Why Smith & Wessons??

[Retired LTC, USAR]

I can only assume that 99.9% of the members here Smith fans. My question is why? Why do you favor Smiths more than other manufactures of handguns?

For me, the first handgun I shot was a K22. My father had far more Smiths than any other kind, and I guess I grew up liking Smiths more than any other kind.

What is your story???

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Probably because at the time a lot of us were growing up S&W and Colt were the only game in town when it came to revolvers and the only semi auto's were the 1911, the High Power, the Walther and later on the 39.

[Andy Griffith]

"It's like a fellow I once knew in El Paso. One day, he just took all his clothes off and jumped in a mess of cactus. I asked him that same question, 'Why?'"

"And..."

"He said, 'It seemed to be a good idea at the time.'"



Also, S&W's are (or used to be) a lot easier to collect without as much cash invested. That has changed in the last 20 years.

[Texas Star]

I like their styles, the feel of the action, and the way they lie in the hand, with the right grips. They're accurate and reliable, and hold their cylinder timing far better than do most Colts.

And the trigger pull and overall refinement is greater than Rugers. (Which are admittedly stronger, in most models.)

They also have strong historical backgrounds, for many models.

T-Star

[wbraswell]

It happened when I first held an N-frame, a 25-2.

[jdh]

Why did you pick the brand of car you drive?

[oldman45]

A S&W is owned for the same reason a piece of chocolate pie is eaten. They are good.

S&W has a great warranty, very dependable and extremely well made.

While I disagree with the plastic guns, I sure like the S&W product line and so do millions of others.

[bitstream]

I'm partial to the fact that my S&W has never, ever failed to fire and/or eject when the trigger is pulled. That's kind of a good thing to me.

[Iggy]

When I needed my first hand gun, S&W's were less expensive than Colt's.
That meant a lot to a newly married cop earning $340.00 a month.

As time has passed I have come to trust S&W guns implicitly and see no reason to change.

Colt's were too expensive then and still are as far as I am concerned.
The other brands just never entered the picture.

The old saying "Dance with the the one that brung ya" seems to be appropriate.

[snake charmer]

I'm here because I own some S&W guns, they weren't my first or favorite but I can get correct info about them on this forum.

[NFrameFred]

As usual with what we like and dislike, it's a personal thang . . .

For me, it always started out with the aesthetics, and that garnered I guess from influence of books and mostly TV and movies. To me the quintessential semi-auto is a 1911; the same standard applied to a 357 magnum brings to mind a picture of a model 27, usually with a 3 & 1/2" barrel; and a 44 magnum ? Harry's 6 &1/2" model 29, of course. Later field experience in hunting and competition taught me an appreciation for 98% of the remainder of what S&W offered in the revolver line.

Now, I've owned and enjoyed most of the Colt and Ruger revolvers, but the Colt's were always over-priced to my way of thinking and a just a slight bit more "dainty" in their construction than the S&W's; and except for the single action offerings and the 22 autos I've always found most Rugers to be aesthetically unappealing, so after almost 40 years of shooting, swapping and collecting the vast majority of my revolvers say S&W on the side plates.

We like what we like, and I was always one to try the Brussels sprouts prior to announcing I didn't care for them. If you like the sprouts or the other companies offerings I say vive la diffe'rence ! That's my asked for explanation/opinion and I'm entitled to it!

[H Richard]

The hand fit quality and smooth reliable functioning. They are built like a Swiss watch, and rugged to boot. Sort of like a Rolex of revolvers. (Qualifier: I have only one S&W built in the 90's and none newer).

[feralmerril]

I do own quite a few colts too. Also winchesters. Smiths remain the best built today as colt dont make DAs anymore. Ruger? I have a couple SAs, the DAs always looked over heavy and didnt have the fine finishs. Always looked rugged but more like just a tool

[venomballistics]

the single biggest hurdle to accuracy is the trigger.
of all the guns I looked at prior to my first handgun.
Smith won hands down

[truckemup97]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Colt's were too expensive then and still are as far as I am concerned.
The other brands just never entered the picture.

