Don't know why production was stopped, but they have restarted. I finally found one about a month ago and it appears to be the same as early production. (no recessed charge holes). To date I have fired over 400 rounds thru this gun. I also have a 617 that I bought last January and have close to 3000 rounds thru it. The Smith has a smoother and slightly lighter trigger than the Colt. The Colt is easier to clean. Accuracy is about the same. For now, I prefer the Smith because of the better trigger and I also prefer the heavier weight. The Colts are out there, but not in great numbers.