Today, I'm seeing an almost re-birthing of interest in revolvers! I'm 71 years young and see a lot of guys my age and some young guys putting their semi-autos in the safe and going back to revolvers! In 1973 I carried a S&W Chief's Special. Now I'm looking at 3" revolvers for a daily carry. The only issue that has steered me away from S&W Quality Control! But, wheel guns won't disappear anytime soon! Nice presentation! Best to ya',,,,!

My "thing" with the older Smith & Wesson revolvers is that I wanted them so badly when I was a "kid" and couldn't afford them. Now I'm older, retired, and thankful that I can afford them. I have10 older (like me) Smith's that I drooled over in Guns And Ammo magazines until the pages wrinkled and faded. lol

What a beautiful collection of revolvers! Thank you!

I’ve owned a S&W model 17-2 master piece 22 lr for over 40 years and have owned several handguns also but this model 17 has taught me more about handgun shooting than all the others, this gun is like an old friend to me.

I have owned dozens of Smith revolvers, but the very best of them all is a model 15, no dash, from 1957, in factory nickel with target hammer and trigger. The gun rested practically unfired in a safe for over 55 years before I got it and it has the smoothest action I have ever experienced in a Smith revolver. That smooth action was an original factory hand fitting too, not something that came at an extra charge. Yes, I shoot it, and it is a real pleasure.

My father was a Chicago Cop when I was a kid and I inherited his S&W.38 Special CTG service revolver from 1955! It has a pinned barrel and a “floating firing pin” as he called it. Adjustable rear sight and recessed cylinder. Also I have his old off duty S&W snub nose .38 Detective 5 shot revolver that he had a gun smith shave the hammer down so he could carry it in his pocket like all the old time detectives did. Also another snub nose .38 Detective air weight revolver that I swapped out the grip for Packmayre grips. I bought back my S&W Model 19 357 Mag Snub Nose revolver that I carried before converting to 9mm Glocks. All Fire beautifully. Like you said, keep them cleaned and lubbed and I can pass them down to my sons.

I have an old original model 27 in like new condition, 8 3/8 barrel and a Chiefs Special air weight that will be in my estate sale someday, or go to my grandson. The 27 isn't just a nice gun, it's a work of art.

It looks like you have the same issue I do... There is no such thing as too many wheelguns. I also feel that they are all good firearms..

David you camera work was great, thanks for putting this Video Review together. My son and I like Smith&Wesson Revolvers very much. Respectfully, Beretta Sr.

I ordered a 19 Classic, it was 22 months before it arrived at my dealer! When I took possession of it, I immediately called S&W for a return authorization! The gun had many problems that should not come with a brand new gun! It was manufactured in the third week of July, 2021. I received it during the fourth week of July! It honestly looked like something that you would find in the used gun area of a Pawn Shop. The frame and cylinder were finished in the deep rich black bluing like the guns of the 70’s, the barrel shroud appeared faded from black to gray! The cylinder had a very pronounced wear ring around it! The recoil shield had a wear groove where the cylinder strikes it when closing it! The grips did not fit together at the front of the butt, almost 1/8 inch gap, at the rear, they were fine! I returned it to S&W, they kept it 4 months! Once I finally got it back, it looks and shoots great. S&W took care of all problems! I don’t sell or trade any of my S&W revolvers but I will never have the love for this gun that I have for all my other Smiths! It should have never left the factory in that condition!

This was interesting to me. My cousin was an engineer at S&W, in Springfield, Mass. This cousin passed away, but I’m sure he had input as to how to manufacture the products more efficiently.

I dislike the fact that solid Goncalo hardwood grips are not used anymore on their models. The laminated wood grips S&W purchases from their vendor look cheap. And the beautiful high gloss nickel finish is a thing of the past.

They sound so clicky and are beautiful! Love em all...

I love S&W Revolvers.

I have a collection of firearms but I always love my S&W revolvers, 64-1,36 no dash,combat masterpiece 15-3 and 686 357 magnum.

