Deleting Smith & Wesson Locks

As a rule, I would never remove a safety feature whether a manual safety, firing pin block, or other device. I recall the first time in my experience when a safety feature became controversial. When the Colt Series 80 first came out with its hammer block/firing pin safety the pundits were quick to condemn the change. In my opinion, the safety block doesn’t prevent a good trigger action as that problem just doesn’t exist with a properly manufactured firearm.

On the other hand, I prefer a lightweight firing pin and an extra strength firing pin spring as a drop safety. Once SIG introduced the P-series with their positive firing pin This is a great revolver that may be marred by a factory lock. block, anyone wishing to make institutional sales would have to offer a similar product. Of course, the Series 80 was seen as an add on as it was not originally engineered into the pistol. Many folks also don’t like the grip safety on 1911 handguns and that was in the original.

If you don’t like the grip safety of the 1911 pistol do not pin the safety in place or deactivate it. Choose another firearm! We have seen some of the disastrous add on safety levers morphed into the Tokarev, as an example, simply to gain import points. Some safeties, like that of the modern SAR 9, may be used or ignored as there is no point in removing. Another safety that seems to have given shooters a bad taste is the push button safety of the Marlin rifle. The Mossberg 464 features a neat tang mounted safety.

With these safeties, you can use them or ignore them. Modest prying of the lock broke the "wing" of the part.

This brings us to safeties that are truly detrimental to firearms use. A few years ago, atop company designed a frame mounted combination safety/decocker that was counter indicated for many. The HK USP pistol was prone to being decocked during a firing string by some hand sizes. The Taurus PT92 was much the same.

Adding Hogue grips to the Taurus solved the problem, eliminating the decocker function by blocking travel simply by using The trigger, bolt stop, and trigger return spring need not be removed. old style PT 92 grips. Again, choose another firearm if this is a problem. A problem often discussed is the liability issue of removing a safety.

If you remove the Series 80 firing pin block or a lever action rifle safety and an accidental discharge or a questionable personal defense incident occurs, then you could find yourself in legal trouble. Your conduct may be described as reckless. I agree. If you have a serious problem with these guns and their operation, purchase another. It isn’t difficult to find a handgun that suits you well. One example of safety device tampering was one of the worst examples I have seen.

An individual at the gun club was trying to sell a double barrel shotgun. It was well made and in good condition. I noticed, however, that the shotgun’s tang mounted safety lever had been removed. The shooter competed in Cowboy Action Shooting and had slicked the gun up and removed the safety. His reloads and shooting were faster as the safety of this shotgun automatically went into the on position as the piece was cocked.

Forgetting to hit the safety would be disastrous to his scores and at best it slowed him down. I told him it would be irresponsible to sell

something like that to anyone. He replied that he would fully inform any potential buyer of the modification—although he had neglected to inform me as he harked the gun for sale! I bought the gun as it was quite well made and sold at a fair offer. However, I knew I would not get in any trouble as I know how to use it and will not sell the piece unless it is fully restored to correct operating order. The same safety concern goes for competition trigger jobs.

This brings us to the Smith & Wesson revolver and its Internal Locking System. Smith & Wesson has along history of "safety" revolvers. The Safety Hammerless models and similar were intended to protect children from unintentional discharge and they are very well made revolvers. The problem is the much later Internal Locking System was designed into existing designs at a time when Smith & Wesson was in the throes of considerable controversy due to unsavory dealing with the Clinton Administration.

I should stress that the company was nearly bankrupted by the subsequent boycott. The present owners are not the same owners and had no part in the previous dealings and have reinvented the company. The S&W ILS features a small hole in which a key is inserted to lock the revolver located near the cylinder release. Surveys indicate the lock is mostly ignored. A few revolvers have been manufactured in modern times without the lock but most Smith & Wesson revolvers feature the locking components.

There have been revolvers with manual safeties including the Webley and a few others, but the Smith & Wesson revolver action lock isn’t a safety—it is an internal gun lock. That is the point of an argument for deleting the device: you aren’t removing a safety intended to enhance safe function during normal use, you’re removing a lock that is only used during storage that happens to be internal to the revolver.

Any external measure (cable lock, trigger lock, gun safe, etc.) provides the same feature and I strongly prefer a separate trigger lock for the Far The original spring will be re-used when installing the Lock Delete.

intended purpose of rendering the revolver safe in storage. As time went on, there were reports of the revolver ILS moving during firing and locking the action. At first I did not give much credence to the reports. I felt that while the lock was unattractive and not needed, surely Smith & Wesson had fired several examples to the tune of a few thousand rounds of Magnum ammunition to ensure the lock was a valid design. Maybe, maybe not. However, I then learned there were real, documented problems.

Most of the problems seem to occur with very lightweight Magnum revolvers. I have personally examined two incidents in which the revolver lock malfunctioned. One of these was a personal gun, a 357 Magnum with a five-inch barrel, a full sized, all steel revolver. The other was a lightweight 44 Magnum. I do a lot of shooting and I am "in the loop" on problems with firearms at schools and things that come into the shops. There are other credible reports other than my paltry pair.

They do seem rare but the possibility is certainly there and important to personal defense shooters. In one case I witnessed the revolver was easily made operational by turning the key to the fire position. In the other case the revolver remained locked and the key would not turn the lock. The revolver had to be disassembled, not something I like doing with a loaded revolver. So, how serious is this problem? The percentage of failure seems low but not zero as the number of credible reports has shown.

If the revolver is used for plinking, hunting, or competition, I would not be concerned, however, if personal defense is the agenda then I am concerned. The problem isn’t as easy as simply buying a different 1911 if you do not like the Series 80 firing pin safety. There really isn’t anything comparable to Smith & Wesson revolvers in most roles and their J-Frame, K-Frame, and N-Frame revolvers are very well suited to personal defense. We have to look further.

Is the safety lock a flawed design or are there individual weak locks turned out? An excuse an associate put forward is that perhaps the cause is operator error. Perhaps they had turned the lock from the locked to unlocked position and not secured it in the fire position? I write this off as highly unlikely. Quite a few new shooters seem unaware of the lock, and most experienced shooters simply never use it. Neither of the revolvers in my personal experience had ever been locked using the locking key.

Operator error is not possible in these cases. If you do not trust the Smith & Wesson internal lock then you have Ruger, Colt, and Taurus as alternatives. However, many are convinced that a Smith & Wesson model is the finest choice for personal defense. I certainly feel that way and feel there is nothing quite like the Smith & Wesson Performance Center 625 45 ACP for all around use. The good news is there is a device called the Lock Delete.

Offered by Original Precision (OriginalPrecision.com, the Lock Delete takes the place of the original gun lock. Since this

device is available and the safety lock so controversial I would wager you will see these in the shop. The Lock Delete is well made of good material. I elected to test one in a personal revolver having wanting to replace one of the single action 45 Colt revolvers I have as a trail and hiking gun on the Appalachian Trail and other areas. I strongly prefer a revolver for defense against animals.

Ammunition for the 45 Colt is scarce, especially the high performance type, and I thought I might step up my defensive ability. This moved me to the double action Model 625 that uses moon clips. While a very good revolver, the safety lock, coming on the heel of earlier incidents, left me cold. Removing the lock isn’t difficult. Disassemble the revolver in the normal manner. With the mainspring and hammer removed I took a look at the lock. Interest-