So what's the no lock?

[Tamara]

Okay, yeah the lock sounds like a fairly bad idea. Is there any way to disable or remove the locking device? Or is the general consensus to just look for a no-lock snubby or LCR?

If it frets your knickers that badly, here you go.

[Tamara]

In terms of trigger function - As near as I can tell, the lock makes absolutely no difference regarding the quality of the trigger pull.

This is correct.

I have guns with and without locks and the pre-lock guns are more finely machined and appear to be better built...

While older (and by "older", I mean "pre-Bangor Punta") Smith & Wessons are beautifully finished, in a cosmetic sense, a quick peek under the sideplate will put the lie to the "more finely machined" thing pretty quick. CNCBOT 5000 does not know if it's milling an area that's going to be covered with stocks or sideplate and doesn't care whether it's Monday morning or Friday afternoon and is never hung over from drinking too much 40 weight after getting in a fight with the cute Coke machine down in Accounts Receivable.

[NETim]

I avoid lock guns 'cause those darn kids on my lawn probably like them.

[EM_]

The annoying thing about it is that any issues are caused by a fairly glaring design flaw.

You mean besides the fact that it has an integral lock?

[Tamara]

You mean besides the fact that it has an integral lock?

Yes.

[Alpha Sierra]

Is there any way to disable or remove the locking device?

Remove the sideplate

Remove the hammer

Unscrew the cylinder release thumb piece

Remove the cylinder bolt

Remove the lock arm and lock arm return spring (this is "the lock")

Reassemble minus the lock arm and lock arm return spring.

Now you have a normal S&W revolver.

[LSP972]

Now you have a normal S&W revolver.

And one that is subject to fail at any time. Just removing the flag (what you referred to as the "lock arm") does indeed deactivate the lock mechanism. It also leaves 1-2mm of free space between the hammer and the remaining lockwork. Over time, if the gun is shot a lot (or even knocked about a bit), that remaining lockwork can (and has) become dislodged and fall into the frame against the hammer… locking things up just as tightly as if the lock were intact and engaged.

This is not conjecture on my part. I've seen it happen twice… once on MY M-360PD.

There are TWO ways to properly deactivate the S&W lawyer lock. Remove the ENTIRE mechanism and install The Plug (see Tam's reference to the S&W Forum above), or remove the flag ("lock arm"), grind off the nub that blocks the hammer from moving when the key is turned, and REPLACE the flag in its place in the mechanism. Even if it did self-engage... and you would have to carefully re-engage the tiny spring when re-installing the part before that could occur… nothing bad would happen.

Alpha Sierra, I'm sure you meant well, but there are a lot of people who followed that advice, who are now walking around with guns just waiting to malfunction. I was one. And I should know better, because I've been an S&W armorer since 1987. But I took the quick, obvious path, and got bit. Fortunately, I was not on the two-way range when it happened.

.

[45dotACP]

Yes.

I get the feeling Tommy would be more of a "no lock" kind of guy...just based off my reading between the lines of the whole debate

[Tamara]

Tommy is an actor whose firearms opinions don't mean jack to me, but he can deliver a withering glance. Pretend he's giving it to you now, too.

[45dotACP]

Haha, consider me withered.

And thanks for the link!