Just sitting here thinking this Sunday morning. I wonder why so many have such distain about the IL. There are many S&W revolvers in my collection and a few more Rugers. Many of the Rugers are newer and have a lock in the gripframe. A model 27 classic is the only Smith I have with the lock.

But my thoughts say that most of my guns have ILs. I say that all of the safety devices are locks. On my 1911, I have a grip safety, frame mounted safety and on my P345 I have a magazine safety. Cocked and locked is how I carry the 1911. My rifles have cross bolt safetys as do my shotguns.

One of the big points against ILs are that they fail and lock-up the action. I am sure that it has happened but I am also just as sure that many a safety has also failed.

Mostly, the IL on Smiths might be considered by some to be just plain ugly. In my opinion my 27 classic shoots as good as my 27-2 and I won't part with either.

Revolvers have not traditionally had manual safety devices. Rebound hammer, hammer block and transfer bar safety features are all internal and do not require any extra manipulation to function. Folks complained about some of these too stating that actions were not as smooth as they had been before their addition. However, all of these features improved the operator's safety and the safety of any bystanders. The IL does not improve safety for the operator of the handgun or bystanders at all. It only interferes with unauthorized users accessing the weapon. Since it does not improve user safety most of us see it as an unnecessary and potentially hazardous feature when it is present on a firearm that we rely on to protect us. The best safety is still between your ears and does not require a key to operate. And no I do not own any firearm with an IL.

Best Regards,
ADP3

"Mostly, the IL on Smiths might be considered by some to be just plain ugly."

How true. But, my little 638 is the ugliest gun you'll ever love

My heartburn with the lock is that it changes the frame profile so it looks like the hammer is buried in it. It changes the profile, severly in the case of the K and J frames. And the hole in the side of the frame. It surely must be expensive, relatively, to make with all the little parts and frame machining necessary to hold it. My guess is that very few shooters even use it.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

The IL's don't bother me a bit. Would I rather not have them, sure.....the new frame profile doesn't bother me either...but would rather see new S&W's rolling out of Springfield and still be able to buy a US made S&W than not have them. I am also a Ruger fan too, I love US made firearms. The locks are easily removed, BTW, if it's that bothersome to a shooter.

I have bought several used IL S&W's from people who didn't like them for 1/2 the retail price, and the guns hardly had a round through them, including a PD trade in 64-7 that's one of my best shooting guns......there's nothing wrong with them.

Love all these "curmudgeons" who hate S&W now because of the evil IL but will gladly support gunmakers in Austria, Croatia or Brazil...a lot of whom also put locks on their guns...they hate S&W all day but gladly buy a Springfield Armory 1911 with an IL in it that was made in Brazil. I am not a fan of the autoloaders but do believe the S&W M&P pistols also have an IL, and they are used by many PD's.

I would also love to hear all these people who "boycotted" S&W over this lock nonsense if S&W's started rolling out of Howa in Japan at 1/2 the quality and double the price.....how about supporting US gun makers rather than a "boycot".....when's the last time you saw a brand new US made Winchester lever gun, oh wait, there isn't one, they are made in Japan now....... Also Savage has risen from the dead several times and new ones aren't the same, but they are still around at least........., Colt, well, we know what happened to their line of revolvers, I'll bet many Colt fans if given a choice, would love to see a Python or a King Cobra with an IL for $6-700 than none at all, being forced to pay thousands for the older ones because new ones don't exist.....Have people who "won't own a new S&W, only buy the old ones" stopped to think, the only thing keeping used S&W prices down to Earth instead of in the stratosphere, i.e. used Colt prices........are the fact that there IS a line of new ones?... Like the song says, You don't know what you got till it's gone!

Pretty much everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about the IL has been covered in this thread.

LOCK- ..can't get past "the hole".


I am closing this thread because lock threads have been done to death.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II