As an owner of S&W revolvers since 1964 and a Toolmaker from the same era I'd just like to say that through all the changes and revisions, S&W is still tops. Lock or no lock, pinned barrels or no pins, Recessed cylinders or no recess and recalls, a Smith & Wesson revolver can not be beat....in my opinion.

Here here and three cheers!

What a nice message. Sometimes folks on this forum practically apologize when they admit to buying a new S&W revolver. I agree -- all the new revolvers I have bought since 2008 have been far more than satisfactory.

Right on! Even though manufacturing processes have changed, revisions have been made and some not so popular political decisions have been made, I would still prefer a Smith over any other current revolver maker.

I love my Smith and Wessons (of any era)

I own many current, modern Smith and Wessons and I am not afraid to say that they are GREAT guns and I like them.

However, I will not blindly declare them the best revolvers. If we look at the Germans, they have some spectacular examples of the gunmaker's art from Janz or Korth. There are probably other examples from around the world that we do not get to see on a regular basis here in the States.

Not all manufacturing revisions were done to reduce costs. Thanks to CNC machining, improved metallurgy and altered designs we now have J-frames capable of handling 357 Magnum. If you were to ask me about Magnum pocket guns when I started shooting Smith and Wessons I probably would have had you committed.

Those same advancements have gotten rid of the week point in the K-frame Magnum revolvers, just look at the current model 66. We have giant X-frames capable of what was unthinkable power back in Dirty Harry's day. Thanks to the change to multi piece barrels we have revolvers that now have the same accuracy advantage that made Dan Wessons so sought after during the Metallic Silhouette days

I know people blame political events for several things that they do not like about Smith and Wessons, but there have been no political changes in the products. I hate it when folks refer to the lock as a "Hillary Hole." Neither of the Clintons or the administration had anything to do with the lock being incorporated into Smith and Wessons. Why is it so hard for some people to accept that when a Lock Company bought Smith and Wesson that the products would end up including a Lock?

Yes the lock is ugly. However, it has NEVER stopped my from buying any of Smith and Wessons newer designs, I just totally ignore it

Smith & Wesson produces a revolver the "working man" can afford and shoot...Kinda like a Ford truck....Korths are for rich people...l don't like Korths

Who am I to disagree ? I believe in S&W too!

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Life is short,live it fully.

I have owned S&W revolvers for many years. I bought a model 637 with a lock, I ignore it. I sold some fine revolvers in order to afford semi-autos when we changed to the 645, and later 4506. Except for the Bodyguard .380, every Smith I have owned has been a great gun.

Bill Jordan, famed Border patrolman and "father" of the S&W Model 19 was given a Korth to test.

His conclusion that it was a beautiful revolver which shot wonderfully but not more wonderfully in his hands than the Model 19. So was it worth the cost in a practical way. No, he concluded.

That said, I wouldn't mind being impractical if someone gave me a Korth or if I could really afford one. And add a Manurhin M73 as well. And a brand new Classic Model 19. Oh, wait, Smith doesn't produce a Classic Model 19. Pity.

I love a good lovefest!

Attached Images

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The key, because I agree, is not the dollars that companies charge but whether they make a gun so superior that it overwhelms your parallel sized S&W. I doubt that anyone does or ever really did when the guns are apples to apples. Which explains why I don't waste money on Pythons. Gorgeous, yes. Better somehow than my M27 Classic, or my L frames, etc?


NO.

I'm with Bill Jordan, even have a set of his grips!

There are pros and cons to everything, and a handgun by its very nature is a compromise. Some of the new features are very desirable, while others are less so. Personally, I've never owned a revolver with a lock, and I don't especially care for them in principle. For a self-defense gun, I prefer not to have any external safeties, locks, or other encumbrances, but that's just me. However, I wouldn't be opposed to the IL if the firearm was something unique and interesting, say a 3" Model 69 (hint, hint--are you listening S&W?).

Funny before we judge high dollar guns on you tube a Tisas(turkey&400) 1911 passed some tests a kimber couldn't at twice the cost.

