Don't Hear Much About Nightguards Anymore

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conchmariner

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Seemed like a good concept. They got a bad rap because of the too short firing pin on some of the early ones, especially when S&W didn't own up to the problem immediately. In my case they kept trying to tell me it was an ammo problem (which of course immediately went away when I put the Apex pins in). I'm kind of sorry I didn't buy the 315NG though.
 
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I have the Model 386 NG and like it alot. I think the price scares some off. But a great gun.
 
Nightguards

I`d like to hear more from recent Nightguard .357 buyers too since I probably will have to special order one.

Like at what serial # did they they resolve the FP issue ?

How is the lockup on the recent guns ?

What is the finish and how does it hold up ?

TIA

PS: Looks like Travolta hands one to Rhys Martin in "From Paris With Love" ;)
 
conchmariner said:
Seemed like a good concept. They got a bad rap because of the too short firing pin on some of the early ones, especially when S&W didn't own up to the problem immediately. In my case they kept trying to tell me it was an ammo problem (which of course immediately went away when I put the Apex pins in). I'm kind of sorry I didn't buy the 315NG though.
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Like you, I regret not getting a 315NG. You could argue that it was the most useful of the bunch. That being said, I've carried my 325NG a lot. It took a while to find a holster that met my needs, but it was worth the effort.

These revolvers are very specialized guns, and they actually appeal to a rather small portion of the population. The N frames especially are difficult to carry concealed. They don't weigh much, but they take up a lot of real estate. I don't find the recoil on the 325NG to be much of an issue, mainly because of the soft factory grips. But the big magnums are another story. Last year, I put 24 rounds through a 329NG, and I knew I was making a mistake about round number four.

I think you (actually Motown, sorry 'bout that) are right about the sticker shock. I paid about $880 for mine, including tax, title, license, and my recappable tires. That was when they first came out. I think the NIB prices are higher now. It's a lot of money to spend unless you know you are actually going to use the thing.
 
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Nightguards

I agree that we don't seem to see / hear much, which I think is a shame. Maybe it's because new guns have been rolling into the market so fast that the gun mag's can't keep up.

I was thrilled to find the one I was looking for at an online estate auction -357NG in .41 Mag - for several hundred off the typical street price. This nomenclature alone is proof that S&W is run by Engineers (or really poor Marketing).

I've had zero issues with mine and it has become my "go-to" for a wide variety of duties.

I really need to add the 396NG to go along with my 696.

MadBadger
 

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My dealer stopped stocking them because of issues with the finish. That spray on black did not hold up well. For the money I would just purchase another 686.
 
Texas1941 said:
Like you, I regret not getting a 315NG. You could argue that it was the most useful of the bunch. That being said, I've carried my 325NG a lot. It took a while to find a holster that met my needs, but it was worth the effort.

These revolvers are very specialized guns, and they actually appeal to a rather small portion of the population. The N frames especially are difficult to carry concealed. They don't weigh much, but they take up a lot of real estate. I don't find the recoil on the 325NG to be much of an issue, mainly because of the soft factory grips. But the big magnums are another story. Last year, I put 24 rounds through a 329NG, and I knew I was making a mistake about round number four.

I think you (actually Motown, sorry 'bout that) are right about the sticker shock. I paid about $880 for mine, including tax, title, license, and my recappable tires. That was when they first came out. I think the NIB prices are higher now. It's a lot of money to spend unless you know you are actually going to use the thing.
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What holster did you settle on for the 325NG? I have the 329NG and hear you about shooting full house .44 Magnum loads through it. Not always a lot of fun. I put a box of 300 gr Hornady through it, and it got to be pretty painful. Blazer 240 gr JHP is a pretty good magnum load for this gun. Otherwise .44 Specials are a lot better.