Knowledge is power. I have been looking at purchasing a revolver and the information that you provided has helped me immensely. God bless you for sharing your S&W revolver knowledge with us.

Today's S&W revolver is only a shadow of the revolver's made 25 years ago or so. Most of the part's now are metal injection molded rather than forged. S&W intent is to have the part's drop in with little to no fitting. Fitter's ( the individual's who assembled the gun use to use a 56 point inspection sheet. The last inspection sheet I saw had 12 inspection point's. S&W went to the two piece barrel system because they lost the ability the align the barrel with the frame. (The procedure is called "clocking") Compared to the older gun's , polishing and bluing also leaves a lot to be desired. The Performance Center Gun's are not what they used to be either. Most are fitted on the regular production line. When the P.C. was a seperate production facility, the gun's were assembled and hand fitted there. A Performance Center action is no better than the action on a regular production gun. I love Smith's but only the older one's.

Very nice collection, I also collect S+W but I only have prelock models. The price of the new ones are nuts, hunt down the old ones!

I think this collection of Smiths is great and would love to have the lot of em. All of them finished nicely!!!

I have a few S&W revolvers but my favorite is my old Model 28 Highway Patrolman (6"). The gun is just such a pleasure to shoot, and is incredibly accurate! It's my backup sidearm of choice when I hunt. Nice video David! Many thanks from South Africa.

When it comes to smith & wesson , older pistols are typically leaps and bounds better than “newer production “ pistols .. I own 5 screw 32-20 , that cycles like glass , smoother than a colt python .. The type of craftsmanship that went into those old guns unfortunately is to never be seen again from Smith & Wesson …

Great video and what a beautiful collection of revolvers. I'm so glad to see a person that is open minded about the S&W revolvers of today. They are simply trying to give revolvers guys nice reliable guns. They are not making these because of their high profit margins. Thanks for this great video.

I entered law enforcement in the waning days of the revolver. I was issued a S&W model 67 for the basic academy, and bought 4” 686 upon graduation. They weren’t dead solid reliable. They weren’t durable. They’re actually pretty fragile. They always had problems and issues. The armorer kept loaner guns, because he couldn’t keep up with repairs as fast as they were needed. By 1990 I had dumped the revolver, and bought something reliable, durable, and could be counted on. A Sig P226. Vastly superior in all regards, as a service pistol. The current production S&W revolver, at least based on the two I have, are vastly ... and I do mean vastly... superior to anything S&W made back in the 70’s and 80’s. That era was the high water mark of nothing. I’m sure there’s some guy out there that would argue the 1982 Ford Grenada is so much better than a new Toyota Camry. That guy is a fool.

I love all of your videos Sir. I grew shooting revolvers and have recently gotten back into them. Thanks for all of your videos!

I've been a smith nut all my life. I do my own trigger work and as far as the internals I don't care how the parts are made , there is no burrs , mold marks nothing. I bought a spring kit for my 60-14 & after working on the hammer & trigger & installing those springs that piece is smooth as eel poop single & double action. I do think they are made as good now as back years ago. A Ruger you can shoot forever & it never gets loose anywhere, they are tank weapons. My one regret of selling was a colt .38 super in polished stainless. It hit me for $1400 new. I'm sick for selling it.

I like them all as well, but the old ones are in my opinion better.

David-----as usual, great learning video. I always come away with more knowledge then I had.........thanks buddy

I just picked up a new 586 classic. I'm happy to say the barrel is perfect to my eye. I was seriously stressed out over the barrel issue videos. I looked it over very closely and can not ba happier. I think I want all the new prodution classic revolvers. Thanks for sharing.

Super collection my old 38 J frame Chiefs Special never lets me down

I appreciate well made firearms but I’m not a connoisseur of Smith & Wesson revolvers. I’m perfectly happy with my not pinned, not recessed, MIM, Hillary hole 586-8. My main complaint is that I had to turn down 3 examples of this revolver to finally get one that didn’t have a canted barrel. I’m Just glad my LGS was willing to work with me to get one with a properly aligned barrel. But anyway, the finish is great to look at, it’s properly timed (except for drag marks), it locks up tight and has a sweet trigger. It’s not a cheap revolver by any means but the quality really stands out when compared to most anything else on the new gun market.

