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Old May 13, 2013, 11:50 PM   #51
Frasier
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I have two of the newer S&W revolvers, the Model 21 & 22 Classics. I bought them simply because I liked them. The classic lines of these revolvers have a certain nostalgic charm. Both are tack drivers and I sure wished my Beretta 92 could hit with the same accuracy as my Smiths.
Do I like the lock? Nope, but I really love the look and feel of revolvers enough that they were worth every penny and have no regrets whatsoever about buying them and would do so again.
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Old May 14, 2013, 12:04 AM   #52
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Anyone actually LIKES the lock?!

Funny how when this tread started and the moderator said to expect "rant-and-rage sessions" I thought this is going to be a fight of two groups -pro and -against. But so far we are on the page three I haven't seen one singe post stating "Yes, I have the lock and I like it. I find it useful and well worth it." Even the most experienced and calm members say something like "It doesn't bother me, there are other parts of the gun I am concerned more with."

So, is there anybody out there who would actually prefer to have a gun with a lock rather than the one without just for the sake of lock?!
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Old May 14, 2013, 06:46 AM   #53
buck460XVR
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I'd rather not have the billboards on the barrels of my Rugers, but it didn't stop me from buying them. When Remington came out with the key lock on their trigger guard it did not stop me from buyin' them. Same goes for the lock on my S&Ws. Some models and calibers were not produced before the locks came out. If you want one, you take 'em with the hole. Some folks spend too much time lookin' at their guns from the side and not from the back.
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Old May 16, 2013, 12:39 AM   #54
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I've owned and currently own S&W guns but no revolvers yet. I ordered a 686 Plus Pro a while back but who knows when it will show up. I gritted my teeth and bore the lock because in every other way, this was my ideal .357. We'll see if it ever fails but is that really the issue we've all got with it?

Of course, a locking fail could mean the difference between life and death. Even if it is less likely than being struck by lightning, it's the fact that they gave us a raincoat with an antenna in the first place. The cons should be obvious to anyone, with or without an engineering degree. In most cases, every added part or step is an added chance for failure. This is true of the assembly within a firearm which, like the frame of your house or car, hinges life and safety on structural and operational integrity. I compare the lock to taking main support beams for your house, sawing them down the middle, and reattaching them with folded hinges. So, why did they do it? What purpose does it serve? Has anyone on this forum ever used it?

Aesthetically, it is more than just an eyesore in itself. An earlier poster hit the nail on the head when they noted the location. The ugly hole and directional printing is crammed up against an otherwise attractive moving part. Even if the above argument fails, how hard was it to put this in a discrete location?

It also must increase the cost of production as it is an extra feature. What philosophy of business says that increasing the cost of production while saddling customers with something they don't want is good?

After saying all that, it might seem silly that I've ordered one. It was months ago and I honestly wasn't thinking too deeply on the lock when I placed the order. The other thing is that I haven't seen any other current production .357 that I like better. So, we'll see how it goes.

In the mean time, there may be some positive news. I was talking with a customer service guy at S&W. He said that they are aware of customer sentiment and that future revolvers are likely to move away from the lock. He suggested I check out the 442 Moonclip with no lock that's in current production. Maybe when the gun budget recovers--if I haven't been mauled by a bear with a locked-up gun in my hand before then--I'll pick one up.
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Old May 16, 2013, 04:17 AM   #55
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The whole company's line of products are dead to me until they get rid of the stupid locks, autos, rifles and all.
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Old May 16, 2013, 11:03 AM   #56
carprivershooter
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no big deal

I own 3 686s with the internal lock. Do I use them? No. Do I mind the little whole in the frame? no. Will I not buy another Smith & Wesson? Yes. Just because a gun has a lock does not mean it will fail just at the exact moment you need it, hell any gun could fail at the exact moment you need it. No tool is 100% fool proof and not break. The internal lock just does not matter one way or the other. I have shoot hot load through mine rapid fire and all I got was a sore hand and shoulder.
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Old May 16, 2013, 11:40 AM   #57
mlcompound
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Re: S&W lock

I have never had a problem with a 637 airweight (when i had it). I locked it a couple times just to see how it worked. I have also never had a problem withy pre lock model 60. Although, I have had several rounds of factory ammunition fail to fire (heavy primer strike and all). Therefore, I refuse to buy any new ammunition manufactured before the date of the first round that failed.
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Old May 16, 2013, 12:11 PM   #58
James K
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S&W has never admitted that the lock ever failed by locking up from recoil, but they very quietly changed the lock so it can't do what it didn't do.

I never use the lock, but then I have no small children or unauthorized persons in the house, so I see no problems. Still, I can see situations where its use would be appropriate. Oddly, it seems the heat on locks has been directed at S&W, while locks by Ruger, Taurus and others have been ignored.