Bingo. I own a few Colt's, but I own a lot more S&Ws. When I got interested in handguns, I knew that I would buy more than a couple. Since I'm not independently wealthy, I gravitated more towards the Smiths. IMO, they are just as aesthetically pleasing (if not more so in many cases), they shoot and handle better, and they are much more reasonably priced.

[DeadAye]

My first handgun was a Model 10 - I still have it 40+ years later.
My first auto was a 1911 - The Army kept it though. I still carry a Commander now and then. Usually a S&W M49 though.

I've owned Colt, Ruger, and S&W revolvers - The ones that I have now are all S&W (ALL are steel - NO plastic, NO locks, NO way). They just feel right to me. The others just didn't. As an added bonus the triggers are superb and they ALWAYS work

[Bat Guano]

In the best examples, the S&Ws seem to have that extra (probably unnecessary) quality, plus the ridiculously long service life we like. I like, have, and use some Rugers, and they have less elegance but a little more anvil toughness. Different company philosophy and born of different eras. Both are more than up to any service you might put them to, and a real bargain in the long haul.

I can get along very nicely without Colt DA revolvers, Charter Arms, Taurii, and all the others, but life would be bleak indeed without the prospect of some nice S&Ws in it.

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by Retired LTC, USAR

I can only assume that 99.9% of the members here Smith fans..............
.... Why do you favor Smiths more than other manufactures of handguns?

I'm a Wesson fan rather than a Smith fan. Dan Wesson that is.

I like S&W revolvers for their triggers, but only 15% of my revolvers, none of my pistols and none of my long guns are S&W.

I would have had more, but I was upset with the European influence on some of their corporate decisions a few years back.
They seem to have gotten their corporate head back on straight, but I didn't buy anything with their logo on it during that era.

However, I do believe in redemption, so 5 of the 8 revolvers I've purchased in the last two years have been S&W.

John

[turnerriver]

My First center fire handgun was a 6" model 10.When I
received it as a gift I was 16;my buddys & I thought DA revolvers
should be Smith & Wessons,single actions & autos should
be Colts.Colt DA revolvers were viewed as being a little
effete.I'm 58 now & no longer think of Colt DA's as
less than-I have some & like them. Smith & Wesson
double action revolvers still are the standard though-
always have been & always will be, for me at least.
Regards,
turnerriver
SWCA # 1426

[NKJ nut]

I have no interest in the new S&W revolvers, but I love the older guns. Especially the N frames. I have never much cared for their semi-auto's though they are good guns. My two favorite carry guns are a Glock 19 and a SIG P220, mainly the Glock 19 for the last couple of years.

[29aholic]

Originally Posted by Texas Star

I like their styles, the feel of the action, and the way they lie in the hand, with the right grips. They're accurate and reliable, and hold their cylinder timing far better than do most Colts.

And the trigger pull and overall refinement is greater than Rugers. (Which are admittedly stronger, in most models.)

They also have strong historical backgrounds, for many models.

T-Star

What he said. I have owned a lot of Colt SAA's, but the first time I ever got a Model 29 in my hands it was over. The Colts are long gone now but my Smiths will stay with me as long as possible.

[Old cop]

I do own one Colt Cobra purchased in 1968 when I began my LEO career. Over time I've added only S&W since that what my agency issued, and I find their J frames easier to conceal and the QC quite good (IMHO).

[anglaispierre]

When I became interested in shooting over here in France, I looked at what handguns were on the market, read up about them, and bought a 686 and a M17 second hand, together with a new CZ 75B auto. The 686 and 75B were top of my list from the start. I did see a 2206 while I was waiting for my permits, but didn't think to reserve it. When my permits arrived I went back to buy it, but it was gone. I wanted a .22, hence the M17. The 2206 later turned up at my club. A French guy had bought it and loves it. Later I bought a NIB 1973 Manurhin Walther PP. Would love a 1911, but money is tight. Whether it will be a S&W or other make depends. I have never heard anything bad about the S&W.

