I had one Colt Officers Model----well and truly breathed on by Roper's lads---and 3-4 S&W K-38's----and never fired any of them (except when one of the K-38's was my go-to gun for machine rest ammo testing----so can't comment about standing on your hind legs, and shooting either.
The one thing I can tell you is the Colt is a wooly booger to assemble---which I did only once following its welcome bath. Actually, I did it twice---it didn't work the first time around. S&W's are mind numbingly simple to assemble-----virtually idiot-proof.
The only tale about the Colt concerns my gunsmith's reaction when I took it to him to show-off. It's worth a preamble up front----my gunsmith was a WIZARD!! That said, he sat on his three-legged stool, wearing his leather apron, and puffing on his pipe----and oohed and awed in all the right places where Roper's lads had laid hands on it. Then he said, "You know, I hate these (bad word) Colts, but whoever did this action job REALLY knew what they were doing!"
I reckon that's high praise for Roper's folks---and somewhat less for Colt.
Aside from that, the Colt is undeniably UGLY!!----comparatively speaking.
Truth be known, when I decided I wanted to collect target guns---a mere 60 some-odd years ago, I chose S&W because Colts were plug UGLY by comparison-----U G L Y!!!!----and they still are----all except for that Python. Those are not too shabby!!
As to what I'd buy today, I flat don't know because I haven't held a current S&W product in my hands for a loooooooong time. The reason (my reason) for that is my appraisal of S&W's changing philosophy goes like this: In the beginning (1857) their philosophy can be stated thus: We will be successful if we build the best possible product for the price. Along about the mid-1950's it started to change---and it kept on changing. As it stands now, my appraisal of their philosophy goes like so: We will be successful if we build our product at the lowest possible cost.
I spent a fair amount of time sitting in the chair of the senior marketing officer for a company doing business nationwide. As such, I can tell you that's not how you win friends and influence people. On the other hand, it works great for increasing your profit margin-----for a while.
Next comes the question: How long is a while?
The answer is "a while" is a longer period than "awhile"-----so hope springs eternal---I hope.
Were I to be asked to consult for S&W, my advice would be, "Don't press your luck!"
Fear not! My one and only consulting gig was for a little old lady in the trucking business. That ended over 20 years ago---but it lasted nine years, so I figure I was doing something right.
A word about S&W N frames----like that 25-2 the Tin Man speaks of (^^^). I collected target guns---from the beginning to the end---the end being the end of the five screws. I had a Registered Magnum---most certainly a target grade gun, but not a target gun as I chose to define them---but a more than significant gun in S&W's history. I'd heard all the tales about them being hand made---even having been told the checkering on the rib and top strap was done by hand. (I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that one!!) That aside, it was my practice to completely disassemble each and every S&W that came to live here for its welcome bath. (I say "completely disassemble", I didn't mess with barrels or action studs. I like to think that's because my Momma didn't raise no dumb kids. It's either that or a healthy fear. I had at least one each of every pre-war N frames. My observation was there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between an RM and any other N frame. Then (Bless his heart!) Bill Cross came along and told us it cost $17 to build an RM. My reaction was "I KNEW it!!!". Of course I didn't know it until he told us. That said, there is a dime's worth of difference between an RM and other N frames---the rib and the top strap are checkered.
The End!
Ralph Tremaine
As an aside, my first of only two Triple Locks most certainly qualified as an exquisitely finished gun on the inside-----comparatively speaking. It was a first year target. My second one came along from like six years later----plenty good enough, as in "close, but no cigar!"
By comparison to the $17 to build an RM--I had the 22/40 S&W gave to Philip B. Sharpe. When I got it, I fired off a request to SWHF for all the paperwork they had on this gift---figured there'd be a ton of it. There was one piece of paper---the invoice charging off their cost to make the gun to their Advertising Account----$14.55. I figured the 55 cents was the cost to ship it to Maine. I'll leave it to you to compare the cost to build a 22/40 vs. an RM, but $3 sounds about right to me. We can debate the hype attendant to the RM another time.
