What's with the lock on Smith and Wessons?

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Alex45ACP

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What's with the lock on Smith and Wessons? Why did they start putting those on there? Any chance they'll ever start making guns again without them? I hate those things :barf:
 
They are making the M&P autoloader line with or without locks. Hopefully that practice will find it's way through the rest of their guns.
 
"What's with the lock on (new) S&W's?"

Why, generally a little plastic bag with two keys.

Also... the company that own's S&W is named 'American Safe-T-Lock'.

I have more with the 'Infernal Lock' than without - and none have caused me any form of grief. I wouldn't specify a lock, given the choice. But... I won't let it's inclusion deter me from a new S&W purchase - they make some fine new revolvers these days. I also don't let Ruger's poor QC deter my new purchases... I just keep the tool box handy. Sadly, every Ruger has needed sometimes a lot of TLC - those 'lock equipped' S&W's worked fine right out of the box.

Stainz

PS The little 'L' is on the 'left' side - above the cylinder release... handy reminder of which way to grab the revolver - for the easily confused, of course.
 
Any chance they'll ever start making guns again without them?
Click to expand...

Not likely.
Click to expand...
Actually the classic series model 40 shown at the SHOT didn't have a lock. It's supposed to stay that way on the production guns as well according to a recent issue of The Shotgun News. Of course it still had MIM internals, but that's for another thread. Otherwise it's just politics and lawyers (isn't it always) as others have already noted.
 
So far, no reports of the Ruger "hidden lock" (on some newer SA models only) auto-engaging. I own one like that, and have been watching like a hawk for the merest hint of it happening. I've also studied mine and see no engineering flaw.

There ARE reports of auto-locking happening on S&Ws.

That's a pretty big difference.

I'll also say that Ruger QC appears on the upswing of late. My 2005-era New Vaquero was absolutely perfect, and an excellent shooter.
 
Is there any hard documentation on these "hidden locks" on Ruger handguns?

I'd heard rumors about Ruger succumbing to PC-crappiness, but never saw/read anything concrete.
 
Takes about 2 minutes with a screwdriver to disable the lock or remove it completely. Sure it's undesirable from an aesthetics standpoint, but it's a perfectly reasonable option in a shooter.

I don't like the things either, but it's not going to stop me from buying new S&W revolvers.
 
Mdao: Please share.

Weed Wacker: What do you mean by 'Hard documentation'?
Go look at a new Ruger Blackhawlk and take the grips off.
 
To keep thier products in some large markets they gotta do what they needed to alter the previous design. Like it or not they - the locks - are here to stay. Don't like them...don't buy 'em and be contenet with simply buying older or used ones from now on. Or...accept them and make the decision to either utilize them or simply ignore them altogether.
 
I don't like the things either, but it's not going to stop me from buying new S&W revolvers.
Click to expand...

same here.....I didn't like the locks on my new 870 or my sons new Remington pump 22...but like all S&W's, they are a quality firearm and I still bought em and we enjoy them.

As far as the locks being ugly, I don't even notice them. I guess it's cause I shoot them more then I look at them. Kinda like a mole on a womans face. If she's fat and ugly, it's kinda disgusting, but on Marilyn Monroe or Cindy Crawford, they're kinda sexy.

I have a friend who just bought a new Ruger .44....and it's a very nice gun. He was seriously looking at Smith's also and used the lock as his excuse for not buying the 629. But........I know him well enough to know, it was the price difference and not the lock that was the major factor in his decision.
 
I mean something akin to photos of the external mechanism and an accurate description of what the parts actually do.

Many folks, including myself, do not have access to a new Ruger, and even if we did, wouldn't likely get the owner to agree to let us take the grips off.
 
I wonder:D People won't buy Smiths because of the locks. If Smith did away with the locks would the lock guns then be rare and collectable:banghead: (and at the gun show they say "hey they only made so many of these so you got to pay a high price":neener: )

jj
 
I bought a J-frame earlier this year and didn't like the lock but you just reminded me that it's there. It's a non-issue with me. The revolver does what it's intended to do,,, it shoots. Chief aka Maxx Load
 
I only buy pre lock S&W's. What ever they made/make after 2000 is of no concern to me. So, I guess I can say it's not an issue too!
 
As everyone knows, the federal government can press a switch in Washington and all the locks will flip on and disable the guns. It's a government conspiracy. The only way to stop it is to wear an aluminum foil hat.
 
Thanks, Nomad and Hawk, for the information! :)

lock vs. no-lock
emotion vs. fact
your choice
Click to expand...

Fact: more moving parts means more parts to wear out and break, or simply fail to work correctly; means all other things being equal, more parts equals less reliability.

Fact: less reliability in a defensive firearm is a bag thing.
 
Hey honey, someone is breaking down our door. Do you happen to remember where you hid my key? Honey, where is my key.
 
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