tx gun runner

Good video on lock removal and taken side cover off without damaging gun to get access to work on trigger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVPYgohVCNM

And if you want to slick it up this is the way I do it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4GtXq2XXOI

gunman42782

I hate those locks. Have never owned a Smith with one, and don't intend to.

tx gun runner

The first video I posted shows you that you only need to remove 1 part and it's gone and if you sell it you can put back in to bring it back to stock again . So there no reason to worry if you get one with or without lock . I like the lock , when I leave the house I lock the gun and when I get home I unlock it . That way if a bad guy finds my gun and I come home he can't use it against me .

gunman42782

Well, to take it a step further, I am not crazy about the MIM parts they use now a days.

tx gun runner

What is MIM

I googled MIM and don't Ruger do all there gun parts way

gunman42782

If I remember correctly, it stands for metal injected molding. It is different than Rugers investment casting process.The main complaint with MIM (Metal Injection Molding) is that they can (and do) break suddenly without any give or warning. If it is done right, they will last as long as any other part. I am sure Smith and Wesson makes a fine gun, and I am not trying to say otherwise. I just prefer the pre-lock, pre-MIM part Smiths!

tx gun runner

I was going to wait till I got my new rebound spring to polish the inside of 642 , but I want to look at those MIM parts since I've have not seem them yet . WOW ..... when I open the gun up there was NO TOOL mark to polish out , even on the frame . The MIM parts are so smooth they look like they are plastic , but there not . I've done a couple 100 S&W trigger jobs in my like life and other guns too . I have NEVER seen anything that nice and smooth inside . I should have taken some pics when I order and get my rebound spring I will take some pics next time I take it apart . If the parts hold up I don't want the non-MIM parts . Maybe MAC can enlighten us on the S&W MIM parts .

Machinist

Gunman is right. MIM parts are made very precise and smooth but they are brittle and I don't think you can work on them to do an action job. I think Colt started using sintered parts on the Mark V and they are similar. They save money by reducing machining but they are not fixable or tunable, I think. I see custom smiths saying they won't work on MIM parts. I believe these are made by injecting metal powder and binding agents into a mold under heat and pressure. It makes parts that are precise and hard but are brittle and basically throwaway parts. It is easy to make shapes that would be hard to machine as well, like the hollow at the back of the trigger.

My impression of the new S&W revolvers is that they are generally better fitted than the ones from the 1980s and 1990s because of better machine tools and modern techniques but you can't tune them to match the older revolvers that were better hand fitted, and they are less suited to reconditioning and repair beyond parts replacement. With good hand work becoming harder to find and more expensive this makes them a good bargain and I think you are less likely to get a defective or bad gun that 25 years ago but it is a shame to lose the top end quality of well fitted S&W revolvers.

Like the Colts they would just be too expensive for most people to buy. I am comfortable with the new S&Ws but I like the older ones. I just have to realize the older ones are more likely to need some tuning or repair to be right.

sheepdog

...it's like any well-informed woman knows...older is better and can be smoothed up a bit if necessary...

Machinist

For some this is true but I wonder if most people are not better served by a gun they can count on to be serviceable out of the box without needing warranty work or tuning. Most are not looking for the type of action some of us want, they just want it to be good and to be reliable. I'm not sure the new production doesn't fit that roll better than what we saw in the 80s and 90s as economy measures took their toll on quality.

The new guns are not as slick or well fitted as the best I have from days past but I have not seen any lemons as I did on occasion, from the factory before. How many buyers are there that just want a reliable and serviceable revolver for each enthusiast like us?

tx gun runner

Mac .... that 73 Beretta is race ready and tuned well . All my Cimarron are good too . My 2011 new Mustang is the better and faster then the old muscle cars with great gas mileage to boot . So all is not lossed .

Snuffy

Race ready but have never seen a race damn the luck.