I watched a video of a guy from Lipseys talking about the mountain gun. He said that they were getting word that the internal lock on all revolvers were going to be going away. The Lipsey exclusives and custom shop guns were getting so much interest that S&W corporate was considering removing it. This was a surprise to me as I never expected the lawyers would let that happen. If so it would probably be slow and stretched out over time and different models as they are bound to have a lot of frames cast with holes in them. Has anyone heard anything similar?
Internal Lock
- Thread starter stanr5686
- Start date
The frames are forged. The holes are drilled. It will cost less to delete the keyed lock. But you can bet the prices aren’t coming down.
The internal drop block device will stay, tho.
Rumors dont mean much in Gundom.
The internal drop block device will stay, tho.
Rumors dont mean much in Gundom.
BabaBlueJay
Member
Yes and no. Also as someone who owns a 686 Mountain Gun there IS a reason the slope of the frame is different that might surprise people.
"With the Internal Locking System deleted from this model, we expected to see a return to the older frame profile. If you look closely at the photo above comparing my pre-lock 686-3 (bottom) to the newer 686 Plus Mountain Gun, you’ll notice a deeper scoop for the hammer in the older gun. The reason for this difference and S&W sticking with the newer profile, is the addition of the new drop safety mechanism that replaced the ILS."
I have linked the article this quote is from below. I think it is important that people realize that while the lock we all see as ugly is gone the frame shape has remained due to this newer drop safety mechanism required in states like California. Is it a big deal? No. Should S&W have been more forthright about this? Yes.
https://revolverguy.com/lipseys-sw-686-mountain-gun/
To your question about whether this means more no-lock options. Yes, just not a flood of them. They likely will continue to produce ones with the internal lock for a while as they transition to this new system. I'd expect that in 5-10 years as lock inventory is sold off you will see an expanded list of no-lock options. First as "special editions" like the mountain guns, and later as regular production. This is purely speculation on my part, though.
"With the Internal Locking System deleted from this model, we expected to see a return to the older frame profile. If you look closely at the photo above comparing my pre-lock 686-3 (bottom) to the newer 686 Plus Mountain Gun, you’ll notice a deeper scoop for the hammer in the older gun. The reason for this difference and S&W sticking with the newer profile, is the addition of the new drop safety mechanism that replaced the ILS."
I have linked the article this quote is from below. I think it is important that people realize that while the lock we all see as ugly is gone the frame shape has remained due to this newer drop safety mechanism required in states like California. Is it a big deal? No. Should S&W have been more forthright about this? Yes.
https://revolverguy.com/lipseys-sw-686-mountain-gun/
To your question about whether this means more no-lock options. Yes, just not a flood of them. They likely will continue to produce ones with the internal lock for a while as they transition to this new system. I'd expect that in 5-10 years as lock inventory is sold off you will see an expanded list of no-lock options. First as "special editions" like the mountain guns, and later as regular production. This is purely speculation on my part, though.
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