I started in law enforcement in the early 1980s. I was initially issued what turned out to be a pre modal 10 revolver with the 5 screw frame. That was replaced by the department with the modal 13. For off duty I had a modal 36, later replaced with a modal 60 due to being bordered on 3 sides by salt water and perspiration issues. Later we got modal 67s before the agency went to 9mm and later .40 Glocks. I managed to keep all my revolvers when the agency traded them, because the gun shops really didn’t want a lot of used revolvers. Three of the revolvers I got issued were new when I got them so I really have been the only owner/user of them. All have the case color hardened, hammer mounted firing pins and no “Hillary hole” lock. They will all go to my son and grandchildren and make them excellent home defense guns. I figure they will only go up in value as the classic guns become older and fewer on the market. You did a good job making it simple and easy for mew shooters to identify the major changes in Smith revolvers.

I recently acquired a S&W 65-3 and came across this video. Really enjoyed it and subscribed. Will be checking out your other work too. Great job!

What a beautiful collection you have there

Love your content, especially the Smith wheel guns 👍🏼

When I hit the streets-1986, we were issued model 10 heavy barrel w/grip extender. All of us rookies after graduation ran to the gun store to replace the wood grips with Pacmier Grips.

Love the honest, no nonsense commentary. Just got my first 686!

Thank you for your wonderful video! And for teaching me about Altamomt grips-I had not heard of them.

Very nice collection young have. Thanks for the video.

Love em all but do love the older black mirror finish

My brand new, 10 shot S&W 617 was shipped without a forcing cone cut into the barrel. It spit lead so bad it hit the guy in the next shooting bay in the cheek. Luckily he was angry at S&W and not me. Smith had to actually cut a forcing cone into the barrel as a REPAIR. Accuracy is nearly non existent of course... My Mod 17-4 from 1979 is a perfect gem and will outshoot the 617 any day of the week.

I have a handful of pre-number, no-dash and early-dash 357's as well as a new 686 Plus Delux. The new 686 is really nice. I can't really tell the difference in quality. The crazy thing is you can get the early ones for not much more than the new ones. I still look for the pre-numbered or no dash whenever I go to a gun show. I like historical guns. I'm happy that S&W is making these new revolvers; don't want them to stop.

Beautiful guns, Mr. Drake. Great tutorial! I learned a great deal. I own a s&w 9mm 639 and I've been wanting a revolver for so long. Trying to learn more and make the right decision upon purchasing, for me.

Thanks for the great video. Your knowledge and humility is what we need more of these days.

What a well made video, your knowledge and ability to explain is incredible! I love revolvers, keeping an eye out for an old Model 57.

I may have missed it, but the new Smiths have a shrouded, or 2 piece barrel. Some claim the new methods produce a revolver of equal or better quality of the old. Me, I like them all.

Great video old timer i learned alot and truly appreciate videos like this. Salute to u

Excellent review. My preference has always been Smith & Wesson. Their lockup/timing is the best design, shown to me years ago by a gunsmith when the only semiautos out were the Beretta, Sig, and Colt. Other than the small pocket autos. Glock sells perfection as they state. S&W to me is perfection in the revolver world.

Great collection! You and Hickok inspired me , and I got my first revolver, a Smith 686 plus deluxe. Absolutely love it! Not just a safe queen, carry it in the winter and bring it to the range in the summer also.

Nicely done and very informative. Thanks!

I love my 29-3 works very well even to this day. Accurate, smooth and will throw .44 mags like nobody's business.

