Warming up to The Lock

[Hawk]

I have been singularly unsuccessful in replacing a short-ish barrel model 29 that I sold back to its original owner owing to an epic, heart-wrenching case of seller's remorse that was painful to even watch.

Anyhow, an interesting enigma of a bead-blast blued, 3" barrel current production mod 29 has turned up at the local dealer.

I'm not ordinarily enamored of bead-blast blue but it has the interesting side effect of matching the color of the lock "collar" making it blend in more than usual. I can probably live with it.

But the barrel marking will eventually get on my nerves I predict. Anybody familiar with the S&W "Bounty Hunter" and, more specifically, can the barrel graphic be removed without tearing up the finish much?

Found an auction with pics here:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=88443803

TIA

 

[18DAI]

The "Bounty Hunter" legend on the barrel, appears to be laser etched. If so, it can be bead blasted off, and the barrel re blued. S&W has performed both services in the past. A call to S&W customer service, may confirm this.

As regards warming up to the lock, that will never happen for me . As far as I'm concerned S&W went out of business in 2001. Luckily for me, they made a lot of fine pre lock revolvers, before they went away TJ.

 

[Hawk]

Got a 3" barrel pre-lock 29 for sale?

 

[18DAI]

Hawk - LOL, no, sadly I do not. I'm hoarding all my pre lock revolvers, and buying up nice examples locally, in case the S&W apologists are correct, and the lock is here to stay.

I'm heartened by the news of S&W's slow sales, and bloated inventory. Perhaps the IL revolvers aren't selling as briskly as the pro S&W folks on the internet would have us believe? I think there is still hope that S&W will offer a choice of locks or not on the revolvers, as they currently do with the M&P pistols. They will if they want to sell as many revolvers as possible.

In any case, I wish you luck in your search. IMHO, watching the auction boards can be rewarding. I scored a LNIB pre lock PC 586-5 L-comp last year for hundreds less than the asking price for the current "innovative" L-comp . I got a superior revolver, and had enough cash left for a case or two of ammo. Good luck! TJ

 

[Hawk]

I've got a couple 57s, couple 66s and a 640.
The absence of a 29 is like the hole that's left after a tooth is extracted.
I keep an eye open but the pre-locks will dry up eventually.

My tin-foil hat marketing conspiracy theory of the week involves S&W patiently waiting until the pre-locks are routinely fetching a 300.00 premium at which time they'll take a page from Colt's playbook and market a "reproduction" at a couple hundred dollar premium that'll be marinated in profit as they've simply omitted a couple of parts.

...much like a series 70. Leave parts out and charge more - great work if you can get it. More interesting is that people like me will pay it.

 

[Old Fuff]

I don't think that S&W is going to drop 2-piece barrels with shallow EDM rifling in the liner, nor is MIM lockwork going to go away. These features, along with the round butt on N-frames annoy me more then the lock itself.

Then there's matt blue...

I'd settle for an older model 27 or 28, converted to .44 Special or Magnum.

 

[Hawk]

In any case, I wish you luck in your search. IMHO, watching the auction boards can be rewarding. I scored a LNIB pre lock PC 586-5 L-comp last year for hundreds less than the asking price for the current "innovative" L-comp . I got a superior revolver, and had enough cash left for a case or two of ammo. Good luck! TJ

My luck in buying "sight unseen" product has been singularly grim. I've got one model 57 and a Python in different shops as we speak. My non-local purchases haven't been 100% steaming heaps but the rate of steaming heaps is better than 50% which I believe is spectacular.

This is likely a natural offshoot of both hoarding and my cosmic bad luck. People with exemplary older product are disinclined to part with it; if they've been holding a dog, it's a great time to unload it.

Given my track record it's likely best to keep all purchases of used goods local. That has a predictable impact on the available supply pool - I expect I'll cave pretty soon. Even if I did notice that the S&W logo now appears lasered onto the bead blast surface - it would surely disappear under any attempt to refinish - a refinish which it is in dire need of, IMHO.

I haven't seen a (shorter than 6") 29 in the last year in the half dozen toy stores I sporadically check. Given a choice between going without and buying a lock...

Buying only non-lock product is probably a lot easier to advise when "you've already got yours". Not that I blame anyone for hoarding - I'd do it myself given the chance.

 

[stevereno1]

internal locks just ain't for me.

 

[CoinMan]

Given my track record it's likely best to keep all purchases of used goods local.

I'll second that emotion. My online purchase success is 0%, and with the shipping charges and transfer fee, a seemingly good deal ends up being OK, maybe. When the gun arrives at the shop, invariable it's in less than expected condition. I'd rather drop a fin for gun show addmission and give my next purchase a good once-over.

I hate the S&W lock, BTW. It makes a revo asthetically comparable to a cherry '57 Bel Aire with a bullet hole in the rear quarter panel. Horrible.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Wow. That'd be ugly even for a Ruger.

When the gun arrives at the shop, invariable it's in less than expected condition.

I have a hunch mileage varies quite a bit. My expectations of internet firearms purchases have been exceeded far more often than disappointed; on the whole, my expectations have merely been met.

The trick, in my experience, is to call the seller before placing the first bid. If the deal sounds too good to be true and/or the seller doesn't sound 100% trustworthy, just keep looking.

