What would it take for S&W to make a "new" revolver?

[ImDrRich]

I'm itching for a 629-type snub with a two-inch barrel - exactly like the one made years ago for Camfour Distributors. It seems to me that there is much interest out there for a two-inch .44 Mag "belly gun," not to mention that it is a sweet-looking snub for carry.

What do you guys think?

(pic borrowed from forum member)

 

[Narragansett]

Obviously it would take a market study. Personally, I do not think they would make what you are asking for. While cool looking and very businesslike, it still would be addressing a limited market. Just my .02

 

[SLT223]

it doesnt take a market study, just a distributor placing an order large enough to make it worth Smith's time. i would speculate the further the concept is from current production the tougher the economic hurdle would be. According to the S&W New England regional rep they will still manufacture distributor exclusives a la Lew Horton.

 

[rct269]

Obviously it would take a market study. Personally, I do not think they would make what you are asking for. While cool looking and very businesslike, it still would be addressing a limited market. Just my .02

The gentleman from Rhode Island has given you your answer in two words---"limited market". Of course that's the reason they wouldn't do it----and the exact opposite of what it would take for them to do it.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[DR505]

For a 2" barrel, make it a .44 Special and I might be interested.

 

[Protocall_Design]

They already have the 696 and 69 in 3 inch. They might feel something that similar would be too many of the same thing, short of a distributor order.

 

[cometpx4]

New Revolver

Let me start by saying i own revolvers, carry revolvers and love shooting them. In fact i just bought a Korth Mongoose 4" which constituted a significant investment in a revolver. So when i say this its not because i don't like them
Their time has come and gone from Smith and Wesson's perspective. The Smith goal is to stamp out as much plastic as they can for the least amount of money while charging the consumer what the most the market will allow. Its that simple. The new age shooter (sadly) doesn't even consider a revolver when buying a gun. I have spoken to many many handgun enthusiasts, who have never owned or fired one and they have no intention to do so. For better or worse thats the market for which Smith is producing handguns.
I cannot see any reason Smith would alter their entire production philosophy to sell (maybe) a couple thousand revolvers.
I wish/hope i am wrong because the pre canted barrel era Smith revolvers i have owned were awesome guns. I just cannot see us getting back to that era ever again.
Even producing a standard factory model 629 2" at this juncture would seem to me to be a major departure from their present day business plan.
Just my opinion FWIW.

 

[505Gibbs]

Let me start by saying i own revolvers, carry revolvers and love shooting them. In fact i just bought a Korth Mongoose 4" which constituted a significant investment in a revolver. So when i say this its not because i don't like them
Their time has come and gone from Smith and Wesson's perspective. The Smith goal is to stamp out as much plastic as they can for the least amount of money while charging the consumer what the most the market will allow. Its that simple. The new age shooter (sadly) doesn't even consider a revolver when buying a gun. I have spoken to many many handgun enthusiasts, who have never owned or fired one and they have no intention to do so. For better or worse thats the market for which Smith is producing handguns.
I cannot see any reason Smith would alter their entire production philosophy to sell (maybe) a couple thousand revolvers.
I wish/hope i am wrong because the pre canted barrel era Smith revolvers i have owned were awesome guns. I just cannot see us getting back to that era ever again.
Even producing a standard factory model 629 2" at this juncture would seem to me to be a major departure from their present day business plan.
Just my opinion FWIW.

This makes a lot of sense!
In addition, I would speculate that the 300 gun runs for distributors that made sense to S&W 15 or more years ago might require a 500 gun run or perhaps 1000 to have them do the tooling and schedule the machine time in todays market.
Somewhere in this post Lew Horton's was mentioned. Alas, they are gone and who knows the future for RSR or Camfour and others.

 

[Pine_Worker]

For a 2" barrel, make it a .44 Special and I might be interested.

A .44 Special with a 2.5" barrel would interest me.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Call them and ask if they will make you a batch if you pay up front for 250 of them. They might say yes. You never know.

 

[Jim Watson]

Another problem is that many of the people who talk about a new model revolver are Good Old Days snobs. MIM and two piece barrels and locks would keep them from buying a gun otherwise to their specifications.

Look at the hammering the New Python has taken.
And see the posts on how a Night-Korth is not up to a Willi-Gun. Sorry, cometpx4.

 

[JDinAZ]

from what i understand it can be done. takes a 500 gun order to do s custom production run at smith. same as john ross did for his pc 500s 250 were black 250 were pc blasted finish

 

[Enzo]

Would it have the lock?

 

[armorer951]

We need to have a special series revolver made for the members of the Smith and Wesson Forum. Selling 500 units would be a piece of cake.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Only they would need would be enough people to buy them. Cash in advance.

 

[RoyM52]

Mod 69 2 3/4 inch , Covers the bases (this is a new revolver in a market of plastic} It does happen

 

[cometpx4]

New Revolver

Jim no problem as you are probably right. Nothing seems to be made like it used to be. The Korth i have is hands down The best revolver i have owned in 26 years. have about 1,000 rounds thru it at this point. Whether it's like a Korth of old i cannot tell but I am just glad a company spent the time building them instead of jumping into the plastic craze. Love my glocks , but nothing like a solid revolver. Of course at $3,000 it kind of proves the point of this thread. I think you could sell 500 plastic pistols before you can find one person who appreciates a revolver enough to drop 3k on it.

 

[ken158]

Would it have the lock?

Of course... there is no way to get around the IL as long as there is an exposed hammer.

 

[magmag]

I'll take one for our forum limited special .44 2.5

 

[Oracle]

I have a model 629-6 3" barrel with an IWB holster. If Smith made a 629 2" barrel I would buy it. I bypassed revolvers for years buying model 1911's and Milt Sparks IWB holsters. I was at the range and was offered the opportunity to shoot a model 29, instantaneous addiction.

I am now collecting S&W .44 magnum revolvers, on the prowl for the next treasure.