S&W 66 with ring safety lock, Smart Gun?

Smee78

Smee78

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Hi everyone,

I was on a auction site the other day and was looking at the prices of a S&W 66 (a co worker has one for sale that I'm pickig up) and saw one listed as a "S&W 66 with ring safety lock, .357 (Smart Gun)" has anyone ever heard of such a thing? The auction says that the action locks up and cannot be rotated or fired until the ring is on your middle finger? Has any one heard of such a gun? I just thought it was funny and would never want to have such a design, I would hate to have to wear my secret decoder ring and hold a gun in the same hand while finding out that I need to rember to drink my oveltine!:D

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
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These things were marketed to LE back in the '80's as a safety measure if an officer's gun was snatched. None of us wanted anything to do w/these things, the idea being what if something went wrong and the officer/deputy could not use their own gun.

I believe our Sheriff (I worked for the police department thank goodness) had his deputies weapons outfitted this way & they all hated it.
 
Its funny, this one is being sold as safe for a family with kids. Its also listed as a "rare S&W model 66 .357 with the safety ring lock system" kind of like a special model or something. The only guns I like that have rings are saddle ring lever guns and scoped guns:)
 
My understanding, it was never a factory option. They are rare as no one wanted one. I sort of remember a article in a gun mag where they were tested, and the tester could only get the gun to activate about every other attempt. Hand position on the grip was critical.
 
I guess that if you had to use the weak hand you would need to call a time out to put the ring on the other hand.:rolleyes:
 
I remember these, and the descriptions from murphydog and OldCop match my recollection. BTW, the correct answer to needing to use your off hand is having a BUG, and having it accessible primarily to your off hand.
 
Mass Ayoob touted them as a good way to have a night stand gun if you had young kids.

Mass tends to know his stuff.

Emory
 
I had a few co-workers that had these installed back in the day. Never heard of any malfunctions. They wore the magnet ring on both hands. Never knew anyone that regretted getting it. As I recall, it's a permanent install, involving cutting the grip frame, so don't expect to be able to remove it.
 
Tarnhelm is close by here. He has a good enough reputation locally, has been there for many years and has an FFL. I've handled a couple of these conversions and as long as the ring was on, the revolver functioned perfectly well.
It's not something I'd do do a gun, but for some people I think it's a viable option.
 
GerSan69 said:
I had a few co-workers that had these installed back in the day. Never heard of any malfunctions. They wore the magnet ring on both hands. Never knew anyone that regretted getting it. As I recall, it's a permanent install, involving cutting the grip frame, so don't expect to be able to remove it.
Click to expand...

You are correct. The front strap is altered for the installation. And yes, they came with two rings so you could wear one on both hands.
Rick
 
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Smee78 said:
Hi everyone,

I was on a auction site the other day and was looking at the prices of a S&W 66 (a co worker has one for sale that I'm pickig up) and saw one listed as a "S&W 66 with ring safety lock, .357 (Smart Gun)" has anyone ever heard of such a thing? The auction says that the action locks up and cannot be rotated or fired until the ring is on your middle finger? Has any one heard of such a gun? I just thought it was funny and would never want to have such a design, I would hate to have to wear my secret decoder ring and hold a gun in the same hand while finding out that I need to rember to drink my oveltine!:D

Happy Thanksgiving!
Click to expand...

The Magna Trigger is the only "smart gun" technology that ever worked as advertised. The device is now installed by Rick Devoid of Tarnhelm Supply. I have always seen two disadvantages: (1) the permanent modification of the revolver frame by cutting away a section of the front strap; and, (2) the magnetic ring itself will erase tapes, such as those used for dictation or music tapes. Although music tapes have pretty well been replaced by CDs and DVDs, the little microcassette tapes used for dictation are still widely used and the magnet will erase them. That said, if you need a "smart gun," this is as close as you will get. The standard ring sold with the device is not particularly stylish. I suppose that is a third disadvantage. I had a friend, however, who had a jeweler use the magnet from his ring to make a fancier ring. He actually had two rings made, and wore one on each hand, on the theory that he may have to shoot with the off hand. It worked exactly as intended, and I had mine on a 3 inch Model 65. Not needing the device, however, I sold mine back in about 1998 or so.
 
