The abundance of those who prefer the older Smith's certainly reflect upon the craftsmanship of these revolvers. The old finishes were exceptional and newer alloy finishes could never compete with them for aesthetic beauty. In my experience (with about ten snub nose 38's) the older guns had better triggers when comparing same size guns. Even an older model 37 anodized Airweight has a far more aesthetically pleasing finish than the new Airweights. Many of us appreciate the art and history of our handguns, as well as their performance. To each his own, but a deep blued older model Smith & Wesson gets my vote for Beauty Queen and Range King over the newer guns.

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Laus Deo