S&W--Hey or Ney?

Would you buy a NIB Smith and Wesson Revolver today?

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If asked that question a few months ago, I would have said yes. However, as time goes by and I am exposed to and acquire older S&W's that were made pre-lock and pre-MIM, I have to say no.

The IL is a compromise and a concession to make people "feel" safer.

The MIM parts while not bad, just are not the same as actual forged parts.

The changes that S&W has made have diminished overall quality and artistry of modern S&W's. They truly do not "make em like they used to".

I have several. None of them are as good as they should be for the price. All needed significant work; work that should have been completed before they ever left the factory. I do not care about MIM, and the lock bothers me but on an emotional rather than practical level. I just expect good, useable, reliable guns out of the box, and S&W has not provided that for me over the past few years.

It pains me to say this as I have been a S&W fan for decades, but for me, the "good old days" are over where S&W is concerned. I am generally unable to buy old S&Ws any more (I'm in California) and will not buy any more new ones. (Were I not in the gun control capital of the union, I would simply buy like-new old Smiths - usually for less than new Smiths cost - and be happy.)

I suppose I am now a Ruger fan. Good, useable, reliable guns out of the box. Too bad they're so god damned ugly.

There's enough attractive, well-made functional old S&Ws out there to keep me happy.

Youall go ahead and buy the new stuff; it'll keep the prices down on the ones I want.

Thanks.

I wouldn't buy a new Smith except for certain models (329, 627)... in general, I've enjoyed shooting Rugers every bit as much as Smiths. My own SP101 had an unpleasant trigger action at first, but it smoothed out after a few hundred rounds. I rate a broken-in Ruger to be on par with a Smith.

Lately I've decided that Charter Arms revolvers may be more worth buying. Part of it is curiosity, part of it is the realization that I now value functionality over big brand bling. Times have changed, my budget's changed, and "the best" doesn't fit me any more. I think I'd feel bad if I bought a new Smith.

I know that from the stories I've heard of a few lemons coming out of the factories - and that's from any of those three manufacturers - I'd carefully scrutinize any new revolver I bought. If I'm paying close to a grand for a gun, I don't want to have to worry about that.

I would. I'd probably take a look on the used rack first, but that's just because I'm a "buy used" kinda guy.

Frankly speaking, I will not buy a revolver with a lock on the side of it...bottom line.

Frankly speaking, the whole lock issue is overblown. By any real-world accounting, lock failures are extremely rare and seem to happen most often in smaller guns firing hot ammo. If it was a real, as opposed to emotional (or political), issue, I have a feeling S&W would have made some changes by now.

Incidentally, the internal lock was added after the Clintons left office and after the sale of Smith & Wesson to Saf-T-Hammer. Curiously, Saf-T-Hammer renounced the agreement Tompkins PLC had made with the Clinton Administration, to avoid being sued into oblivion, but implemented the interlock program anyway. Perhaps this is because gun locks were Saf-T-Hammer's business before it bought S&W?

I had the opportunity to choose between a Smith & Wesson Model 60-15 and a Ruger SP101. The S&W was more expensive, but I chose it because it felt better and had a far superior trigger pull. I also have a Model 637, which I think is one of the best bargains in a modern CCW weapon, as my "New York" reload. The only change I have made to either gun is the addition of the wood grips from the Model 60 Pro. I have put thousands of rounds downrange with these two guns and have yet to encounter a problem. This includes a fair number of factory +P and Magnum rounds, though, to be honest, I would prefer a heavier revolver for the Magnum loads.

I got my first Smith & Wesson, a Model 15 Combat Masterpiece, in 1970, five years after the Wesson family sold the company to Bangor Punta. Over the years, I have owned a large number of Smith & Wesson revolvers and pistols. IMHO, a lot of the bellyaching is pure hooey: today's Smith & Wessons are certainly better than what the factory was producing in the later Bangor Punta years and throughout the Lear Siegler era.

So, FWIW, I give a big "Hey!" to Smith & Wesson.

I bought a model 60-15 Pro Series recently (.357 w/ 3" barrel) that is finished well, has a very good trigger, and is very accurate.

I bought an SP101 about a year ago that is also well made but the trigger is not nearly as nice.

The one and only Taurus I've ever bought is a model 905 (9mm snub) and it's nowhere close to the build quality of the other two.

S&W may not be the same as it used to be but I don't see anyone else making a better revolver in the same price ranges, IMO.

I cannot imagine buying a new MIM gun, ESPECIALLY with the moronic lock.

Lousy quality, internal parts that cannot be polished and a lock that works on the same rotational axis as the recoil of the gun.

I would sooner buy a Taurus

I bought my 629 a couple of summers back so it is MIM'd and locked. The lock never failed, though I did remove it ... which was all of 5 minutes work ... and the gun has simply gotten better and better with use. I've not had it fluffed & buffed, but the trigger has been cycled a bit and it is smooth as silk. The common reaction to most shooters pulling it seems to be, "That's not fair!"

I used it for one full year in competition, and it had no failures in 10,000 rds. But to be fair, I'll have to post a follow-up on those MIM parts once I've got it broken in.

