I toured on the first day and it's always interesting to get into the factory and see the changes and new machinery, etc. My first factory tour was with Hellstrom in 1952 when the factory was just being occupied, set up and running after the move from downtown Springfield. The building was engineered to be "bomb proof" according to Helstrom, as half of it is underground, being built in a drained swamp. Some worried about leakeage due to high ground water levels, but the current Building Maintenace Engineer told me the original construction was solid and no leakage problems had shown up in the 55+ years the building has been there. Every gun was almost hand made then compared to now. Over the years I have made maybe a 1/2 doz. visits to the plant, each time seeing better ways to turn out guns, but not always retaining the old methods that we collectors would like to think can still be done, like making Triple Locks & Registered Magnums! I remember one time in the 70s, when the old Stocking Dep't was still there, watching several ladies making grips on their checkering machines. They were so good at it, they never looked at the grips and were reading novels while turing out he grips. They could tell by the feel and the noise the machine made just when to turn the grips in the jigs to make the correct cuts, etc. As noticed above, S&W employees are a family with great pride in being employed at the plant, some being 3rd & 4th generation workers. People with 30, 40, 50 yrs service are not uncommon. One gentleman, now finally retired, had something like 70+ years service with S&W. There was one difference this time that was not required before. Security is worse than boarding an airplane. You are screened and Xrayed, coming and going. No cameras or weapons allowed. Those of us with concealed carry had to surrender our shooting irons at the security gate! Public tours at S&W are few and far between now and I'm told Roy had to put some extra pressure on staff to arrange these two tours, but he was successful. I had reminded Mike Golden, S&W Pres. at the SHOT show last Feb. that the S&WCA would be meeting in Mass. in June and many members would make an extra effort to make that meeting because of the opportunity to get to see the factory operation, and Mike assured me they would do their best to accomodate us. He did.
