Beating the S&W Lock

[TOGGLELOCK]

The Lock is for a real Putz. We didn't need locks on handguns made in the 1880's and we don't need one now. I'll wait for a S&W without a Internal Lock before I purchase another. Sorry, but S&W should know better and DC vs. Heller should have merely commanded them to avoid those silly Locks.
TOGGLELOCK (no pun intended)

 

[ugaarguy]

Please Read

Alright, I didn't start this thread to discuss whether or not you like the lock. If you like the lock, or are indifferent about the lock this thread isn't for you, so please don't post in it. If you don't like the lock for whatever reason this thread probably is for you. I'm not terribly interested in why you don't like the lock; we all our reasons.

I'm interested in discussing ways that we can pressure S&W enough to get more no lock revolvers on the market. Right now it appears that pressure at the distributor level is the best way to get results. Please, let's keep the discussion focused on ways to get more no lock revolvers made.

 

[Matt-J2]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Write letters. Actual, physical letters, on sheets of paper, that get sent through the postal service. If you care enough to write a real letter, and pay for it to be sent you increase the chance of someone at S&W(or anywhere) caring enough to read it. Nobody gives two craps about complaint emails from someone they've ever heard of.
Part 2: Stop buying from S&W. Buy from their competitors. Don't even buy old S&W, as it demonstrates you're still in there pocket and will come around soon or later. If you're buying current models, why should they change? They're getting your money anyway. Make a point of this in your letter(s). I makes more of an impression when they're not only losing money, but that money is going to someone else.
And of course, one person's letter doesn't mean whole lot. You need a bunch of em, so organizing is key.



Granted, locks seem to be showing up on everybodies revolvers, so you might need to act really quickly. Good luck.

 

[pps]

I think you answered your own question in your original post. "no lock 642s from a canceled export order, has sold all of those guns before the initial ship date."

If the powers that be at S&W will listen to anything it will be the rapid sell out of the no lock revolvers. If this happens consistently, while sales of the IL counterparts languish on the shelves twice as long as no locks, then S&W, hopefully, will make the right decision out of the need for profit.

 

[Gary A]

I dunno, seems to me that even if S&W rethinks their position on the lock and decides to do away with it, it might be really sticky for them to phase in no-lock guns. If they decide that many people really hate the lock and won't buy a Smith because of it and others don't like them but will buy one because they otherwise have no choice, what would they do with all the ILS guns in production and in the pipeline if they suddenly began producing that model sans lock? They don't want to eat the guns they have. So they would have to wait to sell the ones they have before announcing and producing regular quantities of no-lock guns. How many lock guns would distributors buy if they knew for sure that by waiting a bit, Smith would produce the same gun without a lock? At the least there would be some periods of scarcity for models while the inventory is sold down and before no-lock guns appeared. In a way, Smith and Wesson has hoisted itself by its own petard. They may be testing the waters but any transition to no-lock guns might well be slow and halting. At any rate, Smith is not going to complicate the problem by hastily announcing any intentions to phase out the locks. They can't afford to. They would play it very close to the vest.

I suppose they could a) remove the lock, patch the hole (expensive in time and labor), and discount the guns to clear old inventory (more lost money), or simply put the ILS guns on sale, but even this would be done probably only after inventories were reduced on high-production models.

 

[Matt-J2]

That should help as well. While don't think they've all actually sold yet(because they haven't all shipped , IIRC), no doubt they will.

Good basis for a another letter. Let them know that the only reason they obtained your money is that they released a revolver without the lock, and that if they wish to continue receiving your money, that the need to continue to do so. The letter in this case reinforces what your purchase has stated. The purchase alone might work, or might not. How many IL 642s we sold in the same time period?

 

[ugaarguy]

How many IL 642s we sold in the same time period?

That's kind of the problem. The 642 is S&W's best selling revolver, and S&W sells 6 out of every 10 revolvers sold worldwide.

 

[Matt-J2]

That's what I was thinking, but wasn't 100% sure on. Certainly makes things tougher.