Jerry... ok... you don't want to do the homework yourself.
A quick search brings up three S&W owners/S-W forum members right off the bat who reported directly of their problems... here is what they had to say:
45WheelGun on the S&W Forum:
"I am one of the three who have had their lock fail. Mine was also a lock spring, as verified by S&W."
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Erich from Albuquerque, NM, member of the S&W Forum and others:
"I actually own a S&W model 60-15 3" with an idiot lock that has caused me trouble. When I oafishly knocked the unloaded gun from a countertop to the hardwood floor, the lock's "flag" mechanism (the part that has the little tit that engages the hammer itself and locks the hammer up) got a bit crossways in its slot and jammed the thing up tight as a drum. Since I was home and not engaged in a fight with a felon, I was able to dig the "key" out of the box in the safe and set it to right by fully engaging the lock and then disengaging it.
Had I not been home, I would have been holding a fairly small inert piece of steel. Even if I had the "key" on me, pulling out a keyring and trying to find an especially small one is not on my dance chart if I'm struggling and in need of my self-defense gun.
So . . . based on my experience, I would strongly advise you to look around until you found something without the idiot lock. You're too nice a guy to have to deal with such potentially dangerous hassles."
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From Joni_Lynn on the S&W Forum:
"I don't use the lock in mine, but I do carry the key since the thing has engaged itself twice now.
I may disable it one of these days. In the meantime it is a totally useless carry gun in that condition.
Last time I shot it I couldn't get it to duplicate that action though. I figure there must be some way to jam it in one position so it stays put. No, I'm not sending it back to S&W. I've found their customer service to be quite friendly and not at all difficult to get along with, but sometimes when a gun has been in '4 times' for the same thing I wonder if the night janitor is doing the work on mine. Eventually mine were all fixed or replaced. The majority of my S&W's have been picture perfect from the start.
The gun in question is: My "ex-carry" gun is a S&W 340PD, the ammo for carry is Federal 125gr 357 in the silver box. The 158 American Eagle stuff is a bit on the testy side recoil wise, but I've shot some of that as well.
I know what to remove and where to remove it from to disable that thing. I don't see how it could possibly have engaged by itself now that I look at it, but then again my key also rounded off so I can't move it either way anyhow. Now I just need to consider if I want to do it or not."
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Do you think these three S&W forum members are the only S&W users on the planet who've had problems with the locks unexpectedly lock up on them? There are other first hand accounts I've read, but you'll have to dig those up yourself if you want to read them.
If you choose to contact these members directly, you can do so through the forum. Beyond that you can do more research if you're unconvinced that there are problems with the locks self engaging.
I'm not saying the problems are widespread, simply that they do happen!
What do you expect S&W to do, declare publicly that they've had problems with some of the locks??? Take out an ad in the gun magazines telling everyone that there have been some problems with the locks?
The problems are not that widespread, but if you have a S&W with the lock, there is a possibility you could have a problem. If you have a S&W without the lock, there is no possibility of a lock related problem. That simple.