Watching this video inspired me to grab a few of my S&W revolvers to "examine along with." Growing up S&W revolvers were too pricey for my family, so we contented ourselves with those single and double-action revolvers from an upstart company called Ruger! My brother somehow managed to afford an original Model 19 nickel plated 4" which was stunningly beautiful and the holy grail of what a .357 magnum should aspire to be! At the time, the "best" I could do was purchase an "inferior" Dan Wesson .357 from Walmart for $150...it lacked the sleek looks and smooth action of the Smith, but it was a big step up from my Ruger Blackhawk .357 that cost $114 at the time! Times have changed and I can afford "better" and now I have better, though many in the fickle world of gun snobs may not agree. Having become somewhat of an "expert" in my own right, my gun buying choices are quite eclectic with no slavish devotion to any particular brand or genre. Thus I happen to own a beautiful Model 25-15 "New Classic" in .45 Colt! The gun is of course dark blue-black with high polish, with what I consider to be BETTER stocks than those awful Goncalo Alves of 40 years ago! The new 25-15 has a 6.5" tapered barrel and tips the scales at a svelt 42 ounces as the .45 Colt isn't a particularly recoil intensive load unless one is hand loading for it. On the new gun, the DA trigger pull is somewhat heavy, yet quite smooth, and the SA let off is a glass rod break! It does have the IL but I don't mind. I personally LIKE the new hammer and transfer bar system because it IS a genuine step BETTER than the old timey firing pin in hammer. S&W developed the transfer bar system when they developed the X-frame series because they needed the BEST engineering to handle a cartridge that operates at 50,000 psi! I also happen to have a few X-frames which I have studied at great length to suss out whatever metallurgical magic S&W invented to create such a beast in a PRACTICAL platform that to this very day stands alone, unchallenged, just as did the M 29 50 years ago when the ONLY DA .44 magnum carried the S&W logo! It's EASY to build a single-action "pattern" revolver to handle big cartridges, with little, or less regard for carry and practicality, but it's something else to build a freaking .500 magnum in a 57 ounce package that can be belt carried, yet deliver 2,000 lb-ft of energy per shot! Anyway, I digress. The sating finish stocks on the new classics are more attractive than the originals, and the "faux" case hardening on the hammer and trigger looks identical to the originals, while the part itself is of superior steel, through hardened. What is forgotten by those crying over lost times is that case hardening is a process applied to low-carbon steel to create a hard surface because the alloy cannot be through hardened. Case hardening is ideal for moving parts such as triggers and hammers, but not at all suitable for cylinders and barrels, and modern frames. This Mod 25 is every bit as "good" as was the old version...and will last longer without issues. Then comes my M69 .44 magnum. Stainless steel, L frame, 5-shot, two-piece sleeved barrel which is FAR superior to screwed on barrels, pinned or otherwise. Since S&W can't admit they made a mistake, and change cylinder rotation to clockwise (like Colt), the M69 has improvements in lock-up to stay closed when firing full power loads in a 36 ounce .44 magnum. It even has an Orwellian ball-detent lock at the front of the crane that indexes into the barrel shroud! Since the L-frame basically has a K-frame grip, the revolver fits the hand well, though DA pull is quite stout, yet SA let off is typically S&W glass rod break. For anyone who ever wished he could have a more compact M29 in 4", the M69 is the answer! Very sleek, compact, and far stronger than any original! Then comes my two Model 500s...a 4" and the 6.5"! The huge X-frame with K-frame grip which results in a revolver that fits the average hand BETTER than the N-frame! The ultimate in power - even the 4" model can deliver double to energy of a .44 magnum, and the 6.5" can eek out 2,500 lb-ft from top loads, though very few factory loads are anywhere near maximum because the round is just that powerful! I can fire my M500 4" DA, unloading all five shots into a small paper plate at 15 feet in just over 2 seconds, pop the cylinder and SPEED reload using billet aluminum 5-star speed loaders and be right back into action! My own hand load of 380 grain hard cast at over 1,600 fpe is serious business. I also have the .460 XVR 8-3/8" which allows virtually ANY .45 caliber load to be fired! The .460 can accept .45 ACP if cut for Moon clips, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, and .460 S&W. Recoil is mild from the long barrel with muzzle brake. Launching a 200 grain .454" slug at 2,200 fps is nothing to sneeze at! To date, NOBODY has challenged S&W by building an entire line of DA revolvers in a reasonable sized package! They NEVER built these "like they used too" quite because they could not have done so back in the "good old days" of old-man gun snobbery. Here I would like to point out that Ruger thinks they're fooling people - and certainly they ARE fooling many, in chambering a Redhawk in .454 Casull, but that's just smoke and mirrors. To build a .500 Ruger would have to develop a new frame size, and apparently they just aren't up to it! I've also got an assortment of J-frames...nobody has ever built a better pocket-sized snubby than S&W!