This is an interesting subject. Anyone seen the newest Bond flick "Skyfall"?

I'd be interested to fire one with this modificaton. Like the IL, it's not for everyone, but it does have some practical use. For those that have/had owned and fired these, what did you think? In regards to what it is designed for, it sounds like it delivered, if you felt you needed that kind of device.
 
crofoot629 said:
Mass Ayoob touted them as a good way to have a night stand gun if you had young kids.

Mass tends to know his stuff.

Emory
Click to expand...

While I do have respect for Mass, I've also read enough of his work to realize that he's a bit "full of himself" and not a first class Engineer. If he recommended this system it's only because he read and believed the advertizing copy, not because he actually tried it out. In fact, his recommendation is evidence that he never actually tried this system out on a steel framed revolver. If he had he would have given it a giant thumbs down.

I would expect this system to be VERY position sensitive in regards to the placement of the magnetic ring for two reasons. One is that Samarium Cobalt magnets are NOT the most powerful magnets available, they barely make it into the High Power category. Two, the 400 series stainless used for the frame on a S&W stainless steel revolver is magnetic and will distort and redirect the magnetic field of the ring, reducing it's effect. For optimum reliability this type of mechanism should ONLY be used on a revolver with an Aluminum Alloy frame. That will minimize the field distortion effect of a steel frame and likely reduce the position sensitivity of the ring by a factor of 4 or more. Final point is that this system should really employ neodymium magnets, those suckers are powerful enough to bring on instant blood blisters if you get pinched by them.
 
M2MikeGolf said:
This is an interesting subject. Anyone seen the newest Bond flick "Skyfall"?
Click to expand...

Yes I did.

(Spoiler alert on movie, please stop reading if you intend to see it! :) )

Did you notice in the climactic firefight inside the family home, with M using Bond's PPK (you could see it with 3 magazines in a previous scene)? How was she able to use his electronic "smart gun"? Oops. Maybe they ran out of bad guys and monitor lizards.

The lead actor in this movie is vocally anti-handgun.
 
My recollection is that Mas said he had a couple of revolvers set up with the MagnaTrigger when his first daughter was getting to point that she could pick up and operate a firearm.

One also needs to put this in context - this is a time before much good research and training on weapon retention for LE had occurred; at best it was in the earliest stages. It is also well before good security holsters, and a lot of other developments in officer safety and tactics of encounter. Most holsters were gun buckets that would not pass muster today, either from a union safety grievance or state safety standards (had a case like that here in Washington a few years back; ugly). The world is now much different and there are a lot of other options and knowledge that make the MagnaTrigger less than optimum, but it was NOT a completely stupid answer 30+ years ago.
 
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scooter123 said:
If he recommended this system it's only because he read and believed the advertizing copy, not because he actually tried it out. In fact, his recommendation is evidence that he never actually tried this system out on a steel framed revolver. If he had he would have given it a giant thumbs down.
Click to expand...

Wrong. He had it installed on a 4" Model 66 (no dash) and used it for years. If you search his writings, you will see it referred to as "Fluffy, the pet revolver" because it would only "speak" for its owner.

Two, the 400 series stainless used for the frame on a S&W stainless steel revolver is magnetic and will distort and redirect the magnetic field of the ring, reducing it's effect. For optimum reliability this type of mechanism should ONLY be used on a revolver with an Aluminum Alloy frame. That will minimize the field distortion effect of a steel frame and likely reduce the position sensitivity of the ring by a factor of 4 or more.
Click to expand...

Your theories are very interesting and quite wrong in practice.

Rick
 
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rbmcmjr said:
Your theories are very interesting and quite wrong in practice.
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase this: Your theory may be well correct but in practice it is not of concern. The magnet is strong enough to work. The fact that it could be stronger is moot.

Rick
 
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