I had a chance to get a 315NG, but at the time it did seem expensive, and I was mad about the FP issue. In hindsight I probably should have bought it. Oh well. The 325NG is kind of interesting, also the 386 or 327. I'm not sure I want to add more calibers but the 357 and also the 10 mm one might be cool to have.
 
Texas1941 said:
These revolvers are very specialized guns, and they actually appeal to a rather small portion of the population.
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I think that you hit the nail right on the head, or at least that's the only thing that I can think of. I've had my 315 NG for about 2.5 years, and it has around 3000 rounds through it; all +P's. The only issue that I've had was that the original grips didn't readily allow speedloader use, so I bought some ebony panels from Eagle. No issues with the fit and finish, or anything else. I paid about $660 for it new, and have seen 2 priced under $600 at gun shows, other than that I've never seen another one.

Here's why it's ideal for me: My free time is spent in the desert offroading and hiking. Rattling around in a Jeep for 8-10 hours, with a thick coating of dust on every surface- then hiking around (and falling!) on rocks and such makes having something light and reliable a must- I don't need another 11 or 12 ounces to bang around on my sweaty, dusty bod with a pack, lots of water, navigational stuff, and usually whatever everyone else doesn't want to carry. I carry it cross-draw in a Bianchi Cyclone, so that it doesn't snag the seat belt, and it is comfortable to carry all day long. Unless I'm going up in the higher deserts, there isn't anything that I'm likely to run into that the .38 can't handle. And if I do come across a starving mtn lion with no other option- I have faith that due to a lot of practice, load development, and common sense- I'll be OK. It'll shoot 2 inch groups where you aim at 25 yards without much effort, and eats up and spits out snake shot very well.

Sorry for rambling, but no other gun fits the bill like the 315 NG does for me. It's been through a lot of stuff with me and I have total faith in it.
 
conchmariner said:
What holster did you settle on for the 325NG? I have the 329NG and hear you about shooting full house .44 Magnum loads through it. Not always a lot of fun. I put a box of 300 gr Hornady through it, and it got to be pretty painful. Blazer 240 gr JHP is a pretty good magnum load for this gun. Otherwise .44 Specials are a lot better.

I had a chance to get a 315NG, but at the time it did seem expensive, and I was mad about the FP issue. In hindsight I probably should have bought it. Oh well. The 325NG is kind of interesting, also the 386 or 327. I'm not sure I want to add more calibers but the 357 and also the 10 mm one might be cool to have.
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I had three holsters made for the NG: a Mernickle OWB, a Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB and a Lobo small of the back. All three are first class holsters, but the one I use the most is the Lobo. The Mernickle is the most comfortable of the lot, and the Summer Special provides the best concealment along with reasonable comfort. Problem is, my right shoulder is trash. I can't get my arm up high enough to clear a high rise holster. That being the case, the small of the back carry works best for me. It's not for everyone though.

The Mernickles and Ray at Lobo are great people to work with and they have very reasonable delivery times. The people at Milt Sparks are a bit more matter of fact in their approach to their customers and you can count on a 4 to 6 month delivery time, depending on what you order. They are up front with this and I would certainly do business with them again.
 
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Texas1941 said:
I had three holsters made for the NG: a Mernickle OWB, a Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB and a Lobo small of the back. All three are first class holsters, but the one I use the most is the Lobo. The Mernickle is the most comfortable of the lot, and the Summer Special provides the best concealment along with reasonable comfort. Problem is, my right shoulder is trash. I can't get my arm up high enough to clear a high rise holster. That being the case, the small of the back carry works best for me. It's not for everyone though.

The Mernickles and Ray at Lobo are great people to work with and they have very reasonable delivery times. The people at Milt Sparks are a bit more matter of fact in their approach to their customers and you can count on a 4 to 6 month delivery time, depending on what you order. They are up front with this and I would certainly do business with them again.
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Appreciate that info. I've just got a generic OWB holster for a 4 inch N frame. It's OK for hiking, but I'd never use it for concealed carry around town.