David Drake, Thank you for the very nice and informative video, I absolutely love old world craftsmanship as well as new.. There is nothing like the feel of a fine revolver in the hand, they typically shoot pretty good too.. I'm wondering if you have the same- or - close to appreciation for the Classic 1911? If so, maybe a video on them?? Well done ~Best

I have older version model 15-4 made in 82 with firing pin on hammer and newer model 60-14 snub nose with firing pin inside. Both shoot very well.

My experience has been those old finishes looked good but they did tend to develop rust getting in and out of a squad car back in the 70's. Air conditioning, humidity, snow, rain made constant maintenance a real necessity certainly not like the Glock I carried later. Maybe the new Smiths do to, I don’t know. Best way to defeat rust on revolvers we found was frequent use of a hard automobile paste wax.

I've been watching your videos and they are very very awesome especially how you break the firearm down and clean it and put it back together I have not seen a video yet yours was fantastic.

Interestingly enough, my well-worn model 1917 is still very smooth DA and still locks up tightly.

I bought a 1989 686, 4 inch, SS, full lug, 357 12 years ago off of Gun Broker. The weapon came from Detroit and was in excellent condition. I had a 6 inch but condition and handling was less desirable so I sold it. The 4 inch is still my carry weapon in the woods hunting and the only change I’ve made was a Hogue grip for the wood grips which I still hold on to. The pink wedge in the front sight is faded but original. It’s a wheel gun that was built to last and has served me well.

Nice guns! A lot of people forget, that the solid piece of metal that parts are forged from, was once melted and poured into a bar from iron ore and other additives. Now a days, with modern metallurgy knowledge, and advanced technology, there is absolutely nothing wrong, with some parts being MIM! Older model 19, were not advised to feed a constant diet of .357, as now you safely can shoot them all day long!

I still love S&W Revolvers regardless of the changes. They are well built, durable, accurate and in some ways better than the old guns, albeit not in all ways of course. I plan on getting a new Model 19 classic series in 4” or 586 classic in 4”. I already own a model 29-10 classic 50th Anniversary Model 6.5” and its great gun. Very accurate and well built.

Very nice review. Very difficult to qualify quality. In my opinion, fit and finish of models prior to ~ 1980 was superior to what is available today but hand fitment was required for that "breaking glass" trigger. However, the metallurgy and material processing of today is leaps and bounds ahead of the past. Many of my mim S&W revolvers have triggers equal to the older models. My complaint is quality control. I've never seen a canted barrel except on the internet, but I did witness a M686 barrel launch itself downrange several years ago.

Every S&W revolver fan should pick up a copy of "The S&W Revolvers: A Shop Manual" by Jerry Kuhnhausen. I believe the 5th edition is the newest. He explains at length the inferior, but cheaper, manufacturing methods S&W uses now. His advice on repairing MIM parts is to switch to forged parts if available, or just refuse to work on the latest guns at all because of the potential liability to the gunsmith when they fail. He backs all of this up with photos of guns that failed exactly as expected from their current construction. The Performance Center is basically how all S&W revolvers used to be made, but they are still stuck with MIM parts. I love my S&W revolvers, but I just patiently watch for used guns in decent condition that still have pinned barrels and forged parts.

Recessed cylinder is mainly for aesthetics and can reduce ease of extraction of a spent case caught under extractor star during a panic reload in a shootout.

