M-617 22 Revolver. Target Shooting. Remove The Stupid Lock. Yes or No ?

[oldrookey617]

Have 4" & 6" M-617s, Love to shoot steel targets, No kids around my house anymore, and I carry a M-617 almost all of the time, Hate the locks, Should I remove them, Yes or No, Is that a hard job to remove them ? My 1966 M-10 has no lock..

 

[.38SuperMan]

I don’t particularly like the lock on my 617 or 317 but I’m not sure I want to mess with it. They’ve never caused a problem for me but it purely up to you and depends on how much it annoys you.

Through a trade I wound up getting my 617 and I do like it and swore I’d not buy another gun with a lock but guess what, I bought another, a new 317. Since then I decided I’d buy non lock guns and picked up a model 63 no dash and a model 17-6 4” with no under lug. I also picked up a Colt King Cobra 22 and have started thinking of selling my 617.

 

[darg]

I have two with locks and I just Dremeld the pin off that rides in the slot of the hammer and it doesn’t matter anymore what position it is in.

 

[LostintheOzone]

Have they caused you a problem? I have a 625 with a lock. Never caused me a problem. Probably 1K on the rounds fired. I don't carry a key in my range bag. I don't even know where my key is to be honest.

Why did you buy a gun with a lock if it's such a burr under your saddle?

I wish I had a dollar for every post here about the evil locks. I could retire if I already wasn't.

If you don't like locks, just don't buy those. Problem solved.

 

[Peak53]

I have exactly one SW that came with the lock. The other several dozen pre-date the modern era. I was more concerned about the aesthetics than the function. Purchased the lock delete from someone on this forum and performed the switch in about 10 minutes. Happiness prevails.

 

[oldrookey617]

I have not had any problem Yet, but what comes with that delete kit ? When you removed the lock, will it have a smoother trigger action ? when I pull the hammer back, and look down in there, it looks like the lock may drag on the action, or the hammer..

 

[shil]

If you don't like locks, just don't buy those. Problem solved.

Completely agree. ALL my Smiths are pre-lock.

 

[oldrookey617]

I don't think you can buy a New S&W .22 revolver Without the lock. What was the first year for the lock ? I don't think anyone even wants it.. that's just me..

 

[CH4]

If the looks don’t bother you, I would leave it as is.

 

[Peak53]

I have not had any problem Yet, but what comes with that delete kit ? When you removed the lock, will it have a smoother trigger action ? when I pull the ehammer back, and look down in there, it looks like the lock may drag on the action, or the hammer..

It’s been too long since I performed the lock delete that I can’t remember the operation exactly. Maybe two parts. Easy. No discernible effect on the trigger. Search on this forum and find all the information you need

 

[toad67]

It's very simple to do, I did 4 on my first order. JD is a great guy, who makes a great product.
**LOCK DELETE** CNC MOON CLIP Conversions & CCW HD Moon Clips - ORIGINAL PRECISION

 

[Engine49guy]

I don't think you can buy a New S&W .22 revolver Without the lock. What was the first year for the lock ? I don't think anyone even wants it.. that's just me..

Pretty sure the SW Model 351c in .22 Magnum and the new performance center 642 do not have an IL.

Both are J frames with internal hammers but they do have IL on other internal hammer J frames.

While I don't own any IL SW's if it were a range toy like the model 617 it wouldn't bother me,
If it were something I carried for self defense it becomes an issue but that's just me.

 

[Dave Lively]

All my S&W revolvers have a lock and I have never had a problem with it. Removing it seems like far more trouble than it is worth. Particularly with a 22. The only reports I have seen about the lock accidentally engaging involved heavy recoil like shooting full power 357s out of a 12 ounce scandium J-frame. Worst case with a 617 would be having to but your range session short if it somehow got locked and you didn't have the key with you.

If the aesthetics bother you enough to make deleting the lock worth the trouble there is no reason not to. Its your gun and your money. I spend lots of money on things that don't really make sense just because I want to and that includes guns.

 

[MajorD]

I guess sometimes you have no choice but to acquire a gun with the lock. A model that didn’t exist prior to locks or was made in very limited numbers pre lock. So far I have only owned 3 with locks, and not a single one gave me a lick of trouble. I move the lock from on to off a few times when I first got the guns to make sure nothing bound up and that it functioned properly, then put the guns in fire mode then left it that way.
Looks I think we are 99% in agreement they detract from the appearance, but performance is not effected, at least in my experience.
I have never seen it myself ( and I am around a lot of revolvers ) but there were some limited reports of locks activating and preventing a gun from being fired, which everything I have seen was related to heavy kicking magnums or very light weight guns with stout loads.
If I found a lock gun that was what I really wanted it wouldn’t deter me. I personally wouldn’t go through the trouble of taking it out.

 

[Yendor357]

You certainly do have a choice. Buy a Colt. That’s what I’ve been doing.

If enough of us continue buying Colts instead of Smiths maybe Smith will produce guns that people want.

While I’m on my soapbox, bring back the 4506.

 

[wproct]

All of my Smith & Wesson revolvers are pre-lock models. I did own a 686 with a lock for a period of time and never had any issues with it. My preferring pre-lock models has more to do with the profile of the frame rather than the lock itself. The appearance of the lock for me was a non-issue. If a person removes the lock there are certain legal liability issues, but some of us don't care and others do, it's up to the owner.

 

[jkingrph]

I got a new M 48, One of the first things I did was to put in a lock delete.

 

[oink]

I have a couple of lock guns that I'll eventually get around to de-locking. They're both defence guns. However, if I had a .22 with a lock I seriously doubt I'd bother about it, although I'd prefer it didn't have it. I can't imagine why they continue to force the lock on customers rather than offering options. I suspect their revolver sales would increase dramatically if they quit forcing it. Offer both and see if they keep selling enough lock guns to make it worthwhile to continue offering the option.

But no, I wouldn't bother about de-locking the .22.

 

[TJm15.38]

This is the only revolver I own with a lock. It hasn't given any trouble so I have no need to disable the system.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

This subject gets beat to death every so often and always gets the same responses. I have several revolvers, three of them with locks. I agree it's not the prettiest feature but I ignore it, my fastest shooter of my three 617's has a lock, no problem. The guns I've seen with the plug only look good at a distance. The lock is like a zit with a purpose, the plug is like a popped zit with no purpose. I put up with it because I think the 617's are still the best choice available for me.