Hello... been reading posts here on SWF for a long time, just don't say much. (someone has almost always answered my question in another post)

A couple new thoughts maybe? I think SW will continue to improve their firearms to be lighter and safer to the GENERAL PUBLIC that owns just one or two per household... which means utilizing the newest materials and safety features. When I bought my first handgun in 2004, I chose a SW 410 (a .40 semi auto SA/DA w/ thumb safety) because I just didn't trust myself to not put a bullet through the girlfriend/dog/wall with the revolvers or Glock style pistols I saw.

Now, 7 years later, I still have the 410. But I have also added a 19-5, 686, and 10-5 that get much more use than the SA pistol. I'm at ease with all of them, and enjoy shooting them for the same reason I like driving my old 5 speed inline 6 Jeep Wrangler. Some things are enjoyable, and sometimes even comforting, in their rugged simplicity and reliability. Even though the Smiths are as old as I am (and older for the 10-5), they represent an era of craftsmanship that my dad and grandad could appreciate. And so do I.

It seems the real issue of the IL/MIM scuttlebutt is the same as Harley and the AMF years- production quality and image. SW must change as the times do, to meet the needs of a newer market of unskilled marksmen who don't know the first thing about firearms and probably won't take the time to learn. Hopefully the changes, over time, can meet the needs of these people, while not forgetting the people who got them where they are today.