I posted this on another thread in which someone speculated that when S&W returns to making non-lock guns, the ones with locks will fetch premium prices due to rarity. I very respectfully disagree with both thoughts.
S&W is not going to abandon the tooling to make lock frames. They are shaped differently than the older ones and from what a friend learned from S&W, they no longer make any guns using the old frame shape, even on special order in their custom shop.
Next, Remington had their "J-Lock" in the firing pin shroud of their bolt-action Model 700s and in the trigger housing of their pump and autoloading rifles and shotguns for a few years. Now that they listened to their customers and dropped those locks, no one is clamoring to buy the comparatively few guns with locks. If anyone wants to make a lock gun out of their Model 700, I have several firing pins and shrouds with them that I removed from the lock rifles I bought.
Just my opinion...
Ed