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Old 12-02-2010, 11:35 AM
GatorFarmer GatorFarmer is offline
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I remember these. They used to turn up used in Lansing with some regularity and then sit there for a while, usually the nickel ones and with the pouch.

Period gun magazine coverage wasn't friendly to them. It was a time when Smith and Wesson was still mostly associated with revolvers. Gunwriters meanwhile were a conservative breed. Even the 39 and 59 were looked at with some concern.

I think the marketing was meant to push the Escort as a woman's gun. Timing was wrong. At the time women didn't per se want cute if they were buying a gun. I think most were sold to men that gifted them to wives, girlfriends,mistresses etc. They'd then sit in the cute little pouch in a drawer for decades.

The GCA '68 didn't go into effect until Jan of 69. Smith and Wesson also misjudged the market. The Escort seems to have cost more than the cheaper imported autos that were now expected to dry up, but for a while various loopholes had these guns simply being assembled in Florida from foreign parts. Later many were entirely U.S. made - the Jenning, Ravens, FIE products, et al.

It seems that by the -2 change that Escorts ran better.

I think the next carry oriented .22 LR from Smith and Wesson didn't come along until the first of the Airlites, the 317. The snub 34s and other autos seem to have been sold as tackle box or kit guns.

I was tempted by one of the later 422s, but never obtained one.

At least as late the early years of this century the old time gun guys - retired LEOs and such - still would politely warn you against an Escort if you were a regular customer.
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