Rifles are another thing. I will probably stick with Winchester, Ruger, CZ.

Je ne regrette rien!

[gregintenn]

I bought a model 10 police turn in from a local gun shop on a whim one day for $70. I brought it home, cleaned it up, and decided to see if it would shoot. HOLY CR@P!!!!! It just kept on shooting in the same place! I've shot squirrels with it. I thought so much of it, I bought a well used model 18 at a gun show one day. Same thing. It shot where you pointed it, and fit my hand like it was custon made for me. It's been downhill since then.

[pharmer]

Same reason I have always bought GM over Ford. Can't say either is better, Just that one feels "more for me" than the other. While I own both Colts and S&W's, the only Ford I ever had was a '65 Mustang, the last Ford I liked. Joe

[PALADIN85020]

As a young man in the early 1960s, it was picture of Jeff Cooper shooting an 8 3/8" Model 29 from the Weaver stance. I knew if Jeff Cooper liked anything, there had to be some well-thought-out reasoning behind it. Turns out, there was. Smith makes fine revolvers.

John

[deralte]

Because I have been carrying a S&W for 59 years without any failures. My oldest is a Chief's Special that I bought in 1952.

[cp1969]

Elmer liked them. Ed McGivern liked them. Bill Jordan....Skeeter Skelton...and a slew of others.

That alone has probably steered many people to S&W over the years. In my case, it was the M18 that I bought used when I was about 22. I had at the time a High Standard Sport King and a Colt New Frontier. I could not believe how much better the M18 felt and pointed.

I eventually lost possesion of all three of those pistols through stupid trades. I regretted losing them all but the M18 was the only one I replaced and I did so fairly quickly.

[Old 44 Guy]

Back in the early '50's I got the gun bug. Started collecting Winchester rifles but the prices went up too much for my wallet. Sold them off & bought Colts. Same thing all over again. Sold & traded for S&W's. First S&W was a M&P .38 Spec. Then a .44 DA, then a .45 Da, then a 22 -32 Target, then a 32 long, etc. By the time I married in 1960 I had 17 S&W's, mostly prewar guns. I'm down to 5 S&W's now, the rest have been given to family members. However I just bought a new 638 & got my 50 buck rebate 2 weeks ago. Using that to have a spring kit put in it. Old S&W collectors are made that way.

[loknload]

Back when I started collecting, my first purchase was a Smith Md#37 and I still own it!
I always figured that when you bought a Colt you were buying the name, granted they are nice but back then they were unaffordable to me. Over the years I've owned a few Colt's but I always went for the Smith's.
Smith to me was always the working mans gun! and I liked'em too!

[ar15ed]

a long time ago, i bought a 1975 vintage 29-2 at a gun show. i still think it had the most beautiful blue finish, and the absolute best single action trigger pull i have ever experienced. i have been hooked ever since!

[armenius]

I have loved S&W since childhood when my Daddy would stick a nickeled I Frame 32S&W Long in his back pocket when we headed out to the farm.He was a WWI machine gunner and With him I was unafraid.He would let me help him clean it and I fired it at apretty young age.My first handgun kill was when I shot a buzzard out a tree.
with it.It was very accurate and low recoil.I still own it however during the years between his death and my possesion of it the elements ruined it.It was square grip and I have his cousin's same model in round grip.It must be near 100 yrs old.I checked it carefully and fired it a couple of months ago.It shoots good!
Years ago I bought a pre 27 357 Magnum for 75 bucks!Only slight holster wear and the best gun I ever had.In recent years I have acquired a number of S&W-especially after I cought the "virus" on this forum.All pretty,dependable and just fun to handle.

[johngalt]

S&W isn't really my favorite. I started out on a Colt 1911, and I still think it is the best pistol ever made. For years, the only S&W I owned was a Model 41. I was never much into revolvers. I only got into them a few years ago.

