This LEO does not own any internal lock revolvers. My 66-2 2.5" is my current carry revolver. My newly aquired 65-3 3" may replace it, and is lock free as well. I'm a DA Investigator, and the last one carrying a revolver as a primary carry (split between the 66-2, and my 3913 semi auto). My Colt Cobra rides in an ankle holster as my BUG.

I know a few LEO's locally who still use a revolver as a BUG. None of them would carry a lock equipped revolver either. How do I know? I asked them at the last qualification. When they stopped laughing, they said they would not consider carrying an IL S&W. Regards 18DAI.

quote:

And save us both time and effort by NOT writing about how this is a "non-issue".

It really amazes me when people say that the lock is a "non-issue". Epitome of denial. The only time the lock is truly a non-issue is when your revolver doesn't have a lock in it and never did!

18DAI,thank you for responding;and for having the nerve to ask the question of your fellow LEOs(God bless and keep you all).
S&W seems to(maybe) be making some sort of recognition that internal locking mechanisms on revolvers is just a baad idea and something that the buyers of S&W revolvers are unhappy about.
It would certainly be interesting to see sales charts of S&W revolvers with and without the infernal locks!
Likewise,information on law enforcement officers who carry S&W revolvers(in any capacity) with IL.
I would like to take this time to request that anyone with thoughts,ideas, or advice about the IL please write in. This thread,long ago,ceased to require firsthand experience of IL failure.
Many thanks to the forum!
Mike

quote:

It would certainly be interesting to see sales charts of S&W revolvers with and without the infernal locks! Likewise,information on law enforcement officers who carry S&W revolvers(in any capacity) with IL.

A couple of thoughts here. First, most who are buying new S&W's with the locks have no idea of the problems with the locks and are buying them in blissful ignorance of the possibility that the lock can and does jam the gun, even if not commonly. If the general public were informed at the time of purchase about the lock problems, most would probably choose not to buy the gun!

Secondly, as for LE use, I'm not in LE, but I would think that the use of revolvers period in LE is down to a very, very small percentage, semi-autos having mostly taken over that market.

The reverence and enthusiasm we on this forum show toward fine revolvers is not so common among the general gun buying public nor in LE.

Fastbolt,

You are very welcome. I too hope that S&W does something soon to change their IL policy. But, I really doubt it based on my own experience with them. Maybe a miracle will eventually happen. Let's keep hoping so, but other manufacturers are starting to look very appealing to me now

Well, I thought the lock worriers were just worriers. I have 5 with the lock.

Took a shiny new 329 out yesterday. Fine with two boxes of 240gr normal magnums. One round of Buffalo Bore's 305gr heavy magnum and up popped the flag, locked up tight.

I was able to jigger the hammer and push the flag down, but still. Those locks are all coming out now.

At least a few people have reported calling S&W about the lock problems and state having been told that there haven't been any problems with the locks! Isn't it amazing how S&W would instruct the tech service reps to state that they have NOT HAD ANY problems with the locks when it is so blatantly obvious that lock related jams appear to be actually not-all-that uncommon! Damned liars! I dearly love my pre-lock S&W revos, but what the company is doing today is plain wrong!

FWIW, here's a press release from a while back which lists Model 637 J-frames being purchased and issued as Backup revolvers by the NMSP. (You'll have to scroll down in the press release to see it mentioned.)
http://ir.smith-wesson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=90977&p=irol...D=1100600&highlight=

I recently came across someone posting on another firearms forum who claimed a relative works for that agency, if I recall correctly, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that person post any ILS-related problems if it were to come to their attention. After all, folks that have enough of a personal interest in firearms to find and participate in internet firearms generally often seem interested to pass along such things.

I know a number of such LE folks who have selected such J-frames for either off-duty or backup/secondary weapon usage, a few of which have been carrying and shooting them for a while. One of them has been carrying one since the ILS was first introduced. Still shooting & carrying it when I recently asked him about it.

