-inch models were in regular production as well.<\/p> <p>There were also some limited runs of a 3-inch model offered sporadically over the years, and that\u2019s my favorite version of the 66. Some of you might have seen the video I did on my modified 3-inch Model 66-6 a couple of years ago with the somewhat tongue-in-cheek title, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/the-best-revolver-in-the-world\/\">\u201cThe Best Revolver in the World\u201d<\/a>. I like the 3-inch barrel partly because it\u2019s more concealable than the 4-inch, but still long enough to allow room for a full-length ejector rod. The old 2.5-inch models have a short ejector rod, which doesn\u2019t eject all the empty casings quite as reliably when you\u2019re reloading.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6532\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1.jpg\" alt=\"full length vs partial length ejector rod\" width=\"1200\" height=\"659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1-600x330.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1-1024x562.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ejector-rods-1-350x192.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>The new Model 66-8 also has a full-length ejector rod, even though the barrel is only 2.75 inches long, which is made possible by the new lock-up design. On the old models, the cylinder locks into the frame between a pin found in the center of extractor star and a second pin (called the &#8220;locking bolt&#8221;) below the barrel that locks into the tip of the ejector rod. So the barrel has to be at least as long as the ejector rod plus the spring-loaded locking bolt.<\/p> <figure id=\"attachment_6534\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6534\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup.jpg\" alt=\"S&amp;W revolver lockup\" width=\"1200\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup-600x287.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup-1024x490.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup-768x367.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/old-style-lockup-350x167.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6534\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old style lockup: Previous K-frame cylinders locked into the frame via pins in the extractor star (left) and a locking bolt in the barrel shroud (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure> <p>But check out the same spot on the new 66. There\u2019s no locking bolt, and that\u2019s because it\u2019s been replaced by a ball detent on the frame that locks into the yoke. This is supposedly a more secure locking point, it allows the barrel to be a little shorter, and it also solves the occasional problem of the ejector rod backing out under recoil and locking the cylinder closed.<\/p> <figure id=\"attachment_6535\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6535\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6535\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup.jpg\" alt=\"S&amp;W 66-8 lockup\" width=\"1200\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup-600x287.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup-1024x490.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup-768x367.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/new-style-lockup-350x167.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6535\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The new lockup for the S&amp;W 66-8 omits the locking bolt in the barrel shroud (left) in favor of a ball detent on the frame that locks into the crane\/yoke (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure> <p>Just above that area, you can find a second design improvement. On the old K-frames, the forcing cone was flat at the bottom, and that was a weak point that would occasionally crack, usually after firing a lot of high-velocity magnum loads. The new forcing cone is thicker which should eliminate that weakness in the design.<\/p> <table style=\"width: 70%; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%;\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\"> <tbody> <tr> <td style=\"text-align: center; background: #2e5635; color: #ffffff;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>S&amp;W Model 66-8 Technical Specs<\/strong><\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>caliber<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a0.357 Magnum<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"background-color: #dddddd; height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>capacity<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a06<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>weight<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a033.5 ounces<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"background-color: #dddddd; height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>barrel length<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a02.75 inches<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>sights<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a0red ramp front sight, adjustable rear<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"background-color: #dddddd; height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>action<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a0double action<\/td> <\/tr> <tr style=\"height: 21px;\"> <td style=\"width: 107px; height: 21px;\"><strong>MSRP<\/strong><\/td> <td style=\"width: 287px; height: 21px;\">\u00a0$849<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table> <p>Unfortunately, while Smith &amp; Wesson may have made some durability improvements, there is a lot about this gun I am not real excited about. Of course, it\u2019s got the internal lock where the revolver\u2019s soul leaks out. I\u2019m not really a fan, but that\u2019s old news. There are plenty of other issues to talk about.<\/p> <p>Let\u2019s start with the way it is configured. Traditionally, short barreled K-frames have been valued for handling and shooting like full-size revolvers, but in a smaller package that\u2019s practical for concealed carry. But neither of these advantages are easy to see in this latest version of the Combat Magnum. The rubber stocks are large and cling to clothing, which compromises concealability. And the small rear sight notch and unreasonably heavy 15-pound trigger make the gun tough to shoot well.