My first was a Ruger GP 100. I fell for the hype about how strong and rugged it is. But it has a really bad trigger (for those of you who insist they aren't bad, remember I grew up on single action 1911 triggers).

Then I got a 686, which is a vast improvement over a Ruger. I've since bought a 642 and a 625 (so I have one J, L, and N).

I like the 625 the best of the revolvers, but the 1911 is still my favorite.

[vytoland]

S&W..............quality, dependability, accuracy

[Reevolvers]

Well I expect I was about 8 or 10 when my Dad put his Model 19 in my hand, and said ...."Son see if you can hit that jug."
Well I have been hooked ever since. I love everything about them. I have thought a lot about Colt's but have never been willing to spend that kind of cash. In my opinion it is impossible to improve on a Smith and Wesson double action revolver. They feel good! They work good! They look good!
Whats not to love about them? The finest money can buy will say Smith and Wesson on the side plate!

[pawncop]

I am first and foremost a carrier of S&W sidearms. Since 1978 with a very small break where I tried the Beretta 92 D, it was touted as an 11 shot revolver, and another break for about 5 years, S&W did not make a 45 ACP polymer sidearm, I have always had a S&W at my side.

First was a borrowed Model 28, then a Model 19, then the 586 (Lord how I do miss those two guns), and then my beloved 4506. When I transferred to plain clothes back in 2003, the 4506 was just too heavy. Wore a Glock 21C and acquired a M&P in 45 ACP in July 2008.

I love how the older S&W feels in my hand. I love how they look.

Now I am an acculator. I appreciate older revolvers and self loading sidearms. It can be anything from a Baby Browning to a new FN 40 caliber High Power, to a Colt Detective Special, or a Colt New Service 45 Colt once carried by a New York State Trooper.

But my first love will always be the older S&W revolvers.

As some others have stated, I am not a fan of the newer S&W's for a variety of reasons. I do not wish to stir up unnecessary discussion of those issues.

It is a matter of taste, history and using a device that transcends the defintion of a tool. It is a valued partner that I will bet my life on.

[Badkarma 1]

Well I got the "bug" when I was in grade school thanks to a "friend"! When I hit 15 I decided that it was hi time I had my own gun, and began puruseing the Shotgun News. J&G Sales were advertising used 'DPS' marked M-28s for $180, also there were other Smiths like 19s, 66s, 15s, 10s you name it. As well as some Colts and Rugers, so I started reading up on the 19 and found that most said it wouldn't take a lot of .357s and I wanted a Magnum! So I busted my butt that summer getting the money together by doing odd jobs and cutting everybodies grass. By August the 28 was mine and we merrily burned up boxes of 357 ammo!
A 1911 came along as I was continplatimg a military career and at least wanted to know how to run a .45, but the old 28 still got a lot of use.
Graduated high-school and joined the Navy both in '86 and sure enough the time spent with the 1911 proved helpful. After a few years of globe trotting via ship I decided to join the Teams, and that led to me dumping the then new Beretta for a SIG a delightful handgun.
Then one day I was in Germany and happened upon one of their gun ranges NICE! As I was shooting a borrowed P38 I noticed another gentleman working a S&W model 10. So I introduced myself and we struck up a conversation about American revolvers! The guy loved American sixguns and one of his treasured favorites was the old .38 that he had gotten as a present from relatives state side. He allowed me to shoot it and it was like a light bulb turning on in my head! Which led me to locate and purchase an old Victory model in England that was schedueled for the furnace!
Now I do own some Colts, Rugers, even a Charter, but my Smith & Wessons out number them all! It's sorta like the Goldielocks story; They're just right! Sorry for the long post. Dale

[kennyb]

Originally Posted by Retired LTC, USAR

I can only assume that 99.9% of the members here Smith fans. My question is why? Why do you favor Smiths more than other manufactures of handguns?

For me, the first handgun I shot was a K22. My father had far more Smiths than any other kind, and I guess I grew up liking Smiths more than any other kind.