There's still some old school gunsmiths out there that can do a better job than the factory without the wait time .

Thank you I've learned a lot, a beautiful collection.

I have 3 S&W's a model 38 airweight bodyguard, a model 39-2, and a M&P 45 Shield. I consider all of them fine weapons.

Thanks. Enjoyed this video immensely!

Great summary video. Well done, thanks. I too have the S&W revolver addiction. For me they are part function and part artwork. I still have a bias for and look for old school ... like me. Nothing against Glock but a S&W revolver is a swiss watch ... the Glock is a hammer. Please let us know how you polish and care for your revolvers

I can say with much confidence and experience the double action trigger on the older Smith's are far better than new ones.

I love the classics!

I think they’re all great the only reason I’d want some of the older ones more is for the nostalgia.

Those are all beautiful pieces. It is so hard to get them in CA...but I'm still looking and won't give up.

I acquired a 629-4. Love it. It’s got a hammer mounted firing pin.

One thing you missed are the sights. Round end vs square end. Also screw size are different. Thank you. I have some.

I bought my first 44 at a gun show. It has a four inch barrel. I liked it so much. I got myself a five inch barrel. Both are stainless steel version. Also, when i first got both of them. I cant rememner the grain. But it did or state that it was 1600 feet per second. Yes, it had a nice little snap to it.

My model 13-2 has the pinned barrel and is counter sunk cylinders. Beautiful weapon! 😊

You have quite an ART collection!! I am blessed w/ two model 19s, a four inch and a two inch.

.27-2 in 357..with 5 inch barrel..BEST EVER

David, you are entitled to your opinion, that’s what makes America great. As for me, I own pre-MIM/pre-lock S&W revolvers, and have owned various “newer” S&W revolvers. Old vs. New do not compare, even in the slightest. So much, that I’ve sold off all my “new” revolvers. I’ll pay the premium and only by classics. If I want modern day quality revolvers, my hard earned money will go to Ruger.

They are all stunning wish our nanny state(UK) would let s have even just one

I notice a lot of revolvers have sleeved barrels instead of one piece barrel like the Python . I heard it is done for manufacturing to speed up assembly and set the gap. I prefer solid one piece barrel.

just subscribed, thank you for this great video, and will be watching your other vids, could you tell me your top choice ammo for home defense for a 357 4” , brand and grain,,, thank you

I have a 25-5 in 45 colt, and a 610 both with 4 " barrels, both great guns.

Thanks DD. Great job. Good info.

I had to send a Performance Center Model 945 back. A defective sear caused the hammer to intermittently decock and follow the slide down when cycled. Now that it's fixed, it's pretty sweet, though.

I'm a die hard Smithy fan. Whether I'm looking for a wonder nine or a classic roscoe, I'm going with their products.

i already love this video before it was finished.

Thank you for this video. What wonderful pieces of art and engineering. I agree that any of these revolvers should bring great pride to the owner. $1000 is a lot of money to me and now that I’ve saved enough I’m polarized as to which 629 or 29 I want to purchase. It sounds like you can’t go wrong however. And then there is that beautiful 586… Thank you!

~I bought my new 4 inch 586 in 2016 and I like it much. Mine is an accurate shooter so I assume the barrel is straight. It looks straight to my eyes as well, so I'm good. Yes, it's Blued Finish reminds me a lot of my Python's Blueing; just not as deep. That's what caught my eyes when I was visiting my LGS. ~The 586 is my first L-Frame S&W Revolver with my other two being a J-Frame. ~I switched from being an avid Colt Revolver Fan to an avid S&W Revolver Fan when I ran out of Colt Revolvers I wanted to buy. I no longer shoot any of my Snake Guns. ~I personally like the Mat Finish on the K-Comp you have. It may end up on my Want-List. ~I do not shoot .357 Magnum rounds through my 586.

Does the current model 586 have a barrel within a shroud? Or is the barrel one piece? Meaning the barrel outside is the same 1 piece of metal the barrel is made of?