I only own one revolver equipped with the ILS, a MP340. My other 3 J-frames are older and are not equipped with it. I bought the MP340 because the Scandium aluminum frame and front XS night sight interested me. I carry the MP340 a bit less than my other J-frames, but I do carry it in rotation with my others. No problems so far during qualifications and practice, shooting either Magnum or .38 Spl ammunition. This gun is likely going to receive more use for practice than my others, too, since I specifically want to see how it does over time.

I really wish S&W would release a Model 40 Airweight (or whatever model they may choose to call it).

quote:

Originally posted by DHart:
Isn't it amazing how S&W would instruct the tech service reps to state that they have NOT HAD ANY problems with the locks when it is so blatantly obvious that lock related jams appear to be actually not-all-that uncommon!

This type of implausible denial is not unique to S&W CS. The reps say what they're told to say on issues such as this.

quote:

press release from a while back which lists Model 637 J-frames being purchased and issued as Backup revolvers by the NMSP

Interesting, Fastbolt. I was at a BBQ last weekend with a friend who's a sgt with NMSP (he was running the grill, in full uniform, which was pretty amusing) - had I known, I would have warned him to lose the lock and offered to fix it for him.

I have a new 610-3 with couple hundred down the tube and the other day I did a take side plate off for cleaning routine that I don't do all the time and low and behold the spring for the lock was about to jump out of the little slot for it. It was fully on the little fing it goes over, but about half out of the slot for the spring. Sitting there looking at it and trying to dedide if I had the time to remove the lock it dawned on me that this spring is probably the real cause of ILF due to the spring coming out of the track and then everything else getting out of place.

Tomorrow I will remove the lock completely from this range only gun, as I did on my 642-2 sometime back.

One thing I have just found out when trying to find some pictures and written instructions to email a friend on how to remove IL there is none posted or I just can't find. If their is one posted as I seem to remember, can someone provide a link please???

I'll preface this post by saying I'm a 1911 fan thru and thru(not familiar with tearing down a revolver AT ALL). It would be nice to know how to remove the IL on S&W revolvers IMHO. I realize there MAY be legal consequences for anyone espousing this procedure(?)
Yesterday I got an e-mail from Rebecca Timpano(very nice person) from S&W marketing regarding possible suggestions for improvement of S&W revolvers;they ASKED that I NOT FORWARD their message;but I suppose I COULD anyways. I answered the questions to the survey;and also,I asked for a refund,kit to disable the IL,info on how to disable the IL,and/or any advise or suggestions on how to get rid of the dern thing. I await their reply;not holding my breath. She assured me that she would forward ALL my comments to Customer Service Dept;but I will try,today,to send my own e-mail to the Cust. Serv. Dept.(BRILLIANT!) duh
Have all you S&W revolver owners with ILS written in to customer service about their concerns? I will make it a point to do so today.
I has spoken!
c

Someone will get a trial lawyer involved after a death/injury from a ILF if it hasn't already happened and be kept quite. It will eventually hit the fan for them and the lock will be redesigned and/or removed.

Good luck proving that's what happened.

Besides, this is the kind of thing that is the inverse of "I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six": here, "I'd rather have the dang thing work when I need it than have my estate have the chance to recover from Saf-T-Hammer's gang of idiots."

I am a retired LEO and have done a 360 back to revolvers after all these years. I do have 2 J frames with the ILS that I took in some trading I did. BUT I will NEVER carry either one of them. It's either and old Model 42 or one of the several per-lock J frames I acquired over the years. I also have a 638 compliments of S&W as my Model 38 of many years had a cracked frame in the usual place and that one is still just sitting here and I will not carry it.. Sure do miss my BUG, no telling how long the frame was cracked before I read the thread on here about 2 years ago.. One of these days I think Smith will figure out that a lot of old customers are paying big bucks for prelock revolvers and get the "message".