S&W "Hillary Holes" and MIM parts...

[Messenger Guard]

The lock to many old schoolers is like Winchesters made after 1963. The lock and MIM parts represent the passing of a generation of guns which are too expensive to make and remain profitable. Do the new Smiths not shoot as good? I prefer the old firing pin on the hammer/ forged parts/ hand fitted guns but....Today's computer assisted drafting guns are held to tighter tolerances across the line than Bangor Punta/ Lear Siegler guns ever were. I'm not so much against the lock politically as I am aesthetically and I feel adding unnecessary garbage hinders the purity of the function. While I would prefer Smith would offer the non locking guns as an option, I still think they build the best revolvers across the board. The deal with Clinton is history and it was no less obnoxious than Bill Ruger's pandering. We essentially killed the S&W that made the "deal". Tompkins LLC was forced to sell S&W for pennies on the dollar because we gunowners refused to buy S&W's.

 

[evan price]

@TJ: "Oh, and S&W is dropping the prices on all its handguns. Check their website. Sales must be rosy indeed."

No, maybe S&W realized people weren't interested in paying $600 for a new J-frame with a hole in the side and lousy finish.

I mean ,seriously- when I go to my local gun shop and browse, I am struck by
A: How expensive the S&W's are compared to the Rugers, Tauri, etc.
B: How crappy the surface finish looks compared to what they used to be
C: How many different variants/models/styles/grips are available as options.

 

[Prosser]

I thought the Clinton's used the office to threaten gunmakers to make changes that made
it appear they actually did something, hence the Hillary hole? Just an insult from 2A advocates against the Clintons, and the dems?

Also, wasn't the company that put the locks on at the time, as someone mentioned, the owner of the patent on the stupid lock design? Hence, when they sell the company, they continue to earn profit on every gun sold with their stupid, patented lock?

Retooling might be cost ineffective, at least at this point?

S&W wasn't shy about raising prices, and, when I can buy a used Freedom Arms
for the cost of one of their new revolvers, well, it's not really even a choice.

 

[BADUNAME13]

I thought the Clinton's used the office to threaten gunmakers to make changes that made
it appear they actually did something, hence the Hillary hole? Just an insult from 2A advocates against the Clintons, and the dems?

Yea, there was some 'buffer from lawsuits' or some such.

It was Bill incharge, but he was interested in other orafaces, and ******* was jokingly referenced as running things...

 

[5-SHOTS]

After my pre-lock, pre-MIM S&W 649-1 Bodyguard had a broken hammer stud on November 26 (only 800 rounds fired and less than 2000 dryfires) I have no more prejudices about lock-MIM guns…

Anyway the S&W internal lock is sure badly designed: the weak point is the little little little spring that holds down the “flag” with the written “locked”. If the spring is not placed well or the friction between the flag and the hammer is stronger than the spring, the hammer can drag the flag up freezing the action. Not to mention that sometimes recoil force had won the spring’s force with the same result…
Another observation: I don’t understand the lock in the Centennial and Bodyguard design because you actually can’t see if your gun is locked or not (the flag is hidden).

Solutions?
1) remove the flag and its spring (if you want);
2) cut the little tooth on the flag that freeze the hammer and leave the flag (and its spring) where it is (again if you want).
3) buy a pre-lock or a pre-MIM or a pre-both S&W and then pray to not have a broken hammer stud … It’s a pain in the @, I can guarantee.

Best regards, 5-SHOTS.

 

[Hawk]

Well Hawk...

It's almost worth getting involved in another internal lock thread just to get you back. I think you are correct in that many if not most of the objectors are on the older side, and their numbers (including me) aren't doing serious damage to Smith & Wesson's bottom line.

But I don't want to hurt the company anyway, it's just that I buy what my experience tells me is best, especially when the prices are attractive. Clearly the greater numbers don't agree with me, and for that I am absolutely delighted.

Besides I'm depressed. I was watching an auction this morning and noticed a "gun of interest," but the opening bid was $100,000.

And I am absolutely sure that it didn't have an internal lock or MIM parts!

Always a pleasure, Old Fuff.

I've been addressing a few other hobbies but I can't stay away too long.

The ATF interim 2009 report grabbed my interest as it shows a 26% bump in revolver numbers vs. 16% in pistols. Of course, that's domestic production so if Glock benefited from the 2009 buying frenzy it, and similar imports, wouldn't show up.

We probably can't learn anything definitive from the '09 feeding frenzy but it should still be interesting to see who cashed in and by how much.