Before I even watch this video I will say this I've owned the older and the newer S&W's and as far as I'm concearned the newer S&W's have the old ones beat ten ways to sunday in pretty much every way, Let me elaborate and ad a few caviats, if the tooling is kept in good order the new computer guided machines that are used to make the newer guns is more consistantly accurate than any human can maintain from part to part over the short or long haul thereby no longer needing the hand fitting of bygone years, if done correctly MIM parts are more consistantly accurate and hardened throughout than forged and machined then heat treated parts tend to be (just an FYI because MIM parts tend to be even hardness clear through versus only case hardened like in the past the new MIM parts actually hold up better to years of surface wear than before) , Ruger has been using MIMparts for tons of years and hardly anybody bad mouths them, but as soon as S&W does it the poo pooing begins WHY?, don't you think S&W can do MIM just as well as Ruger?, hell investment casting of the Ruger's entire frame ain't so much different than MIM in some ways,,,,but nobody craps all over Ruger because of it, The beloved Colt Python has never had a pinned barrel or recesed cylinders nor has any Ruger to my knowledge and nobody takes a giant shit all over them because they don't like some guys will on S&W because they stopped doing it, neither of which is necessary by the way so long as the barrel get torqued properly, as far as the Hillary hole I personally think it's a damn good thing and it's stupid for guys to crap all over something that if used can make the world just maybe a little safer...let me elaborate...,I live with and help take care of my 90 year old step father that is a korean war vet that earned 2 bronze stars while there, well he spent almost 3 years in mental institutions after the war because of what that did to him, he now is having dementia compounded by war flashbacks, so needless to say I can't have ANY unsecured firearms in the place, so if I hear a bump in the night I would have to unlock the gun safe, dig out the gun and maybe have to grab ammo, load it then finnaly go check out said noise, but with the built in lock I can leave the gun loaded under the pillow of my bed and the key on a necklace around my neck and need only unlock the gun as I head out to check the noise, also if I need to leave my gun in my car to go into a place where I can't carry I can lock it as well as the in car lock box and it's one more insurance that the wrong types aren't gonna use it, and in the 30 or so S&W's with the lock I've owned ranging from the scandium frame recoil monsters on up I've NEVER had a single failure where the lock is concerned, yes it may detract a bit from the looks but these things a first and formost a tool so I can live with the minor looks degrade, even going to a floating frame mounted firing pin was a major improvement because if you break one it's a 5 minute job to change it and you no longer have the issues of it wearing the bushing like the old hammer mounteds would, and now you can dry fire the living shit out of them and not worry about it if you like to do dry fire practice, allso the metalurgy is light years ahead of just 20 years ago, that's why we can now have little jFrames that can hold up pretty darn well to a fairly regular beating of 357 magnum or an L frame that can pretty much take the beating of all the 44 magnum you care to throw at it, it's improvements in both materials and design that makes it possible and the only real problem with the newest S&W's is stupid guys that stupidly hold on to the past and can't except changes for the better even if well proven, I will say that yes S&W has had some quality controll issues of recent (I've had 2 in the last 4 -5 years with the clocked barrel and other issues and yes they need to knock that crap off) and through the years but barring that they make a better revolver than ever (that is when the boo boo's don't get through), but that's not a function of bad design, materials, or methods, but is because of bad employees not doing their jobs correctly and you can have that problem anywhere not just at S&W, in fact I can name more than a few gun companies that have had those problems more than a couple times, and on auto pistols that by nature should be even easier to make and get right the first time because of less intricate parts and less of them. I can add this and kind of sum it up this way once I had an old man (I'm 54 just FYI) say about cars "they don't make them like they used to" to which as a bit of a smart ass I came back with "and I'm damn glad they don't because they had shitty brakes compared to new ones even when brand new, the engines were big gas hog polluters that made less power than most 4 cylinders can now on half the gas and way less pollutants, the creature comforts are WAY better, they last 3 times the miles before they are DOA, they can fly along all day long at speeds most of the old ones could never even reach, and because they are easier to drive and more comfortable to ride in you ain't half wore out when you get where you're going, Same goes for the guns of S&W guys have just got to learn to accept change for the better.

