The other day, I’m sitting there, flipping through my maintenance and shooting log. Yup, I keep a log—otherwise, I’d lose track of round counts and all the nitty-gritty. Anyway, I notice my trusty Smith & Wesson Model 66 Combat Magnum hit the 500-round mark… a year ago. Making this update review long overdue.

You can probably guess I don’t shoot it much. That might shock some of y’all, since for reasons beyond me, folks peg me as a revolver guy. I mean, I like ‘em. I know a thing or two about ‘em. I even shoot ‘em now and then. But not nearly as often as some seem to think.

Still, the wheelgun’s at 500 rounds. So let’s talk about it.

Reliability Milestone

For me, 500 rounds is the reliability benchmark—mostly for semi-autos. If I can blast 500 through a pistol without a hiccup, it’s reliable in my book. If it chokes, it’s unreliable until I tweak it and it clears that mark clean. Depending on how often it stumbles, I might bother fixing it—or just shelve it for fun plinking.

I guess that applies to revolvers too, but I haven’t mulled it over much since racking up 500 on a single wheelgun isn’t my usual gig.

That said, the Model 66 chewed through 500 rounds without a snag. I trust this six-shooter now—reliable enough for defensive carry or serious competition.

Full disclosure: all but a few cylinders were .38 Special. I’ve got no reason to doubt it’d handle .357 Magnum just as well, but that’d cost a fortune, and my classmates at courses I took it to wouldn’t have thanked me for the extra boom.

Time-wise, it was a slow haul to 500—about 18 months, wrapping up a year ago. Along the way, I’ve done some cool stuff with it and made a few tweaks. Let’s dive into that next.

The Road to 500

I snagged the Model 66 late in 2022, planning to use it for the revolver block in the Rangemaster Master Instructor course the next year. First shots impressed me—it’s a sweet size. Small and light enough to conceal, big and heavy enough to shoot well, at least with .38 Special. I said as much in the first impressions review that December.

Right after, I went hunting for aftermarket grips. I’d just gotten hooked on practical marksmanship and learned the gospel of aggressive texturing. I stumbled on VZ Grips’ G10 “Tactical Diamond” pattern in “Dirty Olive”—caught my eye big time. Guess I yapped about ‘em more than I realized, ‘cause my son gifted me a set that Christmas.

Those grips? A win. Easy on the eyes, with just enough bite to grip tight without shredding skin or snagging clothes when drawing from concealment. I didn’t fully appreciate ‘em ‘til the Rangemaster class months later.

Knowing I’d be working from concealment there, I needed a holster. I grabbed an all-Kydex IWB3 from JM Custom Kydex—my first from them, I think. Killer holster. I’ve picked up more since; I’m wearing one now with my EDC Staccato C2 as I type this.

But the inside-the-waistband holster was what I needed for class, not what I wanted. So the same day, I ordered a Kramer Leather belt scabbard holster too for outside-the-waistband wear. Not my first rodeo with Kramer—I’ve got one in a different color for my S&W 329PD that I still rock on hunting trips. It wouldn’t cut it for class, though, and even if it could’ve, the lead time was insane. It showed up months later—post-class, naturally. Here’s the kicker: I’ve never used it with the Model 66. Not once. Go figure.

Anyway, I put a couple hundred rounds through it at the Rangemaster class in April 2023. Ran like a dream. But I did learn .38 Special revolvers wear out your hands faster than modern wonder 9s. Never heard that from the “revolvers are perfect for defense” crowd—probably ‘cause they don’t shoot much but fancy themselves Doc Holliday reborn. Good intentions, shaky advice.

Late 2023, I shot Revolver division at a local IDPA match for my first time. What a blast—for me and my buddy, anyway, slinging six-shooters like it was the Old West. The rest of the squad? Probably annoyed watching two turtles rack up the longest stage times. Can’t help it—reloading a revolver’s a slog next to a semi-auto. Even with speedloaders (faster than loose rounds), it’s no match for a mag swap.

The Model 66 crossed the 500-round line at TacCon 24. I took a live-fire block with Wayne Dobbs—my relay buddy from Rangemaster ‘23—focused on revolver drills. Awesome session.

A couple weeks later, my friend at Vandal Custom Leather hooked me up with two handmade holsters. Gorgeous, functional, top-tier stuff. I’ve worn ‘em when I need to ditch the tactical hobo look and class it up. Worth a peek if you want something sharp—great guy, killer leather work. I’d have skipped the Kramer if I’d known about these sooner.

Since then, the Model 66’s mostly chilled in the safe. I pull it out for dry fire and the odd live-fire session to keep my wheelgun skills from rusting, but it’s heavy on the dry, light on the live.

Observations for Defensive Carry

Post-Rangemaster, I’ve swapped my EDC pistol for the Model 66 a few times. Why? Simple: it conceals better and feels comfier than a similar-sized semi-auto, even in the same carry spot.

I reckon it’s the revolver’s curves—smoother than the boxy lines of most autos. Those contours hug the body better, printing less through clothes. Plus, curved surfaces pressing against you beat sharp edges for comfort any day.

So, I grab it for less permissive spots than my usual haunts or when I know I’ll be carrying for a long haul. Ever slept with a concealed gun? I haven’t, but I’d bet a revolver’s kinder to the cause.

That said, revolvers are trickier to shoot than modern semis. Capacity’s laughably low. And reloading? Good luck. No wonder Jim Cirillo gets credit for the New York reload—drawing a second gun beats refilling the first.

I won’t push revolvers for defense when semi-autos are an option. They’re viable, sure, but suboptimal. You know the saying: just ‘cause you can doesn’t mean you should. Fits here.

Closing Thoughts

The Smith & Wesson Model 66 Combat Magnum is a solid, medium-sized revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. That’s the gist. Carry it if you want—I’d nudge you toward a semi-auto instead. It’s a great platform to master revolver shooting and a damn fine all-rounder. If someone’s hunting a mid-size .357, this is my pick, hands down.