I would add AR platform rifles to the 1911. There is money in both, but both take up significant amounts of CNC machine time.
Since the 3rd Gen guns were mostly for the LE market, S&W replaced them with the M&P guns so that they could compete.
There was just no benefit (to them) in continuing the 3rd Gen guns in production.
If you ever gone to the NRA Annual Meetings and walked the exhibit hall you have seen that just about everyone makes a 1911 and an AR platform gun. Several different ones in fact. Colt (of course), S&W, Sig, Taurus, Ruger, Springfield, and on and on. They must sell or so many companies wouldn't be making them.
As it happens, I was at the range today wringing out my new MC1sc. There was only one other shooter there and he asked me what I was shooting. I showed him the Mossberg, which he hadn't even heard of. He liked it and might buy one.
He asked me what else I shot and I told him about the 3rd Gens. I then showed him the pre rail 3913TSW that is my regular carry gun. He was absolutely astonished that S&W had ever made such a well engineered and beautiful firearm.
He had a Beretta 92 on his hip and I mentioned the 5906 to him. I told him that they were no longer in production and getting harder to come by.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sevens
I'm not trying to be "THAT GUY" to take a snippet and boldly try to correct it, that isn't my intention!  But I want to say that many times, folks have asked "why oh why did S&W kill off production of the 3rd Gen pistols?" and this leads to my version of the argument.
The 3rd Gens were the last of the all steel or steel/alloy they made for main production EXCEPT the 1911 line that is really fairly new to S&W.
I have made the argument that if S&W hadn't been drawn in to the 1911 cash cow of the last 20+ years, there is a chance that we might still have our beloved 3rd Gen pistols.
It's my belief and argument that there was too damn much money available on the market for 1911 sales that S&W could not ignore it. They had to jump in just like all the 128 other manufacturers selling 1911 pistols because MONEY MONEY MONEY and easy slam-dunk sales.
S&W makes a tonnage of Tupperware for contract sales, for duty/service and smaller ones that are very popular for concealed carry and personal defense. And S&W continues to make significant money in 1911 pistols.
Something had to go to make way and it was the DA/SA 3rd Gens that got pushed aside.
It does make one wonder... Sig continues to have success in metal framed DA/SA guns and CZ makes, in my opinion, the best metal framed non-1911 pistol of anyone currently, it makes you ask if S&W would have a reason to compete once again in the DA/SA metal framed pistol market.
Based on the QC we see from their currently made rimfire guns, their revolvers and a lot of their polymer guns, I would rather NOT S&W embarrass our favorite platform and make them again today, because I believe the quality is dwindling in Springfield.
That's just my take.  |