I’ve been buying S&Ws since the mid 60s. I have over 20. Most are pre 75, but some of the newer like the da/sa semis like the 5906 and a .380 Bodyguard all are keepers. I have a 6” mod. 19 from 1970 that I shot weekly in competition for the last 49 years it has over a 150,000 rounds through it and has yet to malfunction. I sent it back to Smith just to have them check that the metal was still safe after 125,000 and told them not to change any parts or springs. They gave it a clean bill of health and I still shoot it regularly. I bought a 6” 66 to take some of the pressure off in 1990, but the 19 is still unmatched. I have yet to send any of my guns back for a repair in over 50 years. That says it all!!

Jerry Miculek and many others say that the new ones are better than the old because MIM is more exacting without hand fitting and the sleeved barrels can be torqued better while still retaining a perfectly straight barrel with no cants. However the new production classic revolvers are a Frankenstein of MIM parts and the classic full barrels that can "cant". Smith and Wesson makes a fine firearm all the way around no matter when it was made. I did however pick up a newer Combat Magnum 66 and it had a huge cut in the frame under the forcing cone, but like a fool I never inspected it at the FFL as the floor models are not what they bring out. The store took it back the next day and they all agreed at the FFL that it should not have left the S&W factory or the gun store.

I love the old stuff I have a 10-5, 49 bodyguard and a vintage 36 looking to get a model 37 and a 4" 29 next

That's fine art!!

You have 1 more than I do sir that new 586 now you got me thinking. I sold mine mid 90's always regretted it cause it tuned it really well the bluing is beautiful. That series have proven itself every decade age

Thanks super video, a new performance center is the best Smith & Wesson revolver, indside firingpin, parts precise fit, single action trigger and the finish.

I bought an old S&W Model 13-2 .357 Magnum used in a pawn shop in 1980 for $150.00 (+tax). It has a 4" pinned bull barrel, recessed cylinder, a pinned firing pin in the hammer, a square butt, and a well worn deep blue mirror finish. The barrel seemed badly damaged near the forcing cone by the previous owner, which is why I paid such a low price. I cleaned the bore for several hours with a brass brush and discovered the "damage" was just lead build-up which was never properly removed. At the end of my work, I had a completely clear, mirror bright bore from the forcing cone to the crown. This year, I bought a new S&W Model 66-8 .357 Combat Magnum in stainless steel, with a 2¾" shrouded (two piece) barrel, an adjustable "target" rear sight, a round butt, and the action lock (Hillary Hole). Both are K-frame revolvers and are accurate to a fault. I have noted that the older Model 13-2 has a far smoother trigger than the newer Model 66-8. This may be caused by all the rounds which have gone through the older one, while the newer one isn't quite "broken in" yet. Time and use will tell if the trigger will smooth out. Interesting and informative video

Great video I like old and new Smith and Wesson revolvers are my favorite guns N Frame and L frame K frame I'm on the fence 66 are cool 19s interest just a bit. Nothing beats a 28-2 4 or 6inch barrel in the hand what a monster handgun.

I use to own a S&W model 686 in .357 Magnum, Stainless Steel with a 4 inch Barrel. In 2008 I traded it in for a Sig Sauer P239 in a 9MM. The following month after I traded in the 686, I tried to buy it back but the Gun Store had sold it. So I bought a new S&W model 60 in .357 Magnum in Stainless Steel from the same Gun Store in Connecticut. In 2009, I sent the Revolver back to Smith & Wesson for them to do a Trigger Action Adjustment. Now the Revolver fires and discharges rounds with a much smoother lighter crisp trigger pull. It was worth every $ dollar to have the Factory make the adjustment and not void the factory warranty on the firearm.

I have s 4” 686 no dash, s model 10 3” barrel round but . Love my Smith and Wessons