Smith & Wesson bringing back no internal lock revolvers for 2024?

[KurtC]

I believe all the no lock J-frame options are DAO. If it has an external hammer, it has a lock. Make sense? Not to me, either.

The lock was an attempt to make the revolver "child proof." A child can easily cock the hammer and then pull a 2 lb trigger. It is very difficult for a child to pull a 7-9 lb DAO trigger.

Personally, I believe the lock should be an option. Available to those with small children in the household, should they choose.

 

[mrchick]

The lock was an attempt to make the revolver "child proof." A child can easily cock the hammer and then pull a 2 lb trigger. It is very difficult for a child to pull a 7-9 lb DAO trigger.

Personally, I believe the lock should be an option. Available to those with small children in the household, should they choose.

There are lots of trigger lock options that are obvious when they're in place, and would serve that purpose. In fact, I'd rather use one of those than an internal lock just for the visibility.

 

[Well Armed]

S&W is NOT going to start selling no IL K, L, or N frames anytime soon. They're selling way to many revolvers to do so or even care about what their customers think. Everyone complains, but they're STILL sell the most revolvers out of any other manufacturers. Colt is nowhere near S&W's sales.

 

[Well Armed]

They've lost so many sales making the IL models I doubt they have noticed and sure they don't care. I'm in the winter of my life and refuse to own a IL lock, but my generation is headed out the door. The newbies will buy them if they're not buying fantastic plastic and in a few more years it won't matter. But, look at what they lost while it did matter.

Yet they sell more revolvers now than they ever did in the prelock days. They have had no shortages in sales and have dominated the market with regards to revolvers from their point of view and by the numbers.

The IL is something 99.99% of buyers perfer not be there; however, 99.99% of buyers outside of the elderly age hard-core revolver will still buy IL S&W revolvers regardless. It's a loud minority who will refuse to buy one.

 

[mrchick]

I'm kind of excited to be a part of a group that has its own jazz album named after them[emoji1]

 

[Yendor357]

How many people said Colt would never reintroduce the Python and Anaconda? Yet, here they are, with no lock.

It is more likely for something to happen, if it has happened before.

Lawyers stink. Out loud. But even a lawyer needs a client for a case. Stupid judges complete the triangle.

Look what lawsuits did to Remington.


It would take a six pound trigger pull with reverse angle sear engagement to get Smith to drop the lock.

I stay out of other people's heads. I have no clue what Smith might do.

 

[Beemerguy53]

...For some reason they really hold on to the lock in revolvers, but not one lock on their hi capacity magazine semi autos. Go figure!

In early 2001, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill which required that, effective January 1, 2002, all new handguns sold in Maryland had to have an integrated internal lock. If I remember correctly, the Maryland Attorney General interpreted that requirement to mean that decockers and hammer-blocking safeties on pistols met the new requirement, but of course most revolvers did not.

I know other states and Uncle Sam were getting into the firearms-design business at that time as well, which is what I think caused S&W to redesign their revolvers, and incorporate the lock at that time.

I'm not sure when Maryland law or the interpretation of it changed, but for years you've been able to buy Colt, Ruger, Taurus, etc., wheelguns with no problem here. Why do S&W's products still have the lock? I suspect it's for the very reason llowry61 cited: it would be very bad PR. It would also run counter to the whole CYA atmosphere that permeates almost all businesses these days.

 

[Well Armed]

You all also have to realize that most of the demographic who says they'll never buy a S&W because of the lock STILL wouldn't buy a modern S&W without the IL. They hate and bash all newer model S&W revolvers for more reasons than just the lock.

 

[Tom S.]

You all also have to realize that most of the demographic who says they'll never buy a S&W because of the lock STILL wouldn't buy a modern S&W without the IL. They hate and bash all newer model S&W revolvers for more reasons than just the lock.

It happened when S&W went from 5 screws to 4.
Then it happened when they went from 4 screws to 3.
Then it happened when they went from pinned and recessed to non-pinned and no recess.
Then it happened when they introduced the lock.
And it happened again when they went to MIM parts.

I own examples of each and everyone of them goes 'bang', makes holes in the paper and none are head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[elgatodeacero]

I want this rumor to be true. I think Darryl Bolke is credible and I enjoy his articles. Lipseys is just the forward thinking distributor to make some special orders to "test the waters". The storage lock makes no sense and has a terrible history of malfunctions.

I have not purchased any new S&W since my 696-1 (MIM but no lock).

If S&W dumps the lock, I will probably buy 10 new Smiths, no joke.

I hope Darryl B. posts photos and videos and interviews on Tuesday for those of us that cannot be at SHOT 2024.

 

[nyeti]

Surprised this comment hasn't gotten more attention...

I've long pushed my chips out on "no way" every time the perennial "will S&W ever get rid of" question is asked, and so far been right, but nyeti's reply changes things.

Darryl, you serious? (I suspect you are.)

Deleated….

 

[WheelGunnerRealGunner]

100% serious. American Fighting Revolver will be putting out a bunch of material and video the weekend before SHOT and Bryan Eastridge and I will be at the Lipsey's booth. We are incredibly serious revolver users and trainers. We are doing consulting right now and absolutely understand exactly what a serious revolver looks like and trust me…this will be the beginnings of a new day for us wheelgun lovers.

