Note, this memory dates back the mid 70's and it's word of mouth, however at that time I had a dealer tell me that the quality of S&W's revolvers had really taken a nose dive. Poor timing, huge B/C gaps, and cylinders that had the face machined off square badly enough that it could be seen to wobble if you spun the cylinder.
In 1982 new owners took over and from what I've seen of post 1982 guns the quality had been first class. Probably because the new owners purchased a plant full of new equipment to replace machines that had been run hard for 30 or 40 years.
That said, I can tell you one thing that has been proven time and time again. That is when the demand for a manufactured item is very high, quality will go downhill and it doesn't matter who's name is on the product. When it's a real sellers market, they'll push product out the door that previously would have been kept for rework. In addition, when demand is very low, quality will also head for the gutter, however in that case it'll be because they cannot afford the cost of rework or even the cost to properly maintain the manufacturing equipment.
Bottomline, if you want to see the optimum quality for a specific manufacturer, look at a period when sales are stable and in line with the market. That means that the manufacturer will have cash and time for maintenance, the workers will be clocking 8 hours a day, and everyone will be feeling good about their job and their income.
