Gaps in fit on new S&W 617

[KJS]

All of this has forced them to use computer-controlled machinery and modern technology to make both parts and finished guns with the least possible human involvement.

That's one of the issues I left out of a prior reply. It's amazing that quality doesn't improve when machines are now controlled by computers that have such vast power compared to even the ultimate super computer of yesteryear.

The final choice is to seek out and buy an older gun (such as the 1939 era K-22 I mentioned), but this can sometimes be expensive and also has its own pitfalls.

Pitfalls like used guns may be a lemon someone is trying to unload on you. After 50 years of gun industry experience, you can spot the lemon from a mile away, but as you noted, this isn't the case for a more average gun buyer.

Out of curiousity, about how much would a 1939 era K-22 in good functional condition go for? It would be interesting to know how that compares to the modern "functional equivalent."

When it comes to modern revolvers, I can't even think of any company that makes top quality materpieces other than Freedom Arms and then it's only SA. Top quality DAs would be made by, uh, well nobody it seems.

Seems the only other area where you see top quality hand crafted handguns is in the world of 1911s with companies like Ed Brown. Though I think Ed pretty well removes 99% of gun buyers when you're not getting one of his guns in your hands for under $2,400 for a base model. And any man who spends over $3,000 on a pistol is at risk of death by wife.

 

[mec]

I thought it might be kind of fun to superempose a real 25 yard group over a nickel-maybe not. In any case, this 617 and any of them that S&W bothers to turn out correctly should shoot groups a lot like this.
It's not unusuall to see a bit of daylight between the barrel underlug and the frame (this one does not have a gap.)
Canted barrels are fairly common causing the gun to hit off to one side. It is not unusual for the uberti SAAs to have this problem which almost always stems from the barrel not being screwed in all the way ( and very seldom from over tightening.) It's a fairly easy situation to fix.

 

[Guillermo]

if they made revolvers today as they did then very few of they’re potential customers could afford to buy them

I do not believe that such is true.

Pythons, on the used market, sell for 1500 bucks.

S&W sells $1000 injection molded revolvers.

No one has tried to make a quality revolver in over a decade. (quality defined as forged parts, hand fitted)

 

[bergmen]

FWIW, the gap (that you show in your picture) on my brand new 617-6 measures 0.0045.

I'm still inspecting the other fits...

Dan

 

[BCRider]

.....But in all fairness if they made revolvers today as they did then very few of they’re potential customers could afford to buy them, the obvious reason being much higher labor costs combined with government imposed requirements and taxes.

If you looked into the cost list of a gun these days I think you'd find that a sizeable chunk of what they ask for goes for paying for liability insurance.

And even with that when you look at the cost of a S&W revolver I doubt if they would sell any less of them if they charged another $50 to $70 and replaced some of their quality control inspectors with SKILLED and fussy folks instead of the high school shop dropouts that they apparently have in those positions at present. There is simply way too many story's similar to KJS's story these days.

 

[Guillermo]

replaced some of their quality control inspectors

I think you mean "hire some quality control inspectors" because no one can be that incompetent outside of government.

 

[Old Fuff]

Guillermo

I think you mean "hire some quality control inspectors" because no one can be that incompetent outside of government.

I can tell you have not had the questionable experience of try to work with...

Government Inspectors. :banghead:

 

[skidder]

I'm detecting negative energy. "We the people" should learn to smile and wave at what is currently being offered. Regard the feelings of others and only speak the positive. If telling the truth is offending, than the truth is an obscurity marveled on by only those with a narrow minded apprehension. What is truth?...but only a word. Progress we seek, but this is unattainable if we continue to live in the past. Shall we not better grasp the ideology of progress by accepting the wisdom of change? A noble question like this should only be addressed with utmost circumspection.

Current production revolvers suck rocks \/\/

 

[Guillermo]

Skidder

Funny stuff

 

[BCRider]

Guillermo, the government doesn't have a monopoly on useless "workers" these days. I've talked to some private business owners that have a heck of a time finding young workers that will actually do a decent day's work or that are even capable of learning.

 

[CraigC]

My wife is a teacher and you would not believe how many high school students cannot even read or put together a complete sentence.

 

[KJS]

My wife is a teacher and you would not believe how many high school students cannot even read or put together a complete sentence.

I recently bought a fan and the instruction manual had a symbol on the front indicating you should read it -- a figure looking at it as if reading it.

I had wonder if I was the only one to see great irony in that. If somebody is so illiterate they need a symbol instead of words to communicate a message of "read this" how do they expect that person to have the ability to read what the symbol tells them to read?

Let's hope they can read, otherwise they won't know the fan is not designed to be used under water. Or perhaps it's better they not know and win a Darwin Award after death by trying to cool their bath tub with it.