Wow sounds exciting! So the rumors had merit.

Can you link ur socials where the videos will be posted this weekend?

Thank you!

 

[nksmfamjp]

You all also have to realize that most of the demographic who says they'll never buy a S&W because of the lock STILL wouldn't buy a modern S&W without the IL. They hate and bash all newer model S&W revolvers for more reasons than just the lock.

Yea, the reduced quality internals is an issue too.

I guess the natural expectation of customers is you make better and better products.It is quite abnormal a manufacturer who makes a premium product for a reasonable price that cannibalizes the product, then as the market declines, blames it on shrinking demand.
All this stuff like deletion of barrel pinning, recessed cylinders, move to MIM internals, lowering finish quality, sleeving barrels, adding the internal lock, etc…..all done as added technology, but really just cannibalized what made S&W best in class.

 

[80sgyrene]

100% serious. American Fighting Revolver will be putting out a bunch of material and video the weekend before SHOT and Bryan Eastridge and I will be at the Lipsey's booth. We are incredibly serious revolver users and trainers. We are doing consulting right now and absolutely understand exactly what a serious revolver looks like and trust me…this will be the beginnings of a new day for us wheelgun lovers.

Sounds great, I can only hope!

Btw, you still have that 10-10 Brazilian I traded you?
I'd like it back, lol.

 

[03hemi]

Read a wild rumor on another forum that S&W may be reintroducing more revolvers with no internal locks for 2024. There may be other interesting features too but that was all the poster could remember. Anyone else heard anything similar? Got me very excited for Shot Show 2024

the reason I thought it could be possible is with Colt re-entering the revolver scene, S&W may feel the need to up their game so to speak to compete.

curious to see what ppl think.

Then they're gonna need to up their game on the revolvers themselves too.

 

[ladder13]

I received an email just the other day from Smith. Some big announcements on Monday?

10mm FPC?

 

[Well Armed]

Yea, the reduced quality internals is an issue too.

I guess the natural expectation of customers is you make better and better products.It is quite abnormal a manufacturer who makes a premium product for a reasonable price that cannibalizes the product, then as the market declines, blames it on shrinking demand.
All this stuff like deletion of barrel pinning, recessed cylinders, move to MIM internals, lowering finish quality, sleeving barrels, adding the internal lock, etc…..all done as added technology, but really just cannibalized what made S&W best in class.

I do not believe there's anything wrong with a properly QC'd modern Smith revolver or their internals. I think it's a case of stubbron people who are stuck in the past and who don't want to accept modern CDC machining processes, methods, and materials. They simply used a different method to secure the barrel, which no longer made "pinning" a necessity. Some Smiths have barrel sleeves, and others do not. There's nothing wrong with barrel sleeves. Ruger, Dan Wesson, and Smith all utilize barrel sleeves. They work just fine and solve issues. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using MIM parts. Almost all modern handguns, rifles, and shotguns on the market by all manufacturers use MIM and/or polymer components. They work, are durable, tried, true, and have been vetted. MIM is a common sense and fully capital way to manufacturing lower cost and production time and to lower the MSRP by not wasting time and resources machining forged components when not required.

Also, there has NOT been any shrinking demand for S&W revolvers. Their demand and sales are the highest they've ever been. I keep seeing this outright lie and falsehood repeated ad nauseam.

S&W sells more revolvers today and has more modern revolvers in circulation today than they had prelocks in circulation or sold back in the golden age of revolvers! More people own revolvers today than they did in the past.

 

[Hapworth]

I do not believe there's anything wrong with...

You're not wrong. You're also way off topic, as is anyone else hashing out the old issues that have been hashed out ad nauseum and that the mods have said -- in this thread already -- to drop.

The subject is the question of S&W offering more models without the lock. We have a highly credible, well-placed industry professional strongly indicating we'll see this announced in a couple days.

That's the discussion.

 

[Yendor357]

In theory, if they deleted the lock, it'd be a little less expensive to produce. They wouldn't drop the price, they'd just make more profit.

While I'm on my soap box, if Ruger would drop the push button safety on their Marlin guns and stop doing that cheesy looking checkering, I'd buy a couple of those too.

 

[Well Armed]

You're not wrong. You're also way off topic, as is anyone else hashing out the old issues that have been hashed out ad nauseum and that the mods have said -- in this thread already -- to drop.

The subject is the question of S&W offering more models without the lock. We have a highly credible, well-placed industry professional strongly indicating we'll see this announced in a couple days.

That's the discussion.

Let the mod do their job as, although you want to be one, you're not one. Both Tom S. (who is a Mod) and member nksmfamjp quoted the same snippet out of a previous comment that I am well within my right to respond to. Maybe you should quote and scold them instead of me.

I've been having this discussion about S&W finally removing the lock ad nauseam for decades with someone always claiming they "credible" information from some unknown person they will not name. I will believe it when I see it. If they do, it will most likely still be on their J-frames and not with their larger K-N frames. If true, I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of their existing no lock J-frame models but with a longer barrel or different trim.