Which cylinder latch do you prefer?

[Irelander]

I'm still kind of a newbie at revolvers. Just looking at some different N-frame revolvers and noticed that there seems to be two different styles of cylinder release buttons.

So is there a rhyme or reason to which one S&W puts on different guns?

Which style do you like best and why?

 

[skeezix]

IIRC, they changed to the new style (bottom photo) in the late 1990s. There were some "special editions" made after that with the old style thumb piece, but most of the regular production line guns use the new style since that time frame.

 

[USAF385]

There's also this one by Hogue.....




(Sent via iPhone)

 

[mg357]

I have had S&W revolvers that had the old style cylinder release and I have handled S&W Revolvers with the new style cylinder release. I like the second style cylinder because it feels better when I push it with my thumb.

 

[jughed440]

I have had S&W revolvers that had the old style cylinder release and I have handled S&W Revolvers with the new style cylinder release. I like the second style cylinder because it feels better when I push it with my thumb.

same here, but I think the older style looks better

 

[cbvanb]

Functionally there is no difference, I just prefer the older style as that is what I grew up with. It reminds me of the days when people could be trusted to handle a revolver without an idiot lock inside.

 

[mwtdvm]

There's also this one by Hogue.....

View attachment 114222

I have two of them. Works well on one (460 V), not so well on the other, gritty and rough. The second model # escapes me at the moment. Probably nothing that a Dremel can't "fix".

 

[Invictus357]

I prefer the new style for comfort as well as looks.

 

[J-FRAME]

I like the new style better. More user friendly.

 

[MichiganScott]

Old style, even if it does eat my thumb with heavy loads in light guns. It just looks better

 

[rwsmith]

I thought it was the internal lock

I'd heard that they had to change the shape of the cylinder catch mechanism because of the IL?

 

[ptgarcia]

My 627 Pro has the new style (bottom picture) but I like the looks of the old flat style. I'm thinking of buying one from SDM Fabrication to try the flat style. Honestly, being left handed the thumb latch is purely a cosmetic thing.

Here's a pic of the SDM part (picture from SDM's web page). As you can see, it works fine with the IL on a N frame.

 

[CSG]

Actually, I like the ones on Colts better but my three S&W revolvers have the middle style. Earlier, they had a flat plate style as well. I like the ergos of the new style but won't bother to change the one on my '93 442.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I'd heard that they had to change the shape of the cylinder catch mechanism because of the IL?

That's an uneducated guess by someone who doesn't know they changed the latch way before the IL came along. I prefer the new style which is less likely to tear your thumbs up during shooting. I use after-market latches for competition guns.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

I might be wrong but aren't the newer styled ones also MIM? I own revolvers with both and still prefer the older style. Though they function the same the old style looks manlier and feels better. I don't like how similar they now look to Taurus and Rossi cylinder release.

 

[slfree]

I like the button on my Ruger!

 

[MikeyB]

Me too! I'm a lefty and the Ruger's work much better for me.

 

[UncleEd]

I may be wrong as I often am but the "older" style being shown in this thread I'd call the "middle" style.

The style on the older Smiths was more concave and sometimes us older sorts would Dremel the edges to make them less sharp and to accommodate the HKS speed loader.

If you look at the new style cylinder release button, it's cut in such a way as to allow a bit extra room for the speed loaders. If for no better word, I think the newer style is more "efficient" when it comes to using speed loaders.

The cutouts in wooden grips and now the thinned portions of the rubber grips are both steps to help in using the speed loaders. Now the "bullet" cylinder releases are the next step.

Or so I believe.

 

[ptgarcia]

Here's one from the sixties. Is this the "old" style?

 

[Irelander]

My engineering mind is drawn more to the old style as it is symetrical. Does the SDM old style latch cure the tear up your thumbs issue?

The bottom picture in my original post is my 629PC. I'm pretty sure that it is a MIM part. Not that it really bothers me but it would be nice to have sharp checkering on the latch. The MIM latch is lacking in grippyness.