Any one here carry a IL S&W?

[1911luver]

I was just wondering if anyone here EDC's a S&W with the IL? I ask as it seems there are awful lot of J-frame carriers here and on other forums with a 642/442 as their EDC.

It seems the vast majority of these guns have the IL.,same for the 340M&P users over at the high road and here at DC as well. Just for the record this is not another internal lock thread,I'm just wanting opinions from my fellow J-frame users here.

I myself have owned 2 340M&P's a 637,I EDC a 340PD with lasergrips and have an IL 640-3 on layaway that's been worked over by gemini customs.

I have a friend who is a LEO here in FL and his back up/off duty gun is a 340M&P with laser grips. He says he's had 100's of round through it mostly hot magnums loads with out issues. I figure he is a lot more likely to have to shoot someone than I am and he loves that M&P340.

It seems to me the vast majority of J-frame users have IL guns and they don't seem worried at all about the lock. I have a gun smith friend who has offered to disable the locks,but I've elected not to thus far due to liability concerns and the fact I've never had any issues out of them. I trust my 340PD or I wouldn't be carrying it to protect myself. So what do you guys here say? Thanks for any input and please let's keep it civil and with in the rules of DC.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[harley2007]

My wifes 642 has one....i am not concerned about it. You can always remove it if you want. On the S&W Forum, there is a guy who sells blued or stainless plugs to plug up the hole.

[los]

Before I purchased my Model 40, I thought hard about the 642. The IL played absolutely no part in my decision.

The IL can be taken out easily and the IL key hole can be plugged with a kit.

[Super Trucker]

SWLockFail.flv

A member of a local forum posted this clip of the IL failing on his 637, so it definitely is not a myth. If a .38 fails in the 637, I am not chancing the .357 in a 340 that I count on to work with a lock in it.

None of my J-Frames have locks anymore, I removed them all.

Lock Removal Video

The locks are for storage, so don't be worried that a lawyer will jam you up if you are ever in a defensive shooting.

[boricua]

My BUG is a 442 with IL and I trust it as much as my EDC. I have approximately 500 rounds through it with no problems. I have never messed with the lock.

[BugDude]

My 442 has the lock. I've got 500 rounds through it with no problems and I'm not concerned about it. The lock removal video is easy to follow for a do-it-yourselfer. If you ever plan on replacing the spring with a lower weight pull spring, that would be a good time to remove it if you like. I'll probably leave mine be.

[WC145]

Let's see... my BUG and several day a week carry is a 360J with the IL, my sometimes duty gun is a 586 L-Comp with the IL, and my wife's house gun is a 315 NightGuard with the IL. I've never had an issue with it and, other than not liking the look of it, I don't really care that it's there. I just ignore it, in fact I've never even put a key in one and in addition to these three I've probably had 3 or 4 other S&W revolvers with the lock.

[bps3040]

My 642 has at least 2000 rounds thru it...I quit counting :)plus I cannot say how many with snap caps... I have never had an issue. I carry it daily.

[MNBurl]

If anyone is concerned, you can get 642 and 442 without the lock brand new. My new 442 has no lock.

[JT]

I have a 642 with an internal lock that I carry about 25% of the time. No worries about the lock.

[jwhite75]

I have the M&P 340..had no problems so far...prob about 300 rounds so far.

[1911luver]

That the thing guys I was just wondering if I was in the minority here on this. It seems like the IL failures are not an every day occurrence and the overwhelming majority or owners of these guns have no issues.

I guess what I'm trying to do this with this thread is gather data if you will on the numbert of lock equipped S&W guns that are being used for CCW by members here. I do not want a debate on the lock as those threads always degenerate into political talks and such. Then it always seems like we do more discussing of the politics behind the locks being phased in,then we do about the device itself and its failure rate.

I do wonder though ho many S&W revolver failures are attributed to the lock,when in face it may be something totally unrelated to the lock. I recall reading on another forum that somewhere along the line S&W changed the spring on the IL flag to a stronger one to prevent this. Can anyone here confirm this for sure?

[xrmattaz]

I trust and carry S&W revolvers, daily.

All of mine came from the factory with the ILS, but the locking "flag" has been removed from each. I don't want any possibility of things locking up.

[wmhawth]

I guess what I'm trying to do this with this thread is gather data if you will on the numbert of lock equipped S&W guns that are being used for CCW by members here. I do not want a debate on the lock as those threads always degenerate into political talks and such.

That being the case then I won't offer my opinion of the locks. I have a S&W 438 that is equipped with the lock and a 686+ with a lock that I have disabled. All my other S&Ws are pre lock vintage.

[adaman04]

Did for a while. I then removed the lock. It's a storage device, not a safety, so I see no problem with doing so.

It ruins the looks of S&W revolvers and has proven to fail in several cases, rendering the gun inoperable. Not what I'm looking for in a BUG. 642 BTW.