Just as I am falling in love with the .45 ACP/moonclip/revolver combo AND coming to terms with the lock, I see that on the SW website that the 325 Night Guard is no longer in current production. I know I can still get one fairly easily if I so choose, but what's going on? Are they going to be discontinued on a permanent basis? Or do they stop production for a couple years as part of the normal ebb and flow of the business process? Or is it as simple as nobody wanted them? I'd take a 325NG or an AirLite model. I just think they're very cool.

I see little reason to be concerned or even to ask a question that perhaps only Smith and Wesson brand management may know. If you want one, go buy one. The night guard line does not draw a premium and they are plentiful on the secondary market.

Nothing is ever discontinued forever.

Things keep coming back.

I like the Night Guards. I think that Scandium alloy is the GREATEST thing to happen to N-frames since Stainless steel.

We can now carry a large caliber N-frame revolver that weighs less than our old K-frame 38s. I am partial to the 310NG which has been opened up to 10MM Magnum. Obviously I have to load my own 10MM Magnum or use 10MM Auto or even 40S&W

It seems that except for the J frames, most buyers don't even consider a revolver for self defense. I have one of the early M325 2.75" Scandium revolvers and it works as advertised. I also have a M386SSC, a M340M&P, and a M357 4". So I'm pretty well covered with light defense revovers and plenty of good old blue steel M22, M24, m25, and M29's. Another thing with the NiteGuards is they are a little pricy. Bob!

Guess which other moonclip capable 6 x .45 ACP revolver of similar production, ie, Al/Sc frame, SS barrel & cylinder, tritium Night Sight front/fixed rear sight, 2.75" barrel, etc, and sells for over $300 less?? Oh yeah, it is 7/8" OAL longer and <1.5 oz heavier, too. It is still available, too - even with a Crimson Trace laser!

Of course, I am talking about the Governor. Besides the moonclipped .45 ACPs, it'll take .45 Colt or Schofield and 2.5" .410 shot shells. Sooo... can or can't find a 325NG? Get a Governor...

Stainz

There must be 325 NG's in the pipeline. Just within weeks got a 629 PC, and it was born in January.
I might settle for a Gov, though, as it would fit me better with K frame Pach's, in Compac Pro. And cheaper

"Nothing is ever discontinued forever."

I have to respectfully disagree with the above statement. I like the NG revolvers except for the you know what on the left side, but I don't see them coming back into production. When a maker tools up to make a certain model, there is a lot of money expended. They have to sell enough to make that money back and then profit. If that doesn't look like it is going to happen, then there is no reason to continue manufacture of that product.
But, just in case you are correct, let me know if you hear about any of the following.:

S&W Pre 29, factory 5" barrel, just like the originals that were manufactured in 1959(?)
S&W 3.5" Registered Magnum, complete and unaltered in anyway from the way they were manufactured originally.
Colt Monitor
1928 Thompson
S&W Triple Lock, fixed sights, blue, 6.5" barrel in .44 Special.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

You mistake changes in technology, metallurgy, environmental regulations and manufacturing techniques as being discontinued. EPA regulations alone make your request impossible to fulfill unless you are willing to accept manufacture outside of the USA.

Take the model 610. I think it has been discontinued three times in the last decade. Because of that expense of tooling. They keep the tooling around and re-start a model if enough of a demand exists.

[QUOTE=colt_saa;136508930]Nothing is ever discontinued forever.

Things keep coming back.

That may be true to some extent. But looking at the 696 it appears that an L frame 44 spl. has been gone now for what 10 years? That's a long dry spell. Jim

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That's just somebody talkin.