I never hid in the closet with my new s&w n frames. I been up front and personal about them. I own old and new s&w revolvers.

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Plant garlic in the fall

The only thing that comes close are the Dan Wesson's in terms of accuracy for the dollar, the Python's are nice but considering the cost these days they aren't 3 times the gun of a S&W.

My first revolver and handgun was a Ruger Single Six Connvertible. My second was a M28-2 6" and the next was a M29-2 8 3/8. I still shoot the Ruger regularly. The 2 Smiths make me believe that S&W makes the finest revolvers. I have a M19-5 and a M60-15. I just acquired a M60-1. All have been and are fine pieces of workmanship. I have not had the slightest issue with any of them and I shoot them all regularly.

Nice to see a post with mostly praise for some mighty fine works of art.

Just for some balance - my latest new S&W was a 432PD I managed to get from Bud's during the couple of days they were in stock. I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum that it came with a hammer pin that was standing proud of the frame below the cylinder latch, and that the bolt wouldn't come flush with the recoil shield, maklng cylinder opening a bit notchy. I called S&W before shooting it, they said take it out and try it, see if anything changed. So I did - about 100 rounds worth.

I really llked the gun - much more tolerable to shoot than my (roughly equivalent) 442, even with supposedly full H&R Magnum loads. But the hammer pin and bolt didn't fix themselves, so S&W sent a FedEx label and back it went to the mother ship. Where it was promptly condemned.

Can't be fixed, and there are no 32 caliber anythings available to replace it. And none in prospect (I told 'em I'd wait for one if they were going to make a run of 32 Anything in the foreseeable future.) Sorry about that. I'm hoping they'll give my my money back.

Assuming they make me at least partially whole, I now have the decision on what to do next. I am smitten with the 32 caliber as a round to shoot, even in small light guns. I can probably find another 432PD on Gunbroker, but I feel sort of snake bit by this experience. For the same money I can get a Ruger LCR in the much more potent 327 Federal. (They also offer that chambering in 3 other frames - I can't imagine Ruger loses money on all of 'em, and have to wonder why S&W doesn't want to offer even one gun in that chambering.)

Now I will admit that the 442 no-lock and the 638 (with a lock that I promptly PLUGged) were bought new and have functioned exactly as expected for years. But the 432 experience has me looking at Ruger (again - I bought several Rugers before my first S&W, although I'm now down to a lone 3-screw Single Six in my Ruger handgun stable) as I think about a new gun.

It's not the lock that turns me off. It's not the frame mounted firing pin..I actually prefer them. BUT due to all of my recent observations on the lack of Quality Control I won't be buying anything new from S&W. The poor quality along with the indifferent attitude toward customer service will have me looking elsewhere.

Dan

Leave the new ones for me. Ruger has been using the frame mounted transfer bar style firing pin for many decades. That won't stop me from purchasing new s&w. My first ones were $699.

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Plant garlic in the fall

Sorry you had a bad experience with them.

Just yesterday I contacted C.S. looking for a missing screw for 622 I just picked up. Frank B. answered the phone and I stated my need. He ask if he could put me on hold for a moment, located a schematic for the 622 and told me which screw I needed and would have it to me within a few days - no charge. That's customer service in my book!

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Dan
Ps 96 SWCA 2930 SWHF 524

Have multiple J to N Smiths from 1960 to 2014. Love them all. Have to say the recent M66-8 357 is one of my favorites, one heck of a shooter. Kudos to S&W.

I am 45 years old. I have a few other excellent guns in rifle and shotgun. Primarily a hunter. No giant collection in my safe, just tools. Great ones. Needed a revolver to seal that end of the spectrum. Wen New Smith. So happy. Some times I wonder if I just 'got lucky' after reading so many 'unlucky' posts. I don't know. But man oh man do I love my 629. And I was never a pistol type. But now, I want MORE. AND I want an 'old' one. But I was first smitten with the 'new'. And I'm not completely ignorant about the qualities which define a great gun, as a hunter, so they can't be all that bad. Hell, the one I bought is ****** GREAT.

agreed agreed and agreed. Sweet guns. 3x sweeter? Not by a damn sight.