The three-inch N frame .44 magnum, by the way, can be an excellent shooter, and is both lighter and handier to carry than longer-tubed models. Personally, I won't even consider a gun with an internal lock, but there's nothing like a shortage of good used Smith & Wessons on the market.

 

[22-rimfire]

The market on nice pre-lock Smiths has been very active this year. The trend seems to be that anything priced below current factory production will eventually sell. The common or high production models (like the Model 10) will probably lag. Prices on the revolvers keep going up and premiums will likely be paid for pre-lock models in the coming years since Smith is very unlikely to ever make current revolvers like the older ones. I can't say they are a great investment, as investments go, but you will likely not be hurt buying them at fair prices if you are willing to sell them in a couple years. Buy magnums.

 

[magnumcarry]

I have not had a problem with the "Lock", I had fired many rounds with 0% problems.... I just don't use it.

 

[Old Fuff]

Hawk:

I have scored some Internet buys that would make you drool, and never been seriously disappointed. But I make a point of buying from a small circle of sellers/dealers that I know and trust from previous experience. Admittedly this limits my opportunities, but it's still a viable and valuable option.

While the cost of an item may, or may not (often not) be higher then I'd pay in the local market I'm more then willing to pay for value received. In no case have I paid anything close to the street price for a new gun of the same kind, although the models I choose often don't have a current equivalent.

 

[TimM]

Warm up to the lock?

Never!

 

[Hawk]

But I make a point of buying from a small circle of sellers/dealers that I know and trust from previous experience. Admittedly this limits my opportunities, but it's still a viable and valuable option.

Actually one of the ones in the shop now is a model 57 from an internet "buddy" of sorts - it wasn't the sort of thing I'd expect anybody to pick up in a perfunctory check and I thought it'd slick up with cleaning, lube and use. Just didn't happen. Besides, it was pristine - he probably didn't even try the thing - unlike me he considers "unturned" to be desireable. In fact, given the number of Colt SAAs he sells, he probably makes a habit of not cycling a customer's firearm - this particular 57 was from an estate and in the original wood box with tools. Nice - just didn't run worth a wet slap.

I should clarify that I don't think I was getting intentionally hosed, it's just the luck of the draw and my luck sucks. It's stuff like that that makes something new and warranteed start to make the lock look less offensive than it might otherwise be. That cheap-o logo etching probably cheeses me off more than the lock. Part of why I liked learning about revolvers was they were so much classier and nicer looking than my main semi-auto. T'aint so no more.

Locally, 66s abound, but 29s and 586s are like chicken lips in the shorter barrel lengths.

 

[Tberger688]

magnumcarryDecember 29th, 2007, 08:20 AM
I have not had a problem with the "Lock", I had fired many rounds with 0% problems.... I just don't use it.

Just hang in there the problems will appear sooner or later!

 

[joneb]

Adding lock work to gun is like putting a chain and pad lock on a life preserver, it just dose not make sense to me

 

[~kev~]

Can someone please tell me what this "lock" is?

I own a S&W Model 66 combat magnum in 357 magnum - it was a gift from my mom and dad in 1986.

As far as the drop in sales of S&W, when they produce a hand gun like what I want then I will consider buying one.

I want a 6 inch blued S&W in 41 magnum, but S&W does not have a current line of pistols like that - only in stainless. I do not want to use a stainless pistol for deer hunting. Its my money, I should be able to buy what I want, not what some company "thinks" I should buy.

 

[Hawk]

Just hang in there the problems will appear sooner or later!

As unsightly and unneccessary as the thing is, I'm still calling BS on that remark.

The reports of the thing giving grief exist but are relatively rare. More rare than shattering Kimber MIM, Glock kabooms and gimped Colt collet bushings. Your chances of living several lifetimes without personally having a clock-key lock whiz in your breakfast cereal are very good. Read both parts of the 642 thread for further input. The lock has enough real stuff going against it that adding fantasy internet predictions isn't needed.

What grinds me is that it is possible to buy a Kimber without type II parts, Colts without series 80 parts etc. With S&W you're pretty much stuck with the lemon squeezer or used.

Anybody know if the new lemon squeezer has the hole to pin it like the older models?

 

[Evocatii]

I can't say I agree with why S&W added the locks, but I do understand that business is business and to make money, they must do what they need to do.

Secondly, I find it to be a useful safety feature when it is needed. Its not a flaw, its a feature. Even with it there, it is still optional for the end user and effective for its intended purpose. Malfunctions due to the lock have been taken care of early on in production.

What we are left with is an added feature that is optional and not required to be used buy the owner for the operation of the firearm. Some people treat it like it is micro stamping (which has been proven to be unreliable), or like my dad treats computers..."I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole." It seems people just don't like to see change. As for those individuals that claim it is about the principle, that is a seperate matter.

 

[Old Fuff]

Anybody know if the new lemon squeezer has the hole to pin it like the older models?

I'm not sure, but I think they left it off of the current classic lemon squeezers.

But I'm absolutely sure they are in the older ones...

Actually, it doesn't matter. The grip safety pushes on a little lever that blocks the hammer. Remove that little lever, and the safety does.... nothing.