Were paying for Smith & wesson quality and getting a Taurus. Were do we go from here Rossi? It just makes me so mad that a once great company is turning out guns that 20% have to go back right out of the box. Go on gun broker and look at what the older guns are selling for. Now in 10 years or so do you think the newer one being made today will be doing the same???

I bought a new 642 (with lock) this past weekend for $399, with a $50 S&W rebate on top of that. The trigger was pretty heavy and "stacky" right out of the box, and that combined with the short sight radius, small grip, and light weight made it very difficult to shoot. However, I have since dry fired it hundreds of times, and the trigger pull has noticeably improved. Once I get the right screwdriver bits, I'm going to pop the side plate and flush out everything with Gun Scrubber, then re-lube. I think that will make a world of difference.

Earlier in the month I bought a 629-4 Classic .44 mag from a fellow on the Ruger Forum, and it is well used. Pre-lock, pre-MIM. The action on this thing is buttery smooth. Single action just takes a breath to release the hammer. It is extremely accurate and easy to shoot.

If I can get an older gun like this 629 for $600 (what I paid), then I have a hard time paying the $800 and up for the newer models. That being said, if I found a good deal on a new model I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

In the game of today, I like the Ruger best between Smith and Ruger products. I own several Smiths with the lock and have no issue with it or the MIM parts, but the Rugers just seem to exude better quality.

In the end, you should buy what appeals to you the most and then ensure that the one you bought is reliable. It may take you a few different guns to get one that is special, but it's worth the effort.

I would buy a S&W today without hesitation. If you are worried about the lock, it can be easily removed. While they might not be as nice as the older hand finished ones, they are far from a bad product.

I do like Rugers as well. Buy which ever one you like best.

I bought a Mountain Gun (25-13) a couple of years ago and love it. Shoots good and no problems so far. I don't like the lock and am neutral on the MIM, but there aren't many old Model 25s with a 4" tapered barrel. As others have said, all else being equal, I'd rather have an older one.

Probably not... but that has nothing to do with the lock or the craftsmanship... Smith and Wesson is just too damned proud of them... I will buy used Smiths any day... New or used Rugers any day, and some new or used Taurus/Rossi and Charter revolvers...

MAYBE the occasional USED Colt as well.

The new S&W's are as reliable as the old ones. The major difference is that fit and finish has been downgraded by the cost cutting to a please the pocketbooks and desires of their customers for less expensive firearms. Many people complain about the fit and finish but very few would be willing to part with the extra cash required to improve those characteristics.
For pure beauty and mechanical perfection it is difficult to surpass the pre WWII S&W revolvers. That being said I shoot the current Model 646, 686, 627, 610 and 625 - they have never failed me.

I drool over the S&W 500's and the 8 shot 357's whenever I come across them in my local gun shops and always come close to making the buy but that internal lock always make me hesitate to pull the trigger, so to speak. So no new S&W's for me in the meantime but fortunately there's a lot of older model, pre-lock Smiths available in the used gun market that I get to drool over too and be less hesistant to drop coin on

zombie44 said:

I drool over the S&W 500's and the 8 shot 357's whenever I come across them in my local gun shops and always come close to making the buy but that internal lock always make me hesitate to pull the trigger, so to speak. So no new S&W's for me in the meantime but fortunately there's a lot of older model, pre-lock Smiths available in the used gun market that I get to drool over too and be less hesistant to drop coin on

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You know that internal lock is very easily removed?

S&W are great guns, own several and am more than satisfied. However, mine are all pre-1980 and don't have the lock mechanism.

A couple things to consider:
-I don't really like to buy "new" guns, only collectables & "older" guns.
-Never had any hands-on expirence with the lock mechanism.

@rcmodel:

Locks I personally had malfunction- zero.

Does that matter? I do not prefer to see the lock, I do not want the lock, and I will not pay for the lock. I won't buy a lock equipped S&W. It's not about the malfunction- it's about what the lock stands for, which is S&W selling out. Plus they are ugly, and might maybe malfunction someday possibly...

yea i would i like pre locks guns better rugers are good guns and a Taurus is not as good as smith and wesson are ruger but i like smiths better then any other revolver brand

I bought a nib S&W 25 Classic. Very nice gun. I've put some different grips on it and changed out the main spring and rebound spring. I liked it so much I bought a used, lnib 25-13 Mountain Gun. Then I found a used 620.

I have a few older 19s and a very nice 27. Also a 66. I like the older and the newer guns.

I bought the .45s new because they are supposed to be more accurate than the older models. I haven't compared any, but these are accurate.

The lock doesn't bother me at all. I cover it up with my thumb while shooting and look at the sights.

I would not purchase a current production S&W revolver.....or one produced since 2001, for all the reasons mentioned. Take a look over at the S&W forum. Those are fanboys griping about the lack of quality and the high prices.

In a brand new revolver, I'd go Ruger. The GP100 and SP101 are well built quality revolvers which hold their resale value, unlike current production S&W's.

Taurus is about the same quality as current production S&W's, IMO. They are cheaper to purchase new though.

Personally, I seek out LNIB "used" pre lock S&W's. S&W made some very nice revolvers....in the past. Good luck! TJ