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson Model 66-8 2.75-inch\" width=\"1200\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table-600x334.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table-1024x569.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/66-8-table-350x195.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>The challenge of shooting the Model 66-8 was apparent when I ran it through our nine-stage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/the-handgun-test\/\">Lucky Gunner practical handgun test<\/a> that we have been using for all our reviews this year. My best score out of three runs with this gun was 47.87. That is the worst score out of all of the handguns I have tested so far, including a few small-frame snubbies and pocket pistols. Compared to my modified 66-6, I only dropped a couple of additional points in target penalties with the new revolver, but thanks to the smaller sights and the heavy, uneven trigger, I had to slow way down to get those hits, and my raw time was almost 10 seconds slower. [Note: A more detailed look at how the S&amp;W 66-8 compares to the other handguns I&#8217;ve run through the test can be found on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/handgun-scoreboard\/\">Handgun Scoreboard<\/a>.]<\/p> <p>Mechanical accuracy testing was a little more encouraging. From a 25-yard bench rest, I fired two 5-round groups with each of 6 different loads in .38 Special and .357 magnum. The average group size was right around 2 to 3 inches for all but one of those loads, which is not bad at all.<\/p> <table dir=\"ltr\" style=\"width: 70%; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%;\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <colgroup> <col width=\"150\" \/> <col width=\"75\" \/> <col width=\"75\" \/><\/colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td style=\"text-align: center; background: #2e5635; color: #ffffff;\" colspan=\"3\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>S&amp;W Model 66-8 25 Yard Accuracy Test<\/strong><\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td style=\"text-align: left;\" data-sheets-value=\"&#x7B;&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;load&quot;&#x7D;\">load<\/td> <td style=\"text-align: center;\">avg. group size<\/td> <td style=\"text-align: center;\">avg. velocity<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/38spl-winchester-super-match-148gr-wc-50\">.38 Spl Winchester 148 gr Wadcutter<\/a><\/td> <td>2.2\u201d<\/td> <td>679<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/357-mag-135-gr-jhp-speer-gold-dot-short-barrel-20-rounds\">.357 Mag Speer Gold Dot 135 gr<\/a><\/td> <td>2.8\u201d<\/td> <td>1147<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/remington-357-mag-ammo-for-sale-357mag125jhpremsab-25\">.357 Mag Remington 125 gr Golden Saber<\/a><\/td> <td>3.0\u201d<\/td> <td>1216<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/winchester-357-magnum-ammo-20-rounds-of-125-grain-jhp-ammunition\">.357 Mag Winchester 125 gr PDX-1 Defender<\/a><\/td> <td>3.0\u201d<\/td> <td>1252<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/winchester-38-spl-ammo-for-sale-38specialp130jhppdxwinse-20\">.38 Spl +P Winchester 130 gr PDX-1 Defender<\/a><\/td> <td>3.1\u201d<\/td> <td>914<\/td> <\/tr> <tr> <td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/38-special-plus-p-135-gr-jhp-speer-gold-dot-50-rounds\">.38 Spl +P Speer Gold Dot 135 gr<\/a><\/td> <td>5.0\u201d<\/td> <td>914<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table> <p>My criticisms about how this gun is set up are mostly subjective, but there are also some quality control issues I feel obligated to point out. Smith &amp; Wesson was kind enough to loan us this revolver to review, and this is actually the second one they sent. I had to send back the first one. Something was not fitted properly and a part of the yoke was rubbing against the frame, which made the cylinder really hard to open and close and even started to make the action feel a little sluggish.<\/p> <p>When I told Smith &amp; Wesson about it they apologized and quickly sent me this one. It has worked fine, but it\u2019s also not exactly a perfect sample. There is a large burr on the cylinder release latch. Even though it\u2019s just a cosmetic issue, this is the kind of sloppiness you don\u2019t expect to see on a gun with an $850 MSRP.<\/p><p><\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr-600x339.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/latch-burr-350x198.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>With all of these complaints, you\u2019d probably assume that I\u2019m not recommending this gun. But really, it depends on what you\u2019re looking for. If you want a new mid-size revolver that\u2019s going to be ready to go right out of the box, I would not buy this one. You\u2019d probably be better off with something like the 3-inch Wiley Clapp edition of the Ruger GP100. It\u2019s a bit larger than the 66, but it\u2019s an overall better execution of the mid-size carry revolver concept.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2-600x367.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2-1024x626.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/model-66-8-firing-2-350x214.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>However, if you\u2019re like me, and you just really prefer the size and the handling characteristics of the short barreled K-frames, the new model 66 might not be a bad starting point. My 66-6 is one of my favorite guns. But when I first got it, it wasn\u2019t much different from this new one. It left the factory in 2004 &#8212; so it\u2019s not exactly a shining example of Old World Craftsmanship. It has evidence of the same modern automation and cost-cutting shortcuts that Smith &amp; Wesson revolvers have been criticized over for years. Even so, it\u2019s still a fantastic shooter, I just I had to spend a little extra time and money on it. I think this new 66 has the same potential. To turn this into a decent carry revolver, at minimum, I personally would make the following changes:<\/p> <p>I\u2019d replace the oversized rubber stocks with something more concealable like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.altamontco.com\/pistol-grips\/smith_and_wesson\/\/k_round\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Altamont wood boot grips<\/a>.