To the guy that got his 315NG for 660 - that's a great price. The only one I saw was north of 800 before taxes/fees.
 
conchmariner said:
To the guy that got his 315NG for 660 - that's a great price. The only one I saw was north of 800 before taxes/fees.
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That was back in September '08 at Buds. I think the last price I saw was about $90 higher.
 
I have a 327NG. I haven't had any problems. I have put about 500 rounds through her. She is a really nice shooter. I like the feel of N Frame snubs better than smaller frame models.

What didn't I like?
1. The rubber grips. So I installed some rosewood Hogue SB conversions.

2. Trying to find decent speedloaders!! I've used Safariland for decades, but they don't make them for these 8 round models. So I've tried others. I wish now that I would have paid a little more and gotten a PC model cut for moonclips.

3. The finish is delicate. Scratches easily and shows holster wear way faster than a blued finish.
 
When I retired from the PD I wanted to buy a new gun as sort of a retirement gift to myself. I really wanted a revolver but I had saved up tons of 40S&W ammo over the years so I got the 310NG. I really like the idea I can shoot my stash of ammo I have, probably never have to buy 40's for the rest of my life, and also stick the hotter 10mm in it when I want. The only problem I had was after shooting several rounds it would start to lock up. I blamed the IL and sent it back to S&W for repair. They sent it back with a note that they machined the forcing cone because of a cramping issue. Whatever they did fixed it because since then I have had no problems. I really like the gun, although I don't carry it much. I carried a handgun with me every day for 25 years almost all the time. Now I stick one in my pocket once in a while when I go for a walk.
 
I also have the 327 NG and did a few (?) things before I felt comfortable enough to carry. The trigger lock scared me so out it came and "The Plug" took care of the hole. An Apex firing pin makes all primer hits very substaintial and a new Pachmayr grip with finger grooves really helps with the control aspect. I put a small scratch on the finish while pulling the trigger lock but a black felt tip marker took care of that. I'm looking for a good CCW holster so thanks to everyone for their ideas and input. Also I found 5 Star Firearms makes nice speedloaders for this 8 shot. Go to Speed Loaders I think I got 'em for around $25.00 each. Thunder Ranch carries their own brand too.
 
I picked up a NG386 recently used from S&W Retail Store. They were updating the range gun inventory so it's got some wear and tear and a few rounds through it. :) I shot it Monday night for the first time... Holy moly, what a gun, it shot great using 357 mags.. shot my usual 21ft and many bullseye hits. This gun is bad to da bone!! I ran about 50 rounds through, look forward to some more range time without a lick of pain, it handled very similar to the PC627 snubby I shot a week ago, which I also loved shooting. I thought after shooting the 627 I had to have one but now that I have this 386 and got some rounds through it, this will work just fine for now.. :) for 500 bucks... price is right here.. :)
 
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http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/193714-night-guard-changes.html

I have a 329NG for backpacking in black bear country. I would actually prefer to carry a Ruger Alaskan, but the NG is a full pound lighter so that made it worth it for me to have the extra very specialized and expensive gun.

In areas where I backpack that don't have bears, I went with the M&P340 rather than the much larger .357 NG's. It has a lot of NG features, like the night sight and finish, so I see it as a J-frame NG for my purposes.
 
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The only thing keeping me from the 310 I have been looking at for months now is the hilarious price tag on it. Sure, scandium is fancy, PVD coating the cylinder isn't cheap, out sourcing the stock and sights comes at a higher price, but at just under $1K for it, I keep passing it up. Maybe I am missing out. If I had known about the 315NG I might have suckered into it. Making the Night Guard series with a optional three inch barrel would have made it a better seller at least for me.
 
They're still out there if you look. My dad just got a 396, for just under $700. There's a 315 on GB right now for $650. I agree the 315 made the most sense for CCW but the others are great for woods carry and home defense. I can't wait to try the 396.
 
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