The use of MIM parts - S&W's explanation
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jackpearl
Member
I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as the previous posters but I have quite a few S&W revolvers. The one that gets to shoot the most is a 625PC, I bought in March of this year.It's the only revolver i own with MIM parts and frame mounted firing pin. I've put 2000+ rounds down the pipe with no FTF or issues. It has a 3# SA trigger pull and 8# DA. At 50ft I can make a ragged hole in the paper with a cylinder full of my 200gr lead reloads.
I think that says alot---well proven at my house.
I admire and shoot my other revolvers as well but, honestly none shoot any better.
I think that says alot---well proven at my house.
I admire and shoot my other revolvers as well but, honestly none shoot any better.
BlueOvalBandit
Member
yep they sure are
I'm all for improvement. I don't think anything has really changed in quality.. Also how many guns did s&w make a year back in the good old days versus today 10,000 versus 100,000+(this is exaggerated cause I don't know the numbers)? If say 5% slipped past qc thats 500 bad guns versus 5000 a year. We just get to hear more of it thanks to the interwebs cause the first thing a person does when they get a lemon is vent on the web.
I'm all for improvement. I don't think anything has really changed in quality.. Also how many guns did s&w make a year back in the good old days versus today 10,000 versus 100,000+(this is exaggerated cause I don't know the numbers)? If say 5% slipped past qc thats 500 bad guns versus 5000 a year. We just get to hear more of it thanks to the interwebs cause the first thing a person does when they get a lemon is vent on the web.
I've not said they're junk, I've not said nobody should buy them, I just continue to feel that a good S&W sample today is not the equal of a good sample from 60 years back.
I do know why that is, I do understand the difference between the eras, I do not have to be happy about it.
Denis
Today's smith & wessons, aside from the lock, ARE BETTER than the ones I have looked at and shot from the past.
My 625 and J-frames are excellent.
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I will say that MIM does not bother me at all. Two things bother me about current S&W revolvers. The internal lock and the re-shaping of the curve at the top of the frame to accommodate that lock. I have no issue about the lack of pinned barrels or recessed cylinder charge holes or the use of MIM parts.
My vote is to get rid of the internal lock and go back to the classic look of the frame curve in the hammer opening.
Thank you for listening/reading.
My vote is to get rid of the internal lock and go back to the classic look of the frame curve in the hammer opening.
Thank you for listening/reading.
Thanks for the post
I learned a few things about MIM that I didn't know before.
I learned a few things about MIM that I didn't know before.
S&WIowegan
US Veteran
This thread was fun to read. I am a certified old fart. I collect old Smiths I think are pretty. I am also an active competitive revolver shooter using the new MIM parts. They work great and they hold up to lots of shooting. If any of you watch videos of Jerry M. shooting you should be aware those are all modern guns...they take a lot of hard use and keep running.
Why do you all think S&W introduced the endurance package for the .44 Magnums back about 1990? It was because the original Model 29s simply could not hold up to hard use.
There are a lot of hard heads in this post who don't care about facts.....they just hate change and refuse to accept it.
Oh well....
Why do you all think S&W introduced the endurance package for the .44 Magnums back about 1990? It was because the original Model 29s simply could not hold up to hard use.
There are a lot of hard heads in this post who don't care about facts.....they just hate change and refuse to accept it.
Oh well....
mim parts
Just received my 686 plus today. Was not aware of mim parts and just feel it looks like they used old parts especially when the rest of the revolver is SS. Was told by CS I can get a kit for $200.00. Not interested as the revolver was not cheap. Own a 629 8 3/8 from 1983 and I guess I got spoiled with the S&W quality. I'm sure it will be fine but expected everything to be SS especially from S&W. Thanks for letting me vent.
Just received my 686 plus today. Was not aware of mim parts and just feel it looks like they used old parts especially when the rest of the revolver is SS. Was told by CS I can get a kit for $200.00. Not interested as the revolver was not cheap. Own a 629 8 3/8 from 1983 and I guess I got spoiled with the S&W quality. I'm sure it will be fine but expected everything to be SS especially from S&W. Thanks for letting me vent.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
If it works I'm happy. The Mim parts and IL who cares. Leave them for me ill buy them, give them a great home and feed them.
What kit is that?
slabside2
Member
Bull **** it's all about the money.
No it's all about staying competitive in your target market.
You're both right - those aren't contradictory statements, they are two sides of the same coin...
It's about reducing production costs IN ORDER to stay competitive in the current market and still make money - for the company and its shareholders.
You want to blame someone? Blame the Walmarts of the world (and their customers) for selling (and buying) lower quality disposable Chinese products so cheaply produced that American companies can't compete. The effects have rippled through all levels of our society - including the firearms industry.
The majority of people aren't willing to pay for top quality any more. They are content with mediocre "good enough" levels of quality at a cheap price. Unless a US manufacturer wants to become a producer of limited quantity "niche-market" or "boutique" products, they have to reduce their quality to this lower "just good enough" level in order to meet the public's price point expectations and keep their sales up.
Simple econ-101 principles at work guys.
Welcome to the one-world economy...
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I'm not convinced people are content with mediocre but they are forced to live with it because salaries have not kept up to the cost of living.
Probably true as well - at least to some extent. But I think you will also have to concede that MOST people view 99% of what they buy as disposable. NOBODY fixes much of anything any more. Its cheaper to buy a new one. I mean, when was the last time you saw a TV repair shop?
Of course either way the fact remains that production costs have to be kept in line with market expectations on price point...
I'll concede that most electronics are viewed as disposable but that's because the cost to repair an older item is more expensive than getting a newer one with new features. Others areas such as appliances still have steady repair work.
Very true for high-end major appliances.
Small appliances, basic model major appliances, window air conditioners, etc. not as much - and getting less all the time.
Again, while we may not see eye to eye on all the causes, the fact that manufacturers have to cut costs to the meet the market's price point in order to stay in business is still just as valid either way.
Agreed.
I still keep my eye out for older Smiths, not really for MIM or lock concerns, but more because I like some of the models that are not made any more. They ones in good condition are hard to find as they get snatched up quickly - and I prefer to used guns in person. One of the reasons I like this forum is to see some of the nice examples others have found. I can live vicariously through them
jtcarm
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