<\/p> <p>I\u2019d replace the mainspring with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsprings.com\/SMITH%20&amp;%20WESSON\/K,%20L,%20&amp;%20N%20FRAME\/cID3\/mID58\/dID264\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wolff Standard Weight Powerib spring<\/a> to even out the double action trigger. There are better ways to improve the action, but the Wolff spring is a cheap fix that\u2019s still a huge improvement.<\/p> <p>On the new 66, Smith &amp; Wesson has switched to using a shorter rear sight blade. So the notch is shallower and it\u2019s harder to pick up the front sight. I\u2019d swap that out for a standard height rear sight blade.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-7\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/rear-sight-blade-comparison-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>And the front sight with the plastic red insert also has to go. They wash out really easily in a lot of lighting conditions and can be tough to see. An affordable upgrade would be a red fiber optic sight from <a href=\"https:\/\/dawsonprecision.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dawson Precision<\/a>.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-8\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/front-sight-comparison-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>That\u2019s a little over $100 worth of modifications on top of a gun that\u2019s currently retailing for somewhere between about $700-775. Is that worth it for a modern S&amp;W revolver? Again, it depends on your priorities. With an older pre-lock 66, you get something that looks and feels more refined and comes with pride of ownership. But you\u2019ll need to plan to spend least $1000 if you want the 3-inch version with the full-length ejector rod, and you still might want to change the grips or the sights.\u00a0With a new 66, you\u2019ll save some money even after you fix it up, you\u2019ll have better spare parts availability, and it might be a little more durable. So for fans of the K-frames, for the time being, you\u2019re stuck choosing between the benefits of yesterday\u2019s craftsmanship or today\u2019s technology. It\u2019s going to be really tough to get both.<\/p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since first detailing my adventures in searching for the ideal carry revolver in 2015, I have gotten a lot of &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,216],"tags":[43,44,47,337,336,79,17],"class_list":["post-6514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","category-wheel-gun-wednesday","tag-357-magnum","tag-38-special","tag-concealed-carry","tag-model-66","tag-revovlers","tag-sw","tag-self-defense"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: S&amp;W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A review of the Smith &amp; Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75&quot; combat magnum with range time and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: S&amp;W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A review of the Smith &amp; Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75&quot; combat magnum with range time and more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-20T15:47:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-27T19:53:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"944\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\",\"name\":\"Review: S&W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-20T15:47:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-27T19:53:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\"},\"description\":\"A review of the Smith & Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75\\\" combat magnum with range time and more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg\",\"width\":2160,\"height\":944},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review: S&#038;W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\",\"name\":\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\",\"description\":\"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\",\"name\":\"Chris Baker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Chris Baker\"},\"description\":\"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review: S&W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge","description":"A review of the Smith & Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75\" combat magnum with range time and more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review: S&W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge","og_description":"A review of the Smith & Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75\" combat magnum with range time and more.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/","og_site_name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris","article_published_time":"2017-10-20T15:47:14+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-07-27T19:53:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2160,"height":944,"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chris Baker","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris Baker","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/","name":"Review: S&W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d - Lucky Gunner Lounge","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg","datePublished":"2017-10-20T15:47:14+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-27T19:53:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7"},"description":"A review of the Smith & Wesson Model 66 revolver. We test and analyze the 2.75\" combat magnum with range time and more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/Model-66-featured-lounge.jpg","width":2160,"height":944},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/review-sw-model-66\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review: S&#038;W Model 66 Combat Magnum 2.75\u201d"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/","name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","description":"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7","name":"Chris Baker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","caption":"Chris Baker"},"description":"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris"],"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6514"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6548,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6514\/revisions\/6548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}