Lock VS Pre-lock S&W’s

[cmgee67]

Are the new S&W revolvers with the lock as good as the old ones without? Have you experienced or known someone who has experienced the lock locking up due the recoil of a magnum?

I wish they didn’t have it because it is rather unsightly. I just wonder if it’s any reason not to own one with a lock vs no lock.

[bubba84]

There are several aftermarket supplies that make lock delete kits to remove them and cover the hole.

I dont know of any failures, but it could happen.

[Beiruty]

Not sure about the new SW with lock. But the old SW revolvers have triggers out of this world.

[ammoboy2]

The triggers are not as good but fairly consistent. MIM trigger parts now.

[Tex1961]

Not sure about the new SW with lock. But the old SW revolvers have triggers out of this world.

Yes they do.

[txhighlander]

I know 2 people that had the lock engage while shooting. A 329 pd and a 638 airweight. The one with the 329 used locktight to render the lock inoperable, the airweight had a lock delete kit put in it. I have shot the airweight and it needed a trigger job but wasn't to bad. Hope this helps. The lock revolvers do have mim parts in them, but so does most new firearms on the market.

[cmgee67]

I didn’t know they could be disabled/removed. I have watched a couple videos on it. I wish Smith wouldn’t make them with the lock at all. And since some J frames have no lock, why can’t they add this to the rest of the lineup so that if you don’t want it, then it’s gone.

[parabelum]

I’ve had newer Smith revolver (29-10) and it shot well. But, I just can’t stand the way that stupid hole looks like and for what it stands so I sold it. At the moment I have a 6” 29-3 made in 1984 (no lock but also not p&r) and a 1980 built model 66-1 (no lock and p&r). Both shoot like brand new, the trigger in SA is so light you feel like if you breathe on it it will go bang.

[cmgee67]

The lock is one of the main reasons I haven’t bought a new one. I don’t like the way it looks.

[carlson1]

The lock was to make the Clinton’s and other gun grabbers happy. I also think the guns with the lock has less smoothness in the trigger.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have 1 no-lock Model 29, and 4 other S&W revolvers in .357 and .38 Special that have locks. The 29 and one of the .357s are N-frames. All the others are J-frames. The two N-frames are the on,y ones with external hammers that can be cocked and fired single action.....so it’s not really a fair comparison to compare the triggers of the 2 larger guns to the smaller DA-only smaller guns.

It is however fair to compare the trigger on the no-lock 5” Model 29, to that of the Performance Center 5” TRR8 with a lock. Honestly, there’s not a significant amount of difference. The 29’s single action pull is a tiny bit better than the TRR8's, but the gun is 25 years old, has probably had a lot more rounds through it over the years, and is well broken in. I’m the original owner of the 29, and I think the second or third owner of the TRR8. Double action pull on both guns feels about the same to me, although I’ve never measured the pull weight on either. Both are stupid accurate.

Frankly, I don’t worry about the lock mechanism. I’ve never experienced a reliability problem with any of my guns with locks, and near as I can tell, it makes no difference to the trigger feel. I suppose that it’s theoretically possible for the lock to cause a malfunction, but there seems to be a dearth of reported real-world cases in which a failure of the lock mechanism caused a stoppage in a gunfight.

[03Lightningrocks]

I have the Smith & Wesson 442 airweight. I have never tried to engage the lock. I have fired hundreds of rounds through it and it has never failed to fire. It has been a couple three maybe four years since I bought it but it had a somewhat heavy trigger pull. Especially for such a small revolver. I purchased and installed a new spring kit and the pull is much better than factory. It was a very noticeable difference. I have memory failure on occasion but I think the kit had a new rebound spring and a new main spring.

[Beiruty]

Here is my 686
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yCpvT6SFM58AQWF66

[cmgee67]

Here is my 686
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yCpvT6SFM58AQWF66

Looks great

[parabelum]

Since Beiruty started it...29-3 and 66-1