S&W J-Frame Owners - Anyone ever put the lock back in?

[Thunder71]

Just curious for those who have removed the internal locking mechanism, have you ever felt the need to put it back in?

I removed mine yesterday and put 110 rounds down range today with no issues, but did read somewhere that a S&W tech said that removing it could cause issues, something about it adding to the probability of parts coming loose and causing the mechanics to seize.

Thoughts?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[azchevy]

with locks, I just disengage them then put a small small small drop of loc tite in it to ensure it doesnt engage then test for function.

[Thunder71]

Yeah, I didn't really intend to remove it when I bought it since most (if not all) the problems were from earlier models not related to the one I have (642). If I remember right it was the .357 magnum's.

But, I got to cleaning it and one thing led to another and before I knew it I had the YouTube video in front of me with my gun apart.

[helderberg]

I hate to admit my ignorance but is there any difference in a gun with the lock and one without. I ask in reference to the feel of the trigger. I have a chance to buy a Lady Smith and/or a Airweight 38sp and one has a lock and one does not. Both second hand but in great shape. I have had it with the sub-compact 380's and am going to carry a revolver as my CC.
Best, Frank.

[BugDude]

I actually experienced trigger lock-up with my lock in when I was rapid firing. I'd have to completely let off the trigger and then re-pull. I removed the lock when I installed a wolff spring set and I haven't had an issue with it since. I kept the lock flag just in case I ever sold it and someone wanted it back to stock, but I don't see that happening. Having had mine apart and understanding how it works, I do not see any reason why removing the flag would cause any malfunction. If you are concerned about it, you could always grind off the little spur from the lock flag and re-install it. That way, the part is in there but whether it is "engaged" or not, it will not lock.

[pirate]

Here is a photo of the inside of a lock equipped J frame. This photo shows the handgun internals before the locking flag (or lock cylinder/cam is the term S&W uses I believe) has been removed. You can now see the lock plug inside the lock hole in the frame and how it is oriented with the flag. The flag locking plug is held in place by a spring tensioned fork as you can see in the photo. If the flag is removed the locking plug is still held in place by the fork. Is it more likely to come loose and jam up the gun with the flag removed? Possibly I would think but unlikely unless the small fork spring fails. From my research into this issue on the S&W forum I think the problems generally are caused by the flag jumping up into locked mode during heavy recoil, since the flag is only held in the unlocked position by a tiny fork spring.



I may be looking at this wrong here but to me if you have a lock J frame here are the options

1) you do nothing and leave the flag in place and there is a small chance that under recoil the flag may inadvertently engage locking up the gun. There have been several reports of this happening.

2) remove the flag and there is a small chance the lock plug inside the lock hole in the frame gets loose and falls into the internals and locks up the action. Only one report to my knowledge of this happening (see member LSP972 post in the other 642 tread). He makes some good points but if you own a lock J frame I still think there is more of a chance the gun will fail with the lock flag in place than without the flag.

But obviously no one to my knowledge has complied any data to back any of this up. I am basing my opinions on my research of this issue mainly at the S&W forum site where there is a great deal of info on this issue.

PS: the S&W execs must have been smoking crack with their lawyers to come up with this lame safety option.

[Thunder71]

I wimped out and put mine back in, for now. Function checked perfectly.

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[wmhawth]

I hate to admit my ignorance but is there any difference in a gun with the lock and one without. I ask in reference to the feel of the trigger. I have a chance to buy a Lady Smith and/or a Airweight 38sp and one has a lock and one does not. Both second hand but in great shape. I have had it with the sub-compact 380's and am going to carry a revolver as my CC.
Best, Frank.

In reference to the feel of the trigger, no difference. As for parts coming loose as a result of having removed the locking flag, I should think it unlikely.

[DistantHorizon]

PS: the S&W execs must have been smoking crack with their lawyers to come up with this lame safety option.

The S&W executives betrayed all of us when they did that. I wanted a j-frame, so I bought a used pre-lock 640; but I seriously doubt I'll buy any S&W products again.

[gasmitty]

The S&W executives betrayed all of us when they did that. I wanted a j-frame, so I bought a used pre-lock 640; but I seriously doubt I'll buy any S&W products again.

That's throwing out the baby with the bath water. Are you aware that various S&W wheelguns in current production arte available without the lock? Just check out their on-line catalog.

[DistantHorizon]

That's throwing out the baby with the bath water. Are you aware that various S&W wheelguns in current production arte available without the lock? Just check out their on-line catalog.

I'm talking about ethics and integrity here, or rather the lack of. My humble opinion only.

[ctr]

I'm gonna call out not true on the S&W tech. I have removed the lock from several of my S&W revolvers. I have also re-installed the lock on one because I was selling it. Re-installation is a PIA.

There is just no way the mechanics are going to seize up with all of the lock parts removed. If memory serves me correctly, there are four parts. Two springs, a plate, and the lock itself. The hammer does not and cannot move into the notch void left by removing the lock mechanism. Just can't happen, just not gonna happen.

[boricua]

I don't even know where the key to the lock of my 442 (BUG) is. I really don't pay attention to it. I've shot almost 1K rounds through this gun without even thinking about the lock and without incidents. I'm sure if the lock would've been an issue, S&W would have done something about it for fear of liability. That's just me with my own opinion/experience and 2 cents.

[Bill Lindsay]

Distant is spot on. No new S & W's with that infernal divice. Mass. and CA. were the 2 states that demanded that the locks be put on if the guns were to be sold in their states. S & W caved in. Instead they could have shown the guts Robbie Barrett showed when he pulled the whole company out of the left coast.

[JohnLeVick]

I have only 2 of the Smiths that originally had idiot locks, a 340PD and a 625JM. I removed them both, replaced them with THE PLUG, and I'm not even sure I could find the old lock parts. I'll never put them back in, for sure.