No doubts to this. S&W makes hundreds of thousands of guns each year. They are the #1 manufacturer by volume. For 2010 S&W produced just under half a million handguns according to BATFE records. That does not include rifles, shotguns, handcuffs, accessories, magazines, etc.

Today's S&W revolvers are quality products. Still amongst the best that can be purchased anywhere. They are accurate and reliable. They have features and strength that we could not even dream of a few short decades ago.

Is there a lemon now and then.....Of course there is. It does not matter what you pay for something, it is not possible for any company to produce 100% perfect products 100% of the time.

No they are not the way they used to be. Well neither are french fries or popcorn at the moves. Nothing is the way it used to be.

Someone is going to get that lemon and the first thing they are going to do is come here and let everyone know how S&W is going to the dogs because a $1000 revolver should not be bad from the factory.

That is the line you hear. OK is it acceptable for an $847 gun to have a failure? How about a $516 gun? What is price that it is OK for the company to not be 100% perfect?

For the buyer it does not matter, he wants a good gun. I don't blame him, so do I.

There are going to be bad ones and that is why there are warranties. Buy with confidence. Most folks never have problems.