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Are Smith And Wesson Revolvers Overrated? By Brent M. Eastwood

Smith and Wesson Revolvers

Smith and Wesson Revolvers. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smith & Wesson Revolvers: A Classic or Overrated? It’s difficult to beat a revolver for reliability. They usually don’t malfunction or jam because they have fewer moving parts compared to semi-automatics. They are effective in home defense situations. Many are chambered in many different calibers including beefy .44 or .357 Magnum for heavy-duty stopping power. They are easy to maintain – just use a bore brush for the barrel and cylinders and then wipe down the piece. But revolvers tend to be heavier and slower to load if you are not used to them.

Is Smith & Wesson Keeping Up With the Competition?

You can’t discuss revolvers without mentioning the Smith & Wesson brand. Since Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson made their first repeating pistol in 1852, Smith & Wesson have been perfecting their firearms. But is S&W resting on its laurels and letting the competition eclipse them? Colt and Ruger make commendable revolvers too.

History of Smith & Wesson Revolvers

Sam Colt invented the revolver in 1836, so Colt has played the revolver game longer than Smith & Wesson. The Ruger Blackhawk gave the late 19th century legendary Colt Peacemaker a run for its money.

For Smith & Wesson, it was the Model 3 American that put them on the map in 1869. This gun, like the Peacemaker, proliferated around the Old West and was especially prized during the Civil War. The gun maker is also widely known for its Model 10 .38 caliber Military and Police revolver. By 1935, Smith & Wesson had a .357 Magnum version. In 1956, S&W pioneered the Model 29 .44 caliber made famous in popular culture by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies. Then in 1966, S&W unveiled the first stainless steel revolver. In the 1980s profits went down because police departments in the United States were switching to lighter semi-automatics made by Glock and SIG Sauer.

Uh Oh, Quality May Be Taking a Hit

But lately, according to some reviewers, the Smith & Wesson brand has taken a dive. Gun blogger Chuck Hawks gives examples of why the S&W revolvers are having trouble accomplishing their basic mission.

First, two .22 Masterpiece target revolvers he inspected for a sporting goods store were so out of the ordinary that the cylinders could not be rotated fully. Upon another inspection for a gun shop, Hawks found the “cylinder ratchet notches were so poorly machined that no two were identical.” After a day at the range with a new Chief’s Special .38 Special revolver, he noticed that all the chambers on the cylinder had a small bulge.

These types of issues are likely the cause of poor quality control at the manufacturer. Hawks thinks the revolvers are not being tested correctly.

“Such examples are far too numerous and widespread. Design, quality, and quality control problems have been endemic to Smith & Wesson firearms for decades,” he wrote.

Some Reviewers Still Sing Praises for the S&W Revolver

S&W revolvers are still popular with other reviewers. Some like the heavy trigger pull that will keep the gun from firing unexpectedly. There are numerous types of holsters that offer ample concealment. You can usually find quality ammunition for the pistol.

The Model 500 Is One of the Most Powerful S&W Revolvers

The S&W Model 500 gets good reviews. You can mount optics on the Model 500. The front sight is interchangeable, and the rear sight is adjustable. 1945’s own Richard Douglas sings its praises.

“For one, Smith & Wesson recently developed the innovative ‘x-frame’ to give you a better grip and help to handle the recoil that comes along with the immense power of this handgun. This makes the 500 very comfortable to handle, and even features a recoil-absorbing rubberized grip complete with finger grooves to let you hold the gun at an angle that allows for optimal control and accuracy,” according to Douglas.

Smith & Wesson: Enviable Sales and Profits

Smith & Wesson has a legion of fans. You can tell from their record sales and profits. Sales went up 100 percent year over year in July 2021. The Springfield, Massachusetts company made over $250 million in profit during that period. S&W paid off its corporate debt and even gave full-time workers $1,200 bonuses.

All told Smith & Wesson revolvers get mixed reviews. It seems there are problems when models are produced in high numbers. Like all new guns, keep a close eye on your pistol when it comes out of the box and inspect it carefully after your first day on the range.

If there are problems with your Smith & Wesson revolver, the company has a limited one-year warranty. When you find a defect, put it in writing and the company promises that it will fix the problem free of charge.

WRITTEN BY

Now serving as 1945s New Defense and National Security Editor, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer.

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Arthritis Tips: How to Load & Unload Semi-Autos There are ways to compensate, mitigate and tolerate the challenges of arthritis. by DR. JOSEPH LOGAR, PT, DPT

illustration of human hand and wrist bones

The pain and weakness of arthritis can be debilitating in firearms handling, particularly when it comes to loading and unloading semi-automatic handguns. In this article, we’ll offer some tips and specific products that you may find helpful. But first, a couple of caveats: First, this information is in no way meant to replace the advice of your doctor. Furthermore, the equipment modifications mentioned here are suggestions, and should only be taken as such. We’re neither endorsing nor guaranteeing that these adaptations are possible for all pistols. Your best course of action is to consult with a qualified gunsmith about the applicability of these to a specific firearm.

Loading the magazine
Consider the strength and dexterity required when loading—fully loading—a double-stack magazine. The resistance generated by the magazine spring may start lightly, but by the time there are 10 to 12 rounds in the magazine it becomes nearly insurmountable. The force needed to compress the spring must be generated by pressing the rim of the case head of the round to be loaded into the body of the round already inserted into the magazine. This relies heavily on the strength and stability of the thumbs, which, under ideal conditions, is a good idea. Unfortunately, the most common site of arthritic impairment in the hand is the large joint (carpometacarpal) at the base of the thumb. The average speed loader may help, but most shooters continue to rely on at least one thumb to generate the pressure to depress the round in the magazine.