I love my old S&W revolvers. But I love my new ones too. Side by side my 29-2 and -10 are pretty close. Besides the new ones have all the upgrades. Wouldn't trade one for any other gun. The only smith I ever traded was a 329pd. It went toward a 629. My new smiths are flawless. And if they break/wear out etc. they have great customer service. My old smiths. They aren't covered anymore.

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No gold. Only lead. Bobby

Im like that Van Halen fan who likes everything the band has to offer: it is all the Mighty Van Halen.

I'm a proud owner a 642-1 PC, Model 66-8, and Model 69 (all 2016 production), but I also own a Model 10-6 from 1969 and a Model 67 (1977). If you shut out any of the S&W generations fir whatever reason you're missing out.

Some guys have issues with the MIM parts. Some have issues with the 2 piece barrel. Some claim QC issues. Etc, etc. I say it isn't better or worse but rather "different". Appreciate it for what the new model are and junk it is not.

To each their own.

OP is welcome to his opinion; I do not agree. I'm particularly disappointed in their QC at this point and I don't care for the lock.

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K & N S&W revolvers

Another plus is the surface finish of the bore on the newer Smith & Wesson's. They are so much easier to clean when shooting lead.

I love S&W's but I agree with those who have seen a falling off in the quality control area. I have personally witnessed glaring flaws in far too many new revolvers to call it anything but sloppy quality control.
As I have said before, I would much prefer that the last person who inspects the gun, sign a form and include it with each firearm shipped.

On the model 69 I really like the ball detent. It's quite a change I know, but it's slick

I have 7 N Frame and 1 J frame Smiths total and of these, 1 N Frame and the J frame are new models loaded with the lock and MIM. And both shoot fantastic and the fit and finish are perfectly acceptable. No major finish flaws, no overclocked barrels, no mechanical problems and no problems encountered with the lock even with hot 357 rounds run through both the new guns. The 60-15 was bought at a local gun shop and we didn't have to look through multiple pistols to find one in good shape. The 627 Pro I just got was bought from Bud's, so you don't even get to look at what you buy until it's at your FFL guy's place. And again, no problems and that is a sweet shooting pistol and I've run around 600 rounds through it since the last part of April.

My point is not that S&W doesn't make mistakes; there are too many threads here about problem guns bought new. But people got to remember that these boards cover the whole country (and rest of the world where S&W products are sold) and I think it makes the "problem children" stand out more and make them seem more numerous than they are.

I think we can agree they're about as good as most people can or will spend on a handgun.

Comparing Smith/Ruger to Korth/Freedom Arms I kinda like Toyota to Lexus.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've only owned one revolver that wasn't S&W, a Ruger old army SS black powder which is more of a specialty type. Having grown up with my dad's 5 screw Model 27 and K-22, the days of mirror blued finishes are few and far between. I have come to prefer stainless and the machining processes today give pretty tight tolerances for the most part. S&W revolvers are fairly easy to work on and it doesn't take a whole lot to tune both single/double action. Granted if one wants to shoot monster reloads that rattle teeth and push the limits of sanity, then a Ruger would most likely take the beating better but for the most part can't compare when it comes to fit and finish as was evident recently at my LGS when comparing a redhawk and 629.

I have purchased 9 new S&W revolvers in the last year and a half. All have been great! No complaints!!

Couldn't agree more with the OP

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Cory
SWCA #3015 SWHF #465

I also have a set of Jordan grips on my mod 65. I have had them since the mid 70's and I Love them still. No better grips have graced my hand to date!!!

Kool Aid for everybody!!!

Annnnnd there it is. Knew that thread couldn't last without someone taking a shot.

I am definately a neophite, but im convinced that Smith and Wesson is the only revolver for me, old or new. But I have to ask, what about their autos? Do they have the same following?

