Any more no lock models coming?

[Harry Callihan]

In 50 years the lock guns could be collectables.

LOL... That's exactly what I was going to say....Hang on to the lock guns as they will be desired in years to come. Strange things happen.

 

[Jay Hall]

LOL... That's exactly what I was going to say....Hang on to the lock guns as they will be desired in years to come. Strange things happen.

I can only imagine what the "years to come" are going to look like.

 

[ETMJR]

I doubt this is real. Ad from Kygunco. I would buy a blue 19 or 586 snub comp though, sans lock.

I fully agree with those who think the dropped back front sight on ported guns looks bad. To be kind ..... it looks like Hell. As big a deal breaker as the internal lock.

 

[Beju]

I’m betting the marketing gurus will dictate they charge more for guns without the feature ever though it’s simpler to make them without it.

S&W will probably charge what they think that market will bear regardless of lock presence.

Other guess on my part is that S&W will use up most of the parts in inventory before they do a complete no-lock transition, if they end up doing such a thing.

Right now, this no-lock model push has come from distributors like Lipsey's, who are, along with large FFL chains, S&W's primary revolver customers at the end of the day. I have to give thanks to Jason Cloessner at Lipsey's, who seems to have his ear to the ground on what S&W revolver buyers want, and correctly reading that there would be market demand for things like updated Airweight J-frames and resurrected Mountain Guns.

 

[BoulderTroll]

S&W will probably charge what they think that market will bear regardless of lock presence.

Other guess on my part is that S&W will use up most of the parts in inventory before they do a complete no-lock transition, if they end up doing such a thing.

Right now, this no-lock model push has come from distributors like Lipsey's, who are, along with large FFL chains, S&W's primary revolver customers at the end of the day. I have to give thanks to Jason Cloessner at Lipsey's, who seems to have his ear to the ground on what S&W revolver buyers want, and correctly reading that there would be market demand for things like updated Airweight J-frames and resurrected Mountain Guns.

When you watch the podcasts with Jason Cloessner speaking with Andrew Gore, it's pretty easy to read between the lines that Gore has been wanting to dump the locks since he started with S&W two years ago (it was allegedly the second sentence out of his mouth when he was hired), and he used Lipsey's request/ demand as "ammunition" to take to the big cheeses to finally get it to happen. I'm not in any way trying to downplay Lipsey's contribution to getting the no-locks to happen, but I think Gore pushed for it from the beginning. As for the complete transition, both Gore and the sales reps from S&W have officially said that the locks are gone for all models, going forward. I do agree that it would only make sense for them to use up existing inventory first.

 

[Thaddeus Beauregard]

I recently bought a M19 classic no-lock. Love the gun! What's interesting is that despite not having the lock, when you take a look inside, there are still some of the remnant lock parts present, namely a plate that looks like the lock but isn't, along with the lock "fork-looking" keeper and spring. It appears that in at least the first round of no-lock guns, they kept some of the IL machining recesses inside near the firing pin, but simply omitted the hole and the slot where the IL "flag" protrudes. I'm not certain what purpose the current "transition" parts inside serve, but there are some goofy "lock"-looking parts remaining inside.

Oh well, as long as there isn't a hole on the side with the arrow and the "L" and no slot cut alongside the hammer, and as long as whatever function the parts inside serve don't interfere with anything, I'm not too concerned about it.