In my immediate family, we have:
S&W 25-5
S&W 686
S&W 629 8 3/8"
S&W 686 (new model with unnecessary mod to firing pin, but no Clinton Hole)
S&W 627 7-shooter
S&W 60
The 25-5 and the first 686 are mine. I bought 'em both used, and they are well worn. My 686 is no longer in operating condition, because a part has stretched inside the crane assy. and now the gap is out of spec. The 25-5 has a decent lock-up. The 629 is older, but still in good shape, and very accurate. The second 686 and the 627 were purchased new, and have not exhibited any problems yet. The mod. 60 is of unknown age, but appears to be in great shape.
With the exception of my 686 and the 60, they are all very accurate guns. The model 60 is a snubbie, so that's to be expected. All of them have excellent lockwork, with smooth DA trigger pulls, and light single-action pulls. All of them hit right with firing pin strikes. The used ones have various problems which is probably what inspired John Linebaugh to characterize S&W as plenty strong, but with design shortcomings that lead to wear. In other words, the frames, cylinders and barrels are made from good steel, and can take the pressure, but various unnecessary and dainty 'part-lets' (if you'll allow me to coin the phrase) tend to get loose and battered over time.
Here's a breakdown of the various problems with the older ones:
M686 #1: Due to cylinder play, gap is as much as .008. Terrible accuracy. Ejector rod unscrews during use. I bet those are related.
Sometimes cylinder release screw backs out. Production date is probably mid 80s.
M25-5: I've seen pictures of the S&W assembly line, so I know how this happens, but my M25 has a different shade of blue on the frame than it does on the barrel shroud and cylinder. Not really noticeable unless it's in direct sunlight. Someone also went a little overboard with the grinder, because the shroud is cut too short on the bottom, leaving a barely visible gap. Cylinder release screw backs out. Production date is probably late 70s
M629: Screws in rear sight strap back out during firing. Barrel turned inside frame, despite the fact that it was pinned. Cylinder release screw backs out. Production date is early 80s.
I'd also like to add that I've sampled many of the older S&Ws drifting through the used market in the Northeast, and I note that there are a lot of ones made in the late 50s and 1960s that are incredibly well-made.
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Those are the facts, now it's time for my opinions. I have not, and will not buy anything newer unless it is an exceptional example. I despise the look of the hammer without the firing pin, it was a trademark S&W style. IMO, it accomplished nothing in terms of safety, since the guns already had transfer bars, which is about as much as I can tolerate. So I treat it as a cosmetic defect, and therefore deduct half from the book value. When I find an exceptional example with the cosmetic defect, and at the correctly reduced price, I will buy it.
Along those lines, anything with a Clinton Hole reduces its value by 100%. Actually, that goes for any manufacturer's integral locks, whether they are visible on the ouside, or not. I have spent a small fortune on cases that lock, trigger locks (in matching sets so I only need to carry around one key), cable-locks, gun safes and associated equipment to secure and control the environment of my investments. It's a slap in the face. I'd like to mail selected members of Congress a copy of the Constitution translated to first grade reading level, so they are familiar with the limitations of government powers, and a calculator, in the hope that they will figure out how to arrive at a budget balance without a minus sign in front of the number. I'm sorry that the gun makers have to suffer in the mean time, but I don't give money to people who insult me openly.
I believe you started a similar thread about Taurus on Sixgunners, right? Well, if you happen to stumble across S&Ws made around the time of the "buyout", be cautious and inspect thoroughly. I saw some real mistakes around that time. I mean, throw-it-in-a-blast-furnace-and-start-over type mistakes. But as with a Taurus, if it's a good one, then it's a good one.