Equipment suggestion: The Uplula by Maglula, LTD all but eliminates the fine motor element of the task. This device utilizes the stronger gross movement of whole-hand gripping to compress the magazine spring.

Racking the slide
Stacking a full magazine in a semi-automatic is only one step toward the goal of loading the pistol. Racking the slide to move the first round out of the magazine and into the chamber is the second goal. This task can be modified through changes in technique or equipment. The overhand grip technique minimizes joint stress and increases muscle activation by using nearly the entire hand to grasp the slide. For the right-handed shooter, that means resting the left hand across the back of the slide, making sure to stay clear of the ejection port. Grip force is multiplied by placing the finger tips and the base of the palm over the cocking serrations on either side of the slide. Part of this technique is to not rely solely on the left hand (in this example) to move the slide rearward. Make the movement a combined action by also driving the right hand forward. This way, the larger muscle groups of the chest, shoulders and arms can be brought into play.

Unfortunately, even the best techniques have limitations when pain enters the picture. Fortunately, equipment adaptations can often close that gap.

Equipment suggestion: The “Halo” charging ring for Browning Buckmark. The charging ring is an extension mounted to the rear of the slide that provides an alternative contact point for cycling the firearm. With this design, the user can slip a finger through the ring, and with the combined motion of pushing with the firing hand, and pulling rearward with the support hand, he or she can achieve slide motion. There are multiple manufacturers, including those made for many other popular pistols. This is but one example that fits a popular .22-caliber gun.

Equipment suggestion: The Handi-Racker. This device is a thick plastic card with an indentation cut into one side that fits over the muzzle end of the slide and accommodates the barrel protruding as the slide retracts. With the Handi-Racker in place, the user would press the end of the device against a fixed surface, which would drive the slide back. The main drawback is that you are pointing the muzzle of the firearm into a fixed surface—a wall, table or post—which may not constitute a safe direction. That requires constant user diligence to assure compliance with safe gun handling standards.

One final equipment suggestion: The final and ultimate gear modification is always to use a different type of pistol. Beretta eliminated the need for racking the slide by producing a family of break-action semi-automatics beginning in the 1950s. Since then the design has been copied by other manufacturers, but we will give Beretta its due here. The Beretta 3032 Tomcat, 950, 21A Bobcat and the Cheetah models all use a tip-up barrel design for loading the first round into the chamber. This makes it possible to have a fully loaded pistol without ever having to manipulate (rack) the slide. These pistols are quite small, work well for concealed carry purposes, and can be chambered in .22 Short, .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP and .380 ACP.

Do keep in mind that the same characteristics that make these firearms good for concealed carry also tend to make them poor options for plinking at the range. Their diminutive size can make gripping and recoil management difficult for a person with arthritis. Since the slide operates on a blow back mechanism, it may operate stiffly, creating challenges to manually cycle the slide to clear a malfunction or check for a barrel obstruction.

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UPS Issues New Rules for Shipping Firearm Parts – Serial Numbers Now Required by Lee Williams

UPS Cancelling Gun Dealers’ Accounts, Destroying Packages in Transit
Anti-Gun Senators Blame UPS and Other Carriers for ‘Epidemic of Gun Violence’ iStock-506447800

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- United Parcel Service has issued new rules for shipping firearms and firearm parts, but the announcement comes a week after UPS canceled the accounts of gun retailers who may have violated the rules that weren’t yet made public or even in effect.

In a story published July 1, we revealed that UPS was terminating the accounts of gun dealers, and that any packages currently in the UPS system could be “seized and destroyed.”

In a letter sent to one Florida gun dealer, Ghost Firearms, UPS said they were terminating the account because they “may be violating” laws concerning homemade firearm parts.

“We write to inform you that UPS has learned that your company may be violating applicable laws concerning the shipment of “ghost guns” to unauthorized locations,” the letter states. “In light of our concern, UPS has determined that it will cancel your account, effective immediately.”

In a follow-up story published July 5, we revealed that five Democratic Senators recently sent ominous letters to UPS and 27 other carriers, blaming them for escalating violent crime rates.

“We are concerned that lax shipping security measures are contributing to the epidemic of gun violence in this country by allowing criminals to use stolen firearms to commit crimes,” the letters each state.

They were signed by Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

In their letters, the Senators peppered the shippers with 20 questions and document requests. They were sent May 19 to UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service, and trucking and rail carriers located in the United States and Canada.

UPS media relations personnel did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment for either story.

Now, UPS has quietly updated its rules for shipping firearms on its website.

Now, they require a serial number on any frame or receiver, as required by a federal rule that hasn’t yet taken effect.

Any item that meets the definition of a firearm (including firearm mufflers or silencers) or a “frame” or “receiver” under federal law (including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) must be identified and bear a serial number in satisfaction of the requirements for identifying such items under federal law, including 27 CFR § 478.92 and/or 27 CFR § 479.102, regardless of whether any such items are otherwise exempt from or not subject to identification requirements under applicable law.  This prohibition applies even before the effective date of 27 CFR § 478.12.

UPS’ previous rules contained no serial number requirements.

Takeaways

Over the past two weeks, UPS’ messaging has been a hot mess.

They threatened dealers’ livelihoods. They seized and destroyed property – all with no advance notice – and when they were caught and their actions became public, they failed to address their mistakes.

In other words, they punished gun dealers for violating secret UPS rules that weren’t even public – all because they got a scary letter from five anti-gun politicians.

As a private business, UPS is free to enact whatever shipping rules they want, but we are free to choose a carrier that’s not so schizophrenic.

This story is presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.

About Lee Williams

Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.

Lee Williams

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