What is your story???

simply put...S&W are the best!i would also echo what caj.mentioned...for many of us all that was out there was either smith or colt...oh yeah...i like colts too!

[Will Carry]

I wasn't a fan of Smith and Wesson when I started posting and viewing on this sight. I own a couple of Smiths but I also own Colts, Glocks, Rugers, Springfields, and Sigs. It's just that the people on this sight are informed, respectful and polite. I want a Model 29 so bad I can hardly stand it. Smith revolvers are beautifully machined works of art.

[cowboy117]

I like and trust them.

[Rugskipper]

The first handgun I ever shot was Dad's Pre 10 M&P. That kind of did it for me. Then, when I was about 10-12 I followed Dad around at a gun show, and saw this MASSIVE gun on a guy's table. Despite my fascination, I remembered my manners and asked if I may pick it up. All I knew at the time was that it was a .357, and it was a Smith & Wesson. I fell in love with it. As I look back I now know it was a 27 with a 3.5" barrel and target grips. Even though as a kid it was too big for my hands, I knew it felt like what a magnum should feel like.

Colt cylinders turn the wrong way, and except for Diamondbacks and Pythons I find their double action revolvers quite ugly.

Rugers are like a hammer. You can use it all day, but you'll never spend much time admiring it.

For semi-autos, there are plenty of nice ones out there, and I have a few including S&W's, but the 1911 will always be IT for me, as evidenced by me owning way more than any one man should.

[Knightrider03m]

I like Smith and Wesson because they work and in the rare event that they stop working, they can be fixed very quickly.

[kennyb]

Originally Posted by Will Carry

I wasn't a fan of Smith and Wesson when I started posting and viewing on this sight. I own a couple of Smiths but I also own Colts, Glocks, Rugers, Springfields, and Sigs. It's just that the people on this sight are informed, respectful and polite. I want a Model 29 so bad I can hardly stand it. Smith revolvers are beautifully machined works of art.

fortunately the M29 has been around for quite awhile....lots of them out there...i mean it IS christmas...
just saying...

[SFsc616171]

Originally Posted by Retired LTC, USAR

I can only assume that 99.9% of the members here Smith fans. My question is why? Why do you favor Smiths more than other manufactures of handguns?

For me, the first handgun I shot was a K22. My father had far more Smiths than any other kind, and I guess I grew up liking Smiths more than any other kind.

What is your story???

My first answer is, if I can't pay cash, I don't buy. Been doing so since I cut up my Amex card in the 80's.

Second answer, the demanded price for Colts is laughable!

Third answer, was Junior NRA member when living on Otis AFB, during the 60's. I liked the revolvers better.

Last answer, I had a Combat Masterpiece on my belt, as my 'sidearm', with that wonderful rifle from Mattel, when I was in Thailand.

[rock n roll kid]

mainly the actions on the triggers are plain better and some feel rather senuous .

there is a gun for every need it seems and finishes and fitting are really good on most models

in comparison
shot a redhawk compared to a former m29 i owned and i much prefured the 29.
other comparisons with other make guns compared to s&w , for me at least , came out the same.

as a bonus the s&w brand holds up re-sale really good

i am mostly talking revolvers here and as someone mentioned mine are also the older all steel models..... no barrel liners or exotic parts.

but i wouldnt hesitate buying an smith auto or a newer model revolver if i decided i needed one

[Palmetto Sharpshooter]

I was once a Colt man until I got serious about competition shooting. Folks told me I couldn't win unless I shot S&W. I had some nice Colts too. One day, I bought a heavily used 586 with mechanical problems. Even though during it's first outing, it broke down, I shot the highest score I'd ever shot till that point. The next season I was fully converted to S&W and started winning matches.

I don't compete much anymore but I still buy S&W, mainly Performance Center. If you enjoy collecting and shooting pistols, you'll find that you can never own every model or variation. They have just built too many different models to accomodate people's needs, wants or tastes.

Besides they're American like apple pie and baseball.