Well I read the other day that they recently shipped their one millionth M&P Shield. I don't own any Smith autos but I handled the shield. Nice gun. Over million sold in a short time, that's a good following. A good buddy has a model 39(light frame, don't remember the if it's a 39-2 or something else). I shot that gun and it was really nice. I own a nice assortment of Smith revolvers. I really like my Smiths. I have a couple of newer ones, the rest are older with a couple P&R models. The two newer ones are very good but the last one I bought had to be sent back to be repaired after one trip to the range. It was a simple fix but it was something that just had me shaking my head how it left the factory like that. Anyway it was repaired and I've had it back at the range and it works fine. Both of the new ones have a very nice matte finish.

I haven't been able to find any feedback on the S&W 500. I purchased one some months ago and it's an awesome handgun. I'm looking for feedback from other people familar with it. Thanks

If you do a search I am sure you can come up with a bunch of threads of people talking about their S&W 500 hand cannons. That's a bit too much for me to handle, both recoil wise and reloading cost wise as those rounds take almost as much powder as my 260 Remington.

Most people who have them and post seem to like them pretty well though. They are some nice looking pistols I will say.

Pour me a glass of that Kool-Aid.

I've got about a 50/50 split "lock/no lock." I don't buy "new" guns, I know if I wait, before too long one will turn up in the used cabinet.

I can't tell any real difference between them. Nothing I'd pay a lot more money for anyway.

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John 3:16 .

The new 686+ 3" has been the best carry combat SW out of all the SW I have used in the last 40 years ,bar none!!

Excellent OP. I'm a fan of S&W revolvers. New and old.

I have a couple of pre-lock specimens and likewise "new" versions. I love them all. For me, I find that Smith is offering new production models/variants that were not around in the pre-lock days. I hope that they expand on that even more.

I will admit that Smith, as most other manufacturers, have been a bit too focused on pumping out sheer numbers. I rarely buy ANY gun, sight unseen anymore. That holds true for buying a new production revolver or a pre-lock version. I want to see it in my hand before laying down real money. No company is perfect. I consider S&W to be above average on producing quality and then standing behind their occasional mistakes.

As to the "looks" of the lock? Perhaps they've been around long enough that it no longer bothers me. I still find Smith wheel guns pleasing to my eye. Lock or no lock.

I own a m41 and a m46 so far at the moment but am dreaming about the day when I can pick up my new to me, used or new I don't care model 627 wheel gun in 357. To me its the most beautiful handgun I have ever seen. There's just something about that model that pulls me in like no other gun I have ever owned which is in the 100's over the last 50 years or so.

I have a couple of handfuls of P&R Smiths, 2 L frame .357's. I enjoy them all and didn't really give much thought to buying a new S&W revolver. However, I got the itch for a 686+ w/ 3" bbl. Been mulling this one over for quite some time and I'll be danged. Went to a real gun store in my area, looked at a 686 that had been on display. Just what I was looking for. Finish was nice, barrel was on straight, (while looking closely where the barrel shoulders meet the frame), the joint where the crane meets the frame was even and tight. But then I got the feeler gauge out to check the cylinder/barrel gap and I quit measuring at .012, I'd lost all interest in that particular firearm. The clerk said there was another one in the safe "back there". It was as nice as the 1st one but w/ a cyl/bbl gap of a tight .005. Wow. I bought it and went straight to the range. This is the 1st new revolver I've ever bought and was impressed w/ the accuracy and I really like the 7 shot capacity. This will be my new woods/fishing/atv riding carry gun. Got a couple of speed loaders and a DeSantis holster that works well. I'm set.
I'm going to leave the rubber grips on it for comfort.
I've been thinking that my other revos were too valuable to be riding around getting dusty and rained on. This one is a nice shooter and I really like the 3" bbl.
Thanks to all on this forum, lottsa good info here.
Thanks to Geblynch (OP)

Luv mah Smifs!!!!!!!!!!!!

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S&W Accumulator

I have four of them. One Pro Series M&P 9mm, one Pro Series M&P.40 s&w, and two Shield in .40 s&w. The M&P line of Smiths maybe the best of the poly guns, at least IMO.

I have voted S&W on guns from 1890 to 2012, from 22 to 500

I don't buy meat at Walmart,Apple products and Smith revolvers made after 1988.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN