What happened to the Night Guards???

[Harkrader]

I have a 386PD. Paid $630 for it.
Also a 386NG, paid $600 for it after it was a demo at a Ducks Unlimited event at the Oshkosh WI airport.
I bought them when I was still carrying as part of my jobs, and wanted the extra round in a lightweight gun.
I modified the NG a bit: I sent it to Cylinder & Slide for tritium tubes in the Extreme Duty rear sight, and to have it adjusted for Cor Bon .38 Special +P ammo. I then installed a titanium 7-round cylinder.
I shot both enough to maintain proficiency and liked them just fine.
The PD is just as I bought it.
I take them to the range about once a year, now, just to stay familiar, but I prefer to carry larger guns for self-defense. I have a 520 7-shooter I like a lot. I can also carry a 29 when wearing cool-weather clothes. With modern self-defense ammo it is not a hard kicker and I shoot it well.

Our sons regularly steal my guns for their own uses (one is a LEO, another professional military), but they prefer the semi-autos over revolvers. So, I expect I'll have the PD and NG for a while, yet.
I have posted pix of them on the forum somewhere, but have no idea how to find them.

 

[Rhetorician]

Rhetorician Response

I think it may of evolved into the PD Personal Defense series. Some paid consultant/marketing genius probably told S&W to "narrow their focus" on fewer models. In a few years, the same genius, will tell them to do a "brand extension" and expand their offerings.

Hello all:

I am becoming an affectionado to the Smith line slowly. With that I have a few questions:

First concerning the "Law of Supply and Demand;" on the front end if the "new product" does not sell well they may want to discontinue it? On the back side, it they do discontinue it, does that not seem to drive up the price; especially with those who love the S & W brand so much? And there is nothing that drives the coveteouness and greed in me personally like telling me I cannot have something?! But then again that may be just me!!! LOL!!!

Second; when a late model has been discontinued how long will parts be made? Ideas?

Any help appreciated.

rd

 

[dpast32]

Yes, I too have lamented the demise of S&W's NG Series, as I've always wanted a 325 as a house gun. I'd have prefered a 3" bbl rather than the std 2.5", but it is what is, or was I should say. As for now, I'm keeping my eyes open for one of the seldom seen S&W M-65LS, the 3" bbl'd Model 65 with a satin finish & nice underlug on the bbl. I've been carrying a 642LS "Lady Smith" for many years now, & have nothing but praise. I chose the LS / 642 due to it being a special run that was factory Magna-Ported, otherwise would have probably just went with the basic 442 / 642. I've always had a thing for 3" bbl'd revolvers, but for some reason you can't seem to find them for a decent price ! OK, that's my 2¢.

dpast32

 

[Fackler Rebel]

My four inch barrel 325PD has adjustable sights.

Reb

 

[Kiteman72]

I decided to see if I could find any Night Guards at the Tanner show in Denver today, and only turned up two examples.

There was a used 325 for $800 (it did have CT laser grips) and a NIB 315 for $750. I'd kinda like a 315 but $750 seems a little high. I guess they're not making them any more tho, and it is a pretty nifty revolver.

 

[shocker]

I just don't see these as being non sellers. Am I that wrong on these? Did they just not sell???

I saw a few at area gun stores. 357 and 44 if I recall correctly. May well still be there. Assume the price tag was the deterrent. Plus most folks get that shooting magnum loads in extremely light short barreled revolvers is brutal.
I wonder what they offer that a duty pistol in 9, 40, or 10mm can't do better at much lower price.

 

[waffles]

I saw a few at area gun stores. 357 and 44 if I recall correctly. May well still be there. Assume the price tag was the deterrent. Plus most folks get that shooting magnum loads in extremely light short barreled revolvers is brutal.
I wonder what they offer that a duty pistol in 9, 40, or 10mm can't do better at much lower price.

Be a revolver!

Seriously, that's it, and probably why they didn't sell well.

 

[BobR1]

A new 315NG at $750 was not out of line in my opinion. They made less than 600 of them total. I have the exact number on a card in my 315NG's box.
The 315NG was the best Lady Smith ever made, and they did not even try to market it that way.

I also have the scarce 310NG. With the popularity of the 40 S&W round, you would have thought the 310NG would have been the most desirable of the Night Guards. I have never seen a production number on the 310NG, but I suspect it is also under 600. They seem to come up for sale less frequently than a 315NG.

They were a good idea, but as was said above the price was too high. If the Night Guards were built and priced like a Governor they would probably still be making them.

Bob R

 

[BLUEDOT37]

325NG w/adjustable sights

My four inch barrel 325PD has adjustable sights.
Reb

My 325NG does too. The fixed C&S removes with two screws & a standard S&W adjustable sight slides right it & screws into the existing holes.

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[Maximumbob54]

I am curious what the C&S rear sight did for the price tag on the NG's. I'm sure they got them for a deal but I bet they still weren't cheap. I'm willing to bet that front and rear sight combo added at least a hundred bucks to the MSRP. Maybe that made them a bit of a nitch product.

 

[Kiteman72]

I decided to see if I could find any Night Guards at the Tanner show in Denver today, and only turned up two examples.

There was a used 325 for $800 (it did have CT laser grips) and a NIB 315 for $750. I'd kinda like a 315 but $750 seems a little high. I guess they're not making them any more tho, and it is a pretty nifty revolver.

When I returned to the show yesterday, both of the abovementioned Night Guards had been sold, along w a "Mountain Gun Lite" (the details and specs of which I don't recall, it was used), all to the same customer.

The fella that sold em and told me the tale seemed pretty satisfied. I wasn't too upset, it made my shopping decisions that much easier.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Trijicon sights

I am curious what the C&S rear sight did for the price tag on the NG's. I'm sure they got them for a deal but I bet they still weren't cheap. I'm willing to bet that front and rear sight combo added at least a hundred bucks to the MSRP. Maybe that made them a bit of a nitch product.

I'm sure the front night sight was the biggest hit in price. I read where the rear sight was originally supposed to have a Trijicon insert under the notch but that obviously got dropped, no doubt for extra cost. That would have been nice though! Without the rear insert, I can't see how they justified the front insert only.

No doubt it's price, & the fact that it was a SD revolver in a SD semi-auto world, didn't help it.

 

[rwsmith]

or.........

I think it may of evolved into the PD Personal Defense series. Some paid consultant/marketing genius probably told S&W to "narrow their focus" on fewer models. In a few years, the same genius, will tell them to do a "brand extension" and expand their offerings.

Or hire a new genius to introduce 'Newer Liter' guns that they know the public will eat up.

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Pair of 44 mag snubbies

My 44 mag NG is the lightweight Alaska carry with Buffalo Bore 255 Hard cast. Easy to have and manageable to shoot. Of course the PC is even easier with the additional weight. Would be difficult to ever give up the NG. Perfect for Alaska. Fishing on rivers is normally shared with bear. My Marlin lever loaded with BB hard cast is the real have to - but the snubbies are not bad. With the PC have shot one moose with the load and it did fine work. Unexpected encounter while going for coffee water from the river on the first morning of the season. Not a hunt just a shoot.

 

[omgur2]

Love my 329NG

I love my 329 Night Guard! when they were new (2011?) I traded a S&W 38 sp "perfected" for it. I was planing a back packing trip into bear country and it seemed like a powerful light weight option. I now carry it in the winter when I have a shirt jack to help hide it in a pancake holster. I have never shot full 240 grain loads through it since the bear trip never happened and i bet they are tough. I was able to stock up on PMC 180G SJHP for it and it is incredibly accurate and controllable for follow up shots. I did add a better Hough grip for my big hands and it works for me. I would like the 315 NG to compliment my other scandium framed 342PD.

 

[Eaglestroker]

Local shop STILL has a 41 Mag NG, been there 3 years easily. Bought the 10mm version about 6 months ago after looking at Gunbroker. There is a 396 version available used locally and it's one of the only I've seen for sale used around here.

Think it's easy to forgot we are in the minority of consumers sometimes, unfortunately!

 

[Doug M.]

A lot of savvy instructors have been advocating front night sights and black rear for several years, so S&W's decision in that regard makes sense. As for the C&S rear, I think it is a great thing. It is FAR better than the standard fixed sights, which if you have any vision problems are just flat awful. For most carry guns, a good fixed sight that one can see is better than the traditional adjustables, which really don't serve much purpose unless you are switching loads a lot or use a really unusual bullet weight.

The problem I see is two fold: price point, and utility. As a realistic fighting pistol, not a bad choice, but most modern autopistols are far better on every aspect, and the price was simply too high for the purpose. Remember that this forum's membership are outliers, and that revolvers do not sell as well for a lot of reasons, not all of which are objective. I enjoy my revolvers for what they can do, but carry an autopistol almost all of the time except in PT gear with a fanny pack (then it is a 296).

 

[BLUEDOT37]

NG sights

A lot of savvy instructors have been advocating front night sights and black rear for several years, so S&W's decision in that regard makes sense.

While I'm definitely not considered savvy, and as much as I like the NGs, I've tried to see the sense in the night front/black rear. No matter how much I play with it, in different lighting situations, it seems a waste. At some point you just loose visibility of the rear & are left wiggling the front around trying to tell where it is in relation to the rear. Not very useful in a self-defense scenerio. IMO it was a half-baked idea.

 

[Rick_A]

Fixed sight guns are useless to me past spittin' distance.

I would strongly disagree with that statement.

If regulated properly a fixed sight gun is just as good and more durable.

 

[66snub]

My LGS still has a nightguard (not sure which species) still in the case with the new offerings. Maybe it's a new old stock model that's been hanging around since being discontinued? I pondered putting this one on lay away when I was shopping for my 1911, but since that was the hole in my collection (already have 4 other revolvers), I opted for the 1911 instead.