Meh.
Grant Cunningham reports some unfortunate but not-unexpected details on the new Smith & Wesson 642s:
These are new production guns made with “leftover” non-lock frames, according to S&W. In addition, these guns have the traditional screwed-in barrels, as opposed to the sleeved liner type that the company is now using.
They were able to put together approximately 4,000 of them, and there will be no more.
Disappointing that S&W remains so pigheaded about the lock issue; looks like my first new Smith will also be my last.
Ah well, as the great James Brown said:
The way i like it is the way it is,
I got mine ‘n’ don’t worry ’bout his
there are oddities about the gun industry that I won’t understand. How do you have 4,000 leftover frames from that far back?
They have to sell models with locks in some states. It doesn’t make sense for them to have two different designs, and two different stock numbers to satisfy the small numbers who would by a non-locking but would not buy a locking model. What they could do is start making a matching filler button that takes the space where the lock is, but cannot lock. Don’t even build guns that way, just make the button available.
Comment by Sevesteen — August 5, 2008 @ 2:01 am
It’s a gun I always look for at shows - the pre-lock…
Comment by DirtCrashr — August 5, 2008 @ 11:23 am
They no longer use screw in barrels? When did that start?
Comment by HTRN — August 6, 2008 @ 4:54 am
4000 frames, particularly of the J’s, are probably no more than a small cargo container’s worth sitting in a warehouse somewhere on the premises slowly rusting open.
Comment by drstrangegun — August 7, 2008 @ 1:54 pm