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Old January 19, 2025, 11:34 PM   #1
1972RedNeck
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Lockless S&W

Saw a YouTube video (looked legit, but who knows) where S&W is making a 629 mountain gun again with no lock.

Any truth to it? Will the lock soon be a thing of the past on all models?
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Old January 20, 2025, 02:13 AM   #2
Shoots Left
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Seems legit

https://www.smith-wesson.com/products/revolvers
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Old January 20, 2025, 02:37 AM   #3
Ernest T Bass
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This is AMAZING news! I’m definitely getting a new model 10 with no lock! It’ll give my vintage model 10 a well needed rest. I’m tempted by the new no-lock model 36 also. I EDC a vintage model 60, and I’d like to replace it with something with less value as a collectible.
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Old January 20, 2025, 11:30 AM   #4
Nathan
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Im pretty excited about this too! I generally find S&W MIM good enough, but the lock was too much….still hate the MIM, if they are listening!
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Old January 20, 2025, 05:38 PM   #5
disseminator
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A good move if it spreads to all of their revolvers.

Now get rid of the sleeved barrels and fix the QC and things will go well.
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Old January 20, 2025, 05:43 PM   #6
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Lockless S&W

Quote:
Originally Posted by disseminator View Post
Now get rid of the sleeved barrels and fix the QC and things will go well.
Doubt you’ll see sleeved barrels going anywhere…

Less production time and less skilled work needed. Sleeved barrels do a good job, as long as it is done right. The other part of your statement speaks on that.
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Old January 20, 2025, 06:23 PM   #7
Nathan
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What is the QC issue?

I mean I have had a QC issue on a gun, but they were fine albeit slow handling it.

I’m much more concerned with locks, MIM, lower quality wood grips, lack of high polish blue….
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Old January 20, 2025, 07:05 PM   #8
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Quote:
A good move if it (removal of the lock) spreads to all of their revolvers.
My gut tells me they're quietly making this transition.
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Old January 20, 2025, 07:40 PM   #9
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Sleeved barrels belong on Charter Arms or similar mid-priced revolvers.

The M66 has it to add strength in the forcing cone area. The results gave a concentric forcing cone with a modification to the cylinder lockup.

As far as I know the 686 still has a one piece bbl. Personally, I don’t care for them and comparisons to the Dan Wesson system are ridiculous.
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Old January 20, 2025, 09:07 PM   #10
Screwball
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Lockless S&W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan View Post
What is the QC issue?
You do see more issues with present day S&W than you did years prior. Will touch on next…

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin View Post
Sleeved barrels belong on Charter Arms or similar mid-priced revolvers.

The M66 has it to add strength in the forcing cone area. The results gave a concentric forcing cone with a modification to the cylinder lockup.

As far as I know the 686 still has a one piece bbl. Personally, I don’t care for them and comparisons to the Dan Wesson system are ridiculous.
While I know the Dan Wesson design, the sleeved barrels make for easier production with minimal cost. That’s the main reason they moved to them. For every “they didn’t do them in X year” buyer, there are at least 3 that couldn’t care less, just as long as the gun works.

Unfortunately, the gun industry in general is to blame for this. Hell, you can call it an issue with all industries today. Look at every gun manufacturer… what are they moving towards? CNC machining, MIM parts (to echo, they are not bad… if done right) and pushing production to get more guns in stores. No largish gun company, or at least a profitable one, is going to say… “hey, let’s make the gun harder to produce just so a small percent of die-hard buyers like it.”

Also, with that movement… there is a huge loss of skilled gunsmiths. More skilled worker means higher salary. Higher salaries mean more expensive firearms. If S&W has 5% of their revolvers with one-piece barrels, that means the other 95% can go in a jig and a non-gunsmith can torque the barrel in. And even with that fictional example… S&W does have issues with the output… even just discussing barrels.

Sort of a side rant, but the US is hemorrhaging for skilled workers. Too many business or arts degrees and not enough people who want to put in the effort to learn a trade and work it. Everyone wants the $200k salary, working from home. Yet, trying to find a skilled worker is hard to do. Even gunsmiths, I have like 2-3 people that I’d send a gun for work.

Last edited by Screwball; January 20, 2025 at 09:45 PM.
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Old January 20, 2025, 09:08 PM   #11
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Best news for revolver fans in a long, long time.
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Old January 21, 2025, 06:13 PM   #12
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I'm really pumped about these. I want to get that model 36 as soon as they come out.
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Old January 21, 2025, 08:04 PM   #13
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Hear ya

I need to learn a more firm NO. Seems like no one is willing to step up and do good work for good money. They want little work for lottsa money. I've buttoned up a couple financial items that will make it lots easier to say no. Perhaps I can actually retire.
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Old January 21, 2025, 10:51 PM   #14
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I wouldn’t assume S&W is going to eliminate the Hillary Hole in their entire line.
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Old January 21, 2025, 11:38 PM   #15
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I'd like to see them make the Model 27 sans lock.

My 2¢
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Old January 22, 2025, 10:43 PM   #16
Drm50
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As the owner of a few S&Ws, It is my opinion to use money for a new S&W revolver on buying same, used in high condition. Especially the service type fixed sight revolvers. I wouldn’t spend any money on new S&W or Colt revolvers. They ain’t what they use to be, even a short time ago. Quality between is the same.
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Old January 23, 2025, 12:28 AM   #17
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That 686 mountain gun with no lock looks good too.
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Old January 23, 2025, 11:08 AM   #18
Jim Watson
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Strange to me, the M10 and M36 lockless are very retro, tapered barrels, semicircular sights, and the M10 has smooth grips; call it the Returning Victory Model.
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Old January 23, 2025, 02:19 PM   #19
wild cat mccane
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People who instead bought the Ruger with a 4 line printed paragraph on the GP100 barrel will not flock to S&W because removing the lock that was never a problem.



(not a rude eye roll, just a...let's be real for a minute here)
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Last edited by wild cat mccane; January 23, 2025 at 02:40 PM.
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Old January 23, 2025, 03:15 PM   #20
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Agreed!
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Old January 24, 2025, 10:33 PM   #21
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I never liked the book written on the side of my Ruger's barrel. So I got rid of them (heavy and bad finish too). I might have to look at the new S&W if the hillary holes are gone. I need to compare the new Colt Python and the equivalent Smith and buy one or the other.
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Old February 4, 2025, 10:32 PM   #22
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It seems (to me) that S&W is slowly moving away from The Lock.
I am very happy to see this positive trend. The few Lock revolvers I own (or have owned) were modified using The Plug to delete The Lock.

A few J-frames are now offered without it.
Most recently, the Lipseys 432/632/442/642 are offered without The Lock. I bought a 432UC as my small contribution to the cause, to encourage S&W to continue down this path.
May have to add a 642UC to the collection.

Incremental progress. We don't get everything we want overnight, but we can get there a step at a time.
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Old February 6, 2025, 06:48 AM   #23
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I wonder if S&W sales of revolvers has finally sunk so low they’re finally resorting to deleting the lock to try and get buyers back.
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Old February 6, 2025, 10:30 AM   #24
Jim Watson
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Maybe so.
I see all the manufacturers bringing out new stuff in a frantic search for sales. Just a couple of examples,
Ruger bringing out a Glock copy;
Staccato bringing out a gun to take Glock magazines not all that long after bringing out guns to take their own proprietary magazines.
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Old February 6, 2025, 03:10 PM   #25
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I wonder how many posting here today actually know the history of the S&W lock?? Its been around 30 years now, and things get lost over time...
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