Dale53
Member
I thoroughly enjoy threads such as this. I am a certified "Old Fart" and have been seriously shooting since I was 14. I joined a VERY active gun club and helped build it from scratch (both the range and membership). We were very fortunate, over the years to have world class shooters in many disciplines. Point is, I have seen MUCH in the shooting world and was trained as a machinist. I have done much "gunsmithing" over the years and have known some of the best gunsmiths, ever!
I have to confess that every time I hear how much better the older Smith's were I get a "giggle". I have been a Smith fan since I was a teenager. I have owned some of the finest Smith's ever made (and still do). The reason I "giggle", is I had a fellow club member "serious shooter" and VERY good friend, who purchased a new S&W Model 60. They had only been out a year or two (introduced in 1965, I believe). Out of the box, the Model 60 did not have enough headspace to allow the cylinder to be closed on FACTORY .38 Specials. So much for all firearms to be shot before the gun is shipped. S&W was notified, they paid for shipping back to the factory and within a couple of weeks had rectified the problem. My buddy had the revolver for many, many years without issue, after that. Hence, me smiling at "how much better the old guns were made".
Except when the company was owned "off shore" back in the day, S&W has done, for the most part, an excellent job. Guns are mechanical devices and occasionally, there are defects (both in materials and workmanship). One of my all time favorite revolvers is my 625-8 JM Special. I have shot it thousands of times (5000-7500 rounds per year for several years) without issue. I have personally examined and shot several others that were as well made as mine. I measured the cylinder throats on at least three and they were all PERFECT .4525" throats. Mine shoot well under an inch off a rest at 25 yards with my home cast bullets. Early Smith's often had greatly oversize cylinder throats and gave serious accuracy problems.
I also have some great early Smith's that are still shooting match quality after tens of thousands of shots.
Now, understand, I am a SHOOTER, not a collector, and my lifelong emphasis has been performance, not pretty. I so have some "Pretty" revolvers, too, you understand. But PERFORMANCE is my thing.
FWIW
Dale53
I have to confess that every time I hear how much better the older Smith's were I get a "giggle". I have been a Smith fan since I was a teenager. I have owned some of the finest Smith's ever made (and still do). The reason I "giggle", is I had a fellow club member "serious shooter" and VERY good friend, who purchased a new S&W Model 60. They had only been out a year or two (introduced in 1965, I believe). Out of the box, the Model 60 did not have enough headspace to allow the cylinder to be closed on FACTORY .38 Specials. So much for all firearms to be shot before the gun is shipped. S&W was notified, they paid for shipping back to the factory and within a couple of weeks had rectified the problem. My buddy had the revolver for many, many years without issue, after that. Hence, me smiling at "how much better the old guns were made".
Except when the company was owned "off shore" back in the day, S&W has done, for the most part, an excellent job. Guns are mechanical devices and occasionally, there are defects (both in materials and workmanship). One of my all time favorite revolvers is my 625-8 JM Special. I have shot it thousands of times (5000-7500 rounds per year for several years) without issue. I have personally examined and shot several others that were as well made as mine. I measured the cylinder throats on at least three and they were all PERFECT .4525" throats. Mine shoot well under an inch off a rest at 25 yards with my home cast bullets. Early Smith's often had greatly oversize cylinder throats and gave serious accuracy problems.
I also have some great early Smith's that are still shooting match quality after tens of thousands of shots.
Now, understand, I am a SHOOTER, not a collector, and my lifelong emphasis has been performance, not pretty. I so have some "Pretty" revolvers, too, you understand. But PERFORMANCE is my thing.
FWIW
Dale53
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