Re: Smith & Wesson did it right - 300 Whisper
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shoot4fun</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think it was done for Hornady's benefit.
How do you know anyone is paying J. D. royalties?
Who did they copy the L Frame from?
If you think Colt Python you'd be wrong. The L Frame works and never gets out of time like all the Pythons I used to own before my first L.
Safety Hammer? Smith & Wesson Holding Co. is publicly traded. Yes, Bob Scott is on the board but that is it to my knowledge.
BTW, I see where the J-Frame internal hammer guns are now offered with or without the lock.
My 329 has digested several hundred rounds and quite a few in my 460 with no lock failure. I have never known anyone who had a failure. Maybe internet lore?
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I don't know they are paying royalties, I assume because there's a trademark attached to the name Whisper. Could be wrong, and it's on me for assuming if I am, we all know about that.
You may never have had a problem with the locks, but I have personally. It's not internet horse shit. I had a 329PD that was the greatest packing/hiking gun I ever had. When fired with heavy loads(which isn't for everybody in that gun) the lock would engage, total bummer. Happened several times and I contacted Smith and they took it back and paid all the shipping and all that. The sheet it came back with said they changed the lock, but I didn't trust it anymore. Never shot it again and sold it. Since then I will never buy another Smith and Wesson with a lock on it.
Also had a 340MP that was the most horrendously painful handgun I've ever shot, but was very convenient for carry. The hand that rotates the cylinder stopped working before I made it through my first cylinder full of ammo, though. They took care of that as well without any expense to me, and in a short amount of time.
Last story of whoa with S&W was a 686+ special edition(with the 5" barrel and unfluted cylinder) that wouldn't shoot to point of aim no matter how high you adjusted the sights, it was still 5" low, it got sent in at their expense and came back with a 6" barrel. So it went back again, came home with the correct 5" barrel and still shot low as hell. They eventually had me measure the front sight and sent me a new shorter one and all was well. They paid for all of this, and didn't give me any shit at all. I'm saying all this to make it clear that I have plenty of experience with Smith and their service is fantastic, so I'm giving credit where it's due, but I've only bought 3 brand new S&W's in my life and all 3 needed the warranty right out of the box. That's unique for sure, in spite of this experience I still preceive them as a quality manufacturer and if they'd do away with the locks I'd give them more business.
Other than the failure I had you know what bothers me about the locks? THEY'RE FUCKIN' UGLY!!!! Not to mention unnecessary. S&W makes beautiful guns that they refuse to sell without the ugly ass lock. If they can produce the J frames sans lock then surely they could offer the rest of their line that way. The Classics they're reproducing now are cool, but who the fuck wants one with a lock on the side of it? Not me. Anyway...
I was puzzled by the choice to call it a 300 Whisper when it sure seems to me they're chambering for 300 Blackout, but with a Hornady partnership in mind it makes more sense.