The 80's were a great decade for S&W

[sprscientist]

I really like the 1980's vintage from S&W. P&R had gone away, but the quality and features like flash chromed parts, factory wood grips, hammer-mounted firing pins, etc. I've let some good ones from that era get away, but am happy to have these.

 

[Farmer17]

I like the 80s, I never cared if a Smith revolver was pinned or not, and I prefer non recessed cylinders because you can easily see the case rims and tell if the gun is loaded plus I think it looks cool!

 

[.455_Hunter]

I have quite a few '80s guns- some are perfect, some are more sloppy. My 6" 657 was disappointing in that regard, especially cylinder and crane tightness.

 

[white cloud]

Your experience with S&W in the 80s was a lot better than mine. I mean lots better. My experience with Ruger and Colt back then was also a long way from stellar.

 

[familyman357oh]

The pinned barrels only existed as something of an insurance measure since S&W used to do a "soft fit" wherein only the last 60 degrees or so of barrel installation was friction/crush fit. A figure I've seen is that S&W stopped the "soft fit" in 1957 and afterward the pinning was just out of inertia/tradition. The recessed chambers only existed due to weak balloon head brass that was still in use. Balloon head brass disappeared during the 1950s. I don't get why so many seem to swoon over such "premium" features that were unnecessary by the time JFK was elected, but that's just me. As far as the '80s revolvers, yeah, I dig the overall configuration too, but Bangor Punta and Tomkins build quality was all over the place. Kind of like today, really.

 

[sprscientist]

Your experience with S&W in the 80s was a lot better than mine. I mean lots better. My experience with Ruger and Colt back then was also a long way from stellar.

I like the features of the 80's units. Made no claim about quality control. I'm sure some poor ones got out there from that era.

 

[jumbeaux]

I was very leery about the first series of non Pinned Barrel Revolvers. I purchase a new Model 10 that would either skip or fail to properly "lock" ie cylinder would spin freely. Back to S & W it went...returned with the same issue on occasion ! Dealer gave me credit. Waited forever to take another chance on a non Pinned Barrel. Purchased a Virginia DOC trade in Model 64-4 2" RB Snub that is flawless & recently a PD Trade in 64-5 4" which too is flawless. Those are my newest and I am very pleased. Before everyone tells me that the Pinned / Non Pinned Barrels have nothing to do with my issue...I realize that but it was a perceived Quality Control Issue on my part. Right or Wrong !

rick

 

[Bullet Bob]

The 1980's in general was a low point for American manufacturing, not just guns. Not that most of them on an individual basis weren't good, and some outstanding, just lower quality compared to the 50's and 60's. It wasn't just S&W by a long shot. GM & Ford were certainly leaders in the race to the bottom at the time. This lack of quality led to major improvements in the 1990's.

For those few who like to learn about this stuff instead of arguing on the internet, here's one interesting (to me) paper:

https://www.qualitydigest.com/static/magazine/dec/juran-2.html

 

[MikeR90S]

I never had much luck with 80’s quality but found much better results with early 90’s Smiths.

 

[Harv 24]

I purchased my very first handgun in the 80's a 6" blued Model 586 from Wild Bill's Gun and pawn shop outside Ft Knox Ky. I paid $279.

Had the big target grips, I still have the screwdriver and cleaning rod that came with it. Sadly, like a dumb ***, I was young and needed money and I sold it.

and 39 years later.... I still regret that. Never owned another Smith until this year. Swore I would never buy one with that awful internal lock. but I broke down and purchased a 4" model 617...

and the Irony, the Cold Diamondback .22 lr I looked at, that was $100 less...I saw too many You tube videos with guys returning the Colts due to issues. While mine sits at Smith....for issues.

I think that's penance for selling the 586.

 

[DR505]

My first Smith, for my first LE Academy, was a 4" Model 27-3 from 1985. It was and still is a very well made revolver. The action is incredible, better than my '67 27-2.

 

[stansdds]

I do not see the 1980's as being all that great for S&W's. The deletion of the barrel pin and recessed chambers means little to me. The pin really did nothing and recessed chambers are a pain to clean, so no great loss with their deletion. The quality of the assembly and finish did change in the 80's and I would rate the earlier S&W's as generally being superior in these areas. It was during 1980 that S&W switched from Carbonia Oil blue process to a more common black oxide blue process, so blued guns became more black. The overall finish on some was also not that great. My 29-3 shows a few areas that were over polished and look sloppy.

 

[iPac]

I know the '80s is one of the worst decades for Colt revolvers. I'm sure S&W wasn't too much better in regards to quality. However, the OP was talking more about liking the features of that era.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

The upside of the 1980s for S&W was the introduction of the 686 and 681, 581 and 586 too.

The 24 and the 624 was good too.

 

[stansdds]

The upside of the 1980s for S&W was the introduction of the 686 and 681, 581 and 586 too.

The 24 and the 624 was good too.

On that I certainly will agree. The L-frame proved to be the best sized package for the .357 Magnum cartridge.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Unlike some of our other Forum members, the majority of my modest collection is composed of P&R revolvers manufactured in the 1970s and before. That's just my preference, and I believe that those vintage revolvers were very well made and had excellent fit and finish. I do have a couple of revolvers from the early 1980s (1982 blued 6" Python; 1980 nickel 6" Model 29-2; and 1981 nickel 4" Model 57) which are very nice, and the S&Ws are still P&R. I never really considered buying revolvers manufactured from the 80s through the 2000s, although fairly recently I have come to appreciate SS revolvers with more than 6 shots (627-5; 686 Plus) and the J-frames (642-2) for pocket carry. It's probably just a generational thing, and to each their own. Whatever you collect and shoot, enjoy!

 

[BE Mike]

Saw some pretty big lack of QC on a batch of model 66's in the 80's. The basic engineering was ok. I never cared for recessed charging holes, just extra nooks and crannies that had to be cleaned.

 

[Nightowl]

I like the P&R magnums! That said, I realize the discontinuance of those features did not hurt the shootability of the later Smiths. The Smiths of the 90s were maybe of better quality than the 80s and definitely better than the 70s which I consider a low point in Smith quality. For me, it seems in my observations that the frame mounted firing pin creates more issues than the hammer nose system did. I have seen very few broken hammer noses, but I have had several issues with frame mounted firing pins. Just hang around here long enough and you will notice lots of FTF with frame mounted firing pins!
I have guns from every decade from 1950 to 2010 and I have had stinkers from every decade, all repairable and repaired, but still.... Also some very good ones!

 

[H Richard]

686 dating to 1982, AAF prefix. Still have it, with quite a few thousand 38 and 357 rounds through it. I think I gave about $250 for it back then.

 

[kaaskop49]

Memories of 80s era guns: I had a brand new snub 66 with the rear sight laying loose in the box. Also a new-in-box 65 with a bulged barrel. Not belonging to me, but a security firm issued me a new 10HB which was blued poorly: the bluing at the muzzle began to wear the FIRST time I carried it. Also, it immediately rusted behind the trigger guard. C'mon.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103