The point I was trying to make, is that most manufacturers, most gun companies included, no longer have the talent to produce such items, as well as lack of tooling.
I don't think any company could find enough skilled enough workers to manufacture a new RM with all the hand fitting, polishing, etc. that went into it. With the exception of Keith Brown, there seems to be nobody who can, or will, make "coke" grips for the N frame. There are ones that are close, but in the same way a fiberglass replica Ferrari body on a Corvette chasis is close to a real Ferrari.
Tooling is another issue. I sincerely doubt that the tooling is still around for many firearms, the Colt Monitor specifically.
I understand the metalurgy and such and it was my mistake on not clarifying myself. What I meant was the fit and finish, the lack of the lock, MIM parts, use real wood for grips and not what basically amounts to plywood for wood gripped firearms. As for finish, I have seen some very nice polished blue finishes that rival or surpass any thing the companies ever put out, so that can be done, even with all the laws and regulations.
I seriously doubt that you will EVER see a newly manufactered Triple Lock, or for that matter, Colt Python, or N frames like they were in the late 20's to the late 70's.
It all comes down to profit. If the product is not profitable, then there is no reason to make it. The way S&W seems to be headed, for good or bad, in another few decades (if firearms are still around) you will see nothing with a metal frame. Only the absolute necessary parts will be metal, possibly barrel liners, chamber liners firing pins and a few other items. Aftermarket wood or any other material besides plastic or rubber will be the only options available.
So, I stand by my opinion that there are thousands of items that are discontinued, never to be manufactured again. I didn't even touch on companies that went out of business and scrapped all their machinery and even plans to build something. Hope I didn't offend you, that was not my intention.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

Today I picked-up my last three, of four, S&W Governors. For the purposes to which it was intended, as a multi-caliber survival oriented handgun, it is superb. .45 Schofield, .45 Short Colt, .45 S&W, .45 Colt, .45acp, .45 GAP, .45 WinMag, .45 Super, and who knows how many others are out there that will work?

I'm only concentrating on .45 Colt, .45acp, and .410GA 2 1/2", as these are most plentiful here in SW Utah... Having all those other possible sources of ammo makes me more confident that it will take longer to run out...

I'm a Glock man, when it comes to serious social difficulties. However, one or two of these four, will become my carry weapons, during "peacetime." Around the backyard, where snakes are possible, one will carry six rds. of #7 1/2 shot... In the car, six rounds of PDX1 .410Ga. At night, it's still a suppressed G21, TLR-2, and an Arredondo +4/13 rd mag & 1 in the spout- 18rds of Corbon 185gr SCHP... If my house is ever again broken into, they'll soon learn they've entered the wrong recreation room- mine...

OA, out...

I could have used a 315NG. Couldn't use the price tag, though.

ECS

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

This is a little off the OP's topic but is about what the thread has evolved into. Every S&W revolver I am interested in, want or have is a discontinued model. They are no longer available and will never be available again as newly manufactured guns. I am exclusively a used gun buyer when it comes to Smith revolvers.

I'm guessing, even if management had a complete change of heart and dropped the dreaded IL through-out the line, environmental regulations and production cost would mean they will never return to the kind of revolvers I like. The hand fitting and assembly of a forged/machined revolver is just prohibitively expensive in today's manufacturing world.

I'm just grateful we still have the freedom to purchase guns for personal use/ownership. I've long since given up on S&W ever making the guns I like and want again.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Back to the OP's question; we can see that S&W can move fairly quickly when they see a big market such as the 'pocket 9s' market with the "Shield" products. Well, let me think about that; LC9, XD micro, Nano... Ok, they can eventually respond.

From my experience; I can tell you that management at S&W has regular sales meetings where they review sales figures - when they see something dropping down the list, then they have to plan for the product's demise and decide what products they will introduce to replace those lost sales.

Regarding the Governor; it's called 'market cannibalization' where one product offsets sales of another product. Ideally, you want to cannibalize other companies' sales, not your own. So overlap in the .45 product line is another reason they would stop making them.

Also understand the scheduling issue; the plant managers have to allocate labor and machine time to specific production runs. They're going to be producing whatever is in the highest demand. Right now that is polymer pistols and airweights. They can't keep those airweights in stock so my guess is that's where the production capacity went.

Will they come back? Even S&W doesn't know.

But if you think these other business considerations are occurring; then that answers your question.

Just my 2 cents...

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But then, what do I know?