S&W revolvers....Old vs New?

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sailor723

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I regularly see comments lamenting the decline in quality of today's S&W revolvers vs those made 30+ years ago. Is this just a case of grumpy old f*rts and the usual "they don't make them like they use'ta" refrain or do you think quality really has declined in the modern versions?

I'm thinking of buying another revolver (I have an old 586 circa 1981) and I'm wondering if I should be scanning the EE or the websites of CGN sponsors. :confused:
 
I believe the fit and finish is not there anymore, but in my limited experience, the new revolvers work just as good as ever. And don't believe that S&W always made perfect revolvers every time back then either. I have seen quite a few sold in the 70's and 80's with issues. Then as now, buyers would often trade off a defective gun rather than get it fixed.
I think the best revolvers were made in the 1930's.
 
I have seen afew not so great looking 686 but my new 66-8 with sleeved barrel is fantastic looking. So maybe they up their quality control?

things to watch for is cylinder peening and barrel index problems
 
Fit and finish of the older guns can't be beat. They are truly beautiful. My newer ones shoot just as well as the older ones but have very minor imperfections that irk me.

ie: slight gap between crane and frame when cylinder is closed, lines that are not straight down the line of sight, machining marks, over-polishing lines...

Beware the bead-blast finish on the newer ones as they are meant to cover up the imperfections!
 
The main problem with current production S&Ws (both revolvers and semis) is inconsistent quality control. It's quite common for guns to leave the factory with flaws, both cosmetic and functional. S&W seems to prefer to do quality control after the gun has already been sold (send it in and we'll fix it).
 
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Mine is bead blasted and is fine. Bead blasting will no hide any thing, just a easier, cheaper way to finish the gun.
 
My 50's old S&W never got any problems but my new 929 and 986 went back for warranty within a week.
 
If you really want to talk about the "good old days" of S&W, that would be more like 50+ years ago, prior to the Wesson family selling the company to Bangor Punta. Even then, they didn't make all perfect guns. I have a K-38 from 1952 with a slightly out-of index barrel (the front sight still appears to be vertical) and a Model 29 from 1961 with the frame roll mark that is faint on one side. Everything, especially if it is mass produced, has flaws if you look hard enough.

30 years ago, S&W was owned by Lear Siegler, as a result of their purchase of Bangor Punta in 1984. This would be closer to S&W's nadir than its zenith; lemons were a higher proportion of their output than they are today.

The new guns aren't as nice to look at as those made in days of yore, but they are functionally as good as they have ever been.
 
With the 29s, I've read somewhere that they improved the lockwork at one point to better handle the impact of full power loads as early models were more prone to problems. I'll caveat this by saying I don't know when and I have never seen this officially validated.
 
With improvements of computer controlled production systems we should be entering a golden age of cheap (or at least affordable),mass produced guns that require less hand fitting of the individual parts.

I think the general idea of "they don't make'em like they used too" applies to almost everything made in the last 10 years but hopefully through technology and consumer demand we will see increases in quality in everything from guns to toasters to AC units and other large appliances.
 
gdawg said:
With the 29s, I've read somewhere that they improved the lockwork at one point to better handle the impact of full power loads as early models were more prone to problems. I'll caveat this by saying I don't know when and I have never seen this officially validated.
Click to expand...

Correct. The 29-4 introduced the following Enduurance Package changes:
-New yoke retention system
-Radiused frame studs

The 29-5 added to this longer cylinder stop notches and bolt block.

The 629-2 and 629-3 incorporated the same changes.
 
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