Hello, I have been out of touch for awhile for various reasons and am getting back to my guns ! I am curious, are the PC guns with the locks selling used ? Guns such as the 627 (Bloodwork remake) are of interest, but do they move on the used market. I am just curious, as I always did like to buy and sell/trade etc, and wonder if the sentiment is that strong against the lock that these don't sell used easily ?

PLEASE this is not a lock haters, lock discussion, or lock psychcology 101, just asking the original question to interested buyers sellers of the guns being discussed.

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Wayne

There are rabid lock haters here. Just as there are MIM haters. In general, I don't see S&W worrying too much about it. I do see S&W making the lock optional on some of their biggest sellers the 442 and 642. I would guess this is to recapture some sales. I cannot see the point of the lock myself. If I'm not using my guns they're in my safe. If I have 1 or 2 guns around the house for protection, I certainly wouldn't use the lock. That said, the lock has to add to the cost of manufacturing the gun. Maybe not a lot, but some. The only use that I can see in my situation is if my safe was broken into and my guns were locked then the thief would have to go to the trouble of finding a key. Which I imagine wouldn't be too hard since I believe one key fits all.
All things being equal, I believe folks that know the difference will avoid the lock if possible. Folks on the street prolly don't know or give a hoot. Most of the time they just walk into a gun store and buy the pretty one.

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NRA Benefactor

the lock is not an issue with me - but I'm a shooter not a collector

I'm a shooter but I do have a few guns that I won't shoot. If there was a half descent vintage model 29 in a show case next to a brand new model 29 in the classic series at the same price, the vintage no lock gun would go home with me. I in fact have gotten rid of all the pre-lock guns I had except for one and replaced them with no-lock guns.

I have one gun that has the IL 610-3 with 3 7/8" barrel.

The only reason I bought it, was because I couldn't find a 610 without the lock for a price I wanted to pay.

As far as the 627 (Bloodwork) guns, I would not buy one with the lock, unless it was at a give away price.

augy

Well one pre-lock just bid to OVER $2,000 and did not meet reserve, so maybe it is time to consider buying 2 new versions and plug them !!! If you buy them right you could buy the 2 for less then what this one bid to.

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Wayne

I didn't buy my first S&W until after the locks and the ensuing political firestorm, so I don't really have that nostalgic attachment to them as many others have. I freely believe them to be better made than the newer ones, but living in California you just don't see that many pre-lock snubs, so I buy new PC guns.

The pre-lock gun hype isn't as big as we here might believe it to be. The average gun buyer couldn't really care, and many newer gun owners (gun buyers of the last 10 years) don't seem to care all that much, either.

So while pre-lock guns will always command a premium, lock guns are also in demand. I just don't see it to be as big a deal as others do.

I don't think the locks are a big factor price-wise, nor MIM parts for that matter. The general gun buying public sees modern revolvers as new and better. A lot of young guys at the range look askance at older revolvers (especially the ones with firing pins on the hammers as if they were woefully obsolete). They might appreciate them as good looking relics, and might even shoot Granddad's gun, but most would have never buy an old one like that on their own (semi-autos rule the range). So if and when some shooters think they might like a revolver -- they buy the newer ones unless the older ones are so cheap they can't say no.

If they don't like the lock, they just don't use it. And as far as MIM goes, unless they read this forum (or one like it) they'd never hear about it or guess it could be bad. When I bought my first revolver I had no idea the hammer and trigger were MIM parts -- all I knew was that they looked cool in contrast to the stainless steel frame (and after thousands of shots -- they are as good as new). I just ignored the lock.

Since Saf-T-Lok purchased S&W and added locks to the firearms, many millions of handguns have been sold with that change.

Even if every member of this Forum were a lock HATER, the percentage of single issue handgun buyers would be pretty small.

Would I prefer one without a lock...sure.
Will I pay a premium for one without a lock.....No

I have no trouble buying a used S&W with a lock. PC or otherwise. These are just a few of my used purchases since locks were added.











Not yet photographed are my 66 Carry Comp, 60 Pro, nickel 27 and possible some others I have forgotten to mentions.

I will not comment on the lock per the OP request. I would really like to see the OP's question addressed and I don't think it has been.

Do PC guns with locks hold their value when sold used?

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Dave

Actually the question as originally asked was "I am curious, are the PC guns with the locks selling used ?" That question has been answered. The answer is YES.

Your question is totally different.

Since there are small circle of buyers out there that are willing to pay a cash premium for a firearm without the lock, that group has probably slowed /reduced sales of non-lock guns. That group of lock haters often ask more money (sometimes substantially so) for their used item. What is even farther out there is that some of the bidders actually pay that extra money.

I think the unintended consequence of the lock hater's actions is that the lock gun now has more appeal to the general buying public.

All it takes to become a lock hater is have the lock malfunction just one time. My 500 S&W did suffer just that failure one time. The recoil was harsh enough the lock engaged at the range, of course now the lock is out of the gun but who wants a gun that locks up due to recoil?

I will stand here and tell you that I am a lock hater. Now that the disclaimer is in place I will also tell you that I did wait over 6 months until I could find a 617 10 shot without the lock and almost the same amount of time for a PC 627 v-comp without a lock. I also paid almost new price for both used guns just so I would not have the lock. Only S&W I own is the 6 1/2 500 because they always came with a lock and now I have to add a key to my shooting bag in case it locks up. Personally I hate the idea of drilling a hole in the side of a perfectly good gun and am tempted to remove the lock mechanism, plug the hole and buff the marks out. Did I mention I hate locks and will pay more for a pre lock gun that I want.

Dave

Do I prefer no-lock guns?
YES!
Would I buy a gun with one?
Maybe.

I believe your PC guns with the lock will hold their value as well as any other "used" S&W down the line. Buy and enjoy!

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S&W Accumulator

In the last six months I bought two new-issue Bloodwork 627s with the lock; one was used and the other new.

The used gun, which went on the consignment shelf only six months after it was made, came with some extra pieces -- another set of stocks, an aluminum speedloader, some loading strips and extra moonclips. It had been meticulously kept and, from appearances, looked unfired. I was told that it had definitely been shot, and that the first owner just didn't care for it after trying it out. The price for that one with the accessories was about $100 less than a new gun, so I'd say it held its value pretty well. I have no idea how long it would have sat there if I had not bought it, but the price looked right to me. So in my opinion, and I vote with my dollars, used IL guns hold their value.

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David Wilson

[QUOTE=colt_saa;136251841]

Would I prefer one without a lock...sure.
Will I pay a premium for one without a lock.....No

Could have not said it any better, and do not understand people spending hundreds more on a gun just because it has no lock, hell I am buying another gun for the price you pay to have no lock.
Eric

I want a revolver if I'm looking for a CCW because its simple, all you have to do it pull it out and pull the trigger. That is an important consideration in a life and death situation when your brain locks up. You don't have to think about "is there one in the chamber? where is the safety?" etc. The fewer moving parts the better.

If there is just one report of IL malfunction, that alone would cause me to desire a no lock.

There are a lot of shooters, myself included, who will pay a new gun price for a nice used "pre" gun. I don't think this has much affect on used prices for lock guns though. If you buy most any gun new, you can expect the instant depreciation just like when buying a new car. Buy a used lock gun for a fair price and take care of it and it will probably hold it's value.

Thanks for your opinions on resale of lock guns, some interesting comments.

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Wayne