Moss is the New Black

In the last few years, Smith & Wesson has really upped its revolver game, and the market has responded. From the Ultimate Carry J frames to the reintroduction of the Mountain Guns, the folks in Springfield are “knocking it out of the park!” For the Big Blue purist, Smith has redeemed itself on many of the new guns, deleting the dreaded lock. There is a new wind blowing, and the company is riding high. Let’s take a look at the Model 19 Carry Comp from Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center.

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 Carry Comp

Without question, the K frame is the most prolific series of revolvers ever produced. The Military & Police—re-designated as the Model 10 in 1957—may be the most widely used law enforcement pistol of all time.

The K frame is the perfection of size, geometry, and design! Nothing else “rolls” like a good K frame action. When the Model 19, in the more powerful  .357 Magnum, was introduced in 1955, it was a game changer for law enforcement.

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A flaw with the Model 19 was that it did not hold up well under a continuous diet of Magnum loads. So, Smith introduced the larger L frame in an effort to produce a more durable service revolver.

This, combined with law enforcement’s trend toward semi-auto pistols, led to the Model 19’s discontinuation in 1999. However, the 19 was just too good to kill off. Smith now offers several Model 19s, including the Model 19 Classic with a 4-inch barrel and “blued” finish.

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Carry Comp in Moss Green—A Winning Combination

Smith & Wesson recently introduced a Performance Center Model 19 Carry Comp with a Moss green Cerakote frame! In 2019, I reviewed the original, black, Model 19 Carry Comp. It shot well, and the comp actually reduced recoil and muzzle rise. But, as most writers know, you can’t keep them all. So, I returned it with some regret!

Like the original Carry Comp, the new Moss model is a Performance Center SKU with many custom touches. It is based on the improved 19-10 K frame that is more durable than the original. The cylinder window has been slightly enlarged to allow the crane to clear the barrel without reducing the barrel diameter at the 6 o’clock position. Finally, Smith replaced the ejection rod locking pin with a crane-mounted ball detent.

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The Moss Carry Comp retains the traditional S&W sights with a pinned front sight blade and fully adjustable rear blade. The front sight is a serrated ramp with a tiny Tritium insert.

Featuring an overtravel stop, the nicely contoured trigger is smooth. Correspondingly, the double-action pull of our test sample averaged 10 lbs. 5 oz. The single action broke cleanly at 4 lbs. 12 oz. These are ideal weights for a personal defense pistol.

The overall barrel length on the Carry Comp measured 2.5 inches, with the comp area measuring 0.5 inches. I also noted the carry bevel applied to the cylinder’s leading edge. This is a nice touch that is appreciated by those who live with wheelguns daily. The pistol ships with both a set of Rosewood stocks and a set of synthetic extended stocks.

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But what about the color? Well, the Moss green actually looks great, especially with the black cylinder, hammer, trigger, thumb piece, and sights. Yep, I like the tacticool appearance!

Shooting the Model 19 Carry Comp

My first task was to replace the wood stocks. While they are attractive, I do not find them particularly comfortable, especially when shooting full-house Magnums. There is always a question about the efficiency of Magnum loads from short barrels. With that in mind, I selected three loads in .38 Special and three loads in .357 Magnum.

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I was very impressed with how well the 19 Carry Comp shot with all of the loads. While recoil was substantial with the Magnum loads, it was reasonably comfortable due to the synthetic stocks. The stocks allow for a full purchase and have an enclosed backstrap to further dampen felt recoil. In fact, I found Magnums were actually fun to shoot.

Below is a chart showing the range results, with velocity measured with a Garmin Xero C1 radar chronograph. The accuracy groups were fired, off-hand, from 10 yards. The more I shot the pistol, the more I came to appreciate the overall package. One advantage of the 2.5-inch barrel is that it allows a full-length ejection rod.

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I have always liked Smith’s adjustable sights. However, I found that the rear sight blade, on the Carry Comp, is significantly shorter and the notch shallower than on a vintage 19. This made indexing the front sight a little more difficult. I also found that the small size of the Tritium front sight made it very hard to pick up in low light.

The action, while smooth, seemed to stack and was not consistent as on my older guns. This may improve over time. If not, a replacement spring kit would probably be worth considering. This issue was not really noticeable when shooting at speed and may be a non-issue for some owners.

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Running Drills

I shot a number of drills to include the HiTs Snubby Super Test. This requires multiple shots to be fired, with challenging par times from 3, 5, and 10 yards. A B-8 repair center bullseye target is used.

This is where the sights really shine. The most challenging stage is at the 3-yard line, where the shooter is required to fire five shots, strong hand only, in a par time of 3 seconds.

To up the game, I shot the test using the Hornady .357 Magnum Critical Defense ammo. I expected my score to suffer from both the ammo and the shallow sights. I was surprised when I shot a 148/150 or 98.6%. The sights were not an issue when shooting at speed. The full profile synthetic stocks, with the Carry Comp, are a winning combination.

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I also tested the Carry Comp with High Desert Cartridge’s .357 Magnum 125 gr. JHP Load. Steve Shields, the owner, has developed several .357 “light” loads that provide solid terminal ballistics without being as hot as other Magnum loads.

The HDC load averaged a mild 1,033 fps. Steve also offers a wide range of other wheelgun loads to include .32 H&R Magnum, .38 Special, .44 Special, and several other calibers.

Final Thoughts

The fit, finish, and execution of the Moss Carry Comp are very well done. The pistol is void of any offending edges and is set up for concealed carry and personal defense. I fired close to 250 rounds through the pistol, without any issues.

Early in testing, I noticed the double-action tended to stack slightly. However, this seemed to remedy itself after several hundred rounds of both rounds fired and dry presses.

For personal use, I would consider two modifications. The first is replacing the factory stocks with a set of Hogue Mono-Grips. I have found them to be exceptional and, when I was in law enforcement,  used them on my Model 66 2 ½” duty pistol.

Secondly, I would consider replacing the sights with the new XS Minimalist Revolver Night Sights. These are user-installed and provide a large “U” notch rear and a front sight with a Tritium insert and a photoluminescent green or orange dot. For around $129.00, these are a great upgrade and don’t require sending your pistol to a gunsmith.

Smith & Wesson is really listening to its customers and working to meet many of their requests. The Moss Carry Comp is only the latest in that effort. It is nice to be able to say that the K frame is alive and well in 2025.

Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 19 Carry Comp Moss Specs

Performance