Been lurkin' around awhile and figured it was time to join up with you fine gentlemen on this fine site. Apologize for such a wordy first post but I missed out on all the fun last couple of years.
I wanted to share my recent experience with a new Smith. Having only owned and fired semi-autos this was to be my first revolver and the only one that interested me was the 3" 686+. After a couple of months of research here and elsewhere I became quickly educated in the issues surrounding the newer Smiths i.e the lock, MIM parts, two piece barrel and overall lack of quality. Of all those "problems" the one that concerned me the most was the last - poor quality control. Not good for a premium priced firearm. So... I started looking for an older 3" model. None to be found and gun prices on the rise daily. A CS-1 would have been perfect-good luck on that one. Managed to find just one priced around $1k but no other 3 inchers. Searched for a long time then decided to chance it and buy a new one with the barrel length I wanted. Waited for it to arrive with crossed fingers.
I was pleasantly surprised when the gun arrived. Very good quality indeed. Fit, finish, lockup, DA trigger all excellent. My late father was a mechanical engineer, part time gunsmith and ran his own foundry so I have a fair knowlege of what constitutes good metal work. I think he would have given this gun an A- at worst. Maybe I just lucked out with this one. Have fired several hundred rounds with complete satisfaction.
Sometimes the old saying "Don't make 'em like they used to" is very true - I have a WWI Colt M1911 made in 1913 I shoot occassionaly that I wouldn't trade for any Kimber or newer Colt. But to read over and over about how the new S&W revolvers are junk is, well, ridiculous. Junk is a strong word. I've looked at a lot of the older smiths and they are some fine guns but this new one is also marvelous. Time will tell if the MIM parts shatter or the hammer locks (I doubt it} but quality control was highly functional the day they made this particular 686.
As for the cosmetic issue of the lock hole, it's pretty subjective. I think a lot of the time people get used to how things are (were) and find certain changes objectionable. I just ordered a beautiful set of Craig Spegel grips yesterday...but wait...there's a big hole in the center of the grip where the
screw goes. Awwww-ruins the whole thing now
. Exposed screw heads in the side plate aren't particularly lovely but nobody cares because "They've always been there".
The political angle is important to consider but the fact that I could purchase this gun legally and fire it when I choose makes it somewhat moot as of this late date. Let's all deal with the issues before us now. If Smith takes the lock away that's great. If not .....