Jim
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Old May 16, 2013, 12:32 PM   #59
Grant D
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I have seven Smith and Wesson snub's, five without, two with locks,I have no problem with them.
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Old May 16, 2013, 06:19 PM   #60
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I've had handguns and small children.
You need a button combination safe, not a lock on the gun.
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Old May 16, 2013, 07:51 PM   #61
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James K, as I noted above regarding aesthetics, think on where Ruger or Taurus put their locks. It is in a more discrete location. So while it may present the same small increase in risk, it is out of sight and out of mind for most of us.

Speaking of aesthetics, buck460XVR is right about the Ruger barrel billboard. While possibly less damning than the visible lock, it is both ugly and stupid. Why blemish something of such value with something so ridiculous?

I don't own a Ruger revolver but I've been considering one. General advice seems to be that they all benefit from a trip to the smith when you first get them. Couldn't all that nonsense be buffed out or something?
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Old May 17, 2013, 12:28 PM   #62
James K
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Ruger put on that "billboard" under a court-ordered settlement; had they not done so, the suit could have bankrupted the company. So you might consider that the choice would be a Ruger with the markings or no Rugers at all, ever. You can be irate over our "justice" system but you can either work to change the system or you can move to another country.

S&W was also under legal pressure from the Clinton administration, which was trying to shut them down; part of the agreement was a lock. Even though S&W is under new management, the company still is legally obligated to carry out their agreement. Whether S&W did it the best way is arguable, but at least its use doesn't involve removing the grips. And we can still buy S&W's.

Jim
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Old May 17, 2013, 08:16 PM   #63
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I wasn't familiar with the back story on these features but aggressive, immoral, and unconstitutional regulation on so many levels has retarded the market and saddled us with problems like these. James K raised the best point of the thread. All of us should be actively engaged in defending our rights and the market that relies upon them.

There are a number of good organizations working on this that would love to have your help. Some do it through lobbying the officials in office now. Others, such as the John Birch Society, focus on educating and organizing the electorate that votes for them. Either way, it takes serious effort and long-term dedication to stop the "progress" of those trying to violate our rights. It takes even more to undo the damage they've already done.
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Old May 17, 2013, 08:39 PM   #64
James K
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"I wasn't familiar with the back story on these features..." It does help to understand the reasons for actions, even if we don't agree with the result.

One thing that won't help is boycotting the companies, telling everyone not to buy their products, or making terrorist threats against S&W as one nutcase on another site did.

The first duty of any company to its owners or share holders is to stay in business and make a profit. Both S&W and Ruger did that. I wish it were not necessary to bow to pressure from the loony fringe antis, but we cannot always have the world as we want it.

Jim
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Old May 17, 2013, 08:50 PM   #65
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I own 3 late model S&W with the lock. One is an Airweight .38+P. No problem with the lock in any of them. The overall quality of the newer guns is not as good as the older guns with the firing pins on the hammer. The quality seems to have started downhill when they quit pinning the bbls. They are still my favorite revolver even tho you may have to do a little work on them, even send it back for warranty work. Nothing like a Smith. I wouldn't worry about the lock.
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Old May 17, 2013, 09:18 PM   #66
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I think they should make all of their models with the option of lock or no lock like they do with some of the J frame models. Then I might buy a new S&W again.
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Old May 18, 2013, 04:32 PM   #67
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I have a 442 with the lock. Never touched the lock, never will. I don't like it being there. But overall I'm not to worried about it failing. I've shot plenty of +P through the gun. No problems yet.
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Old May 18, 2013, 05:02 PM   #68
cookie5
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The lock assembly has a tit that stops the hammer. You can take the lock parts off grind the tit off and reassemble the lock parts and the lock will not be a problem. I do that to all my S@W revolvers with the lock. You can't beat S@W or Ruger revolvers for the value for the dollar.
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Old May 18, 2013, 08:21 PM   #69
Dave T
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In my first post on this thread I said:

Quote:
There have been claims that the ultra-light guns with the plug have locked up when maximum loads are fired through them.
I meant to say "...ultra-light guns with the IL...". Obviously guns with the plug can't lock up. Sorry if that confused anyone. It was confusing to me when I re-read it a little while ago.

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Old May 18, 2013, 08:53 PM   #70
spaniel
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I don't doubt the people who claim they have had a gun with the lock, lock up.

The lock is dumb.

I own a 329PD with a lock, which should be the worst offender. I can say that with near-max loads and 240gr bullets, I have had zero issues.
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Old May 19, 2013, 07:39 AM   #71
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Quote:
First of all, most of us don't have them.
Baloney. I own both types.
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