S & W internal lock removal options?

[Scal]

RZ,

For me that's the justification for installing one of the Plugs available out there. Even then it leaves a stopped up hole on the side of the revolver that as a right hand shooter I see all the time. The fact we have this to discuss just ticks me off.

Yea, I'm old and don't like change. I particularly don't like change than makes more work, more problems, or that accomplishes nothing but making a lawyer or some bureaucrat happy.

Better go take my morning meds,
Dave

I mean, you’re not wrong, and I am just entering middle age, and the stupid locks makes me pissy. I am completely fine with MIM parts, provided they’re executed well. I am guessing by now, that S&W has this worked out quite well, and I haven’t heard of large amounts of failures of their guns that can be laid at the feet of bad MIM parts.

But this whole thing with the lock adds complexity to the gun, removes mass from hammers, even if it’s just a little bit so they can engage with locks, and given that recoil can cause the locks to activate, makes the guns potentially less reliable, and it makes it harder to make the actions really nice. So I see several things that are worse, for as far as I can tell, almost zero benefits, given that a locking case or trigger lock gives the end user the same options but without nonsense that makes the gun objectively worse.

[Stephanie B]

So after some reading and some thought, I decided the logical thing was to remove the locking lug from the flag. Which took about two minutes with a rotary tool and a polishing stone. Locked it in a vise, ground down the lug, smoothed the base down with a fine stone, added a drop of oil, put it back together. Works just fine, but now without any doubt or concerns about failure. It's still held in the safe position by the teeny-tiny itty-bitty spring, but even if that fails it don't do nuthin' but fill the hole. No affect on the hammer at all. Did the same for the 649, no problem.

So why buy a lock-hole plug? Just take the locking lug out, do what you did, and put it back in.

[Redneck Zen]

So why buy a lock-hole plug? Just take the locking lug out, do what you did, and put it back in.

Just because.

Nah, I put in the plug 'cuz I don't like that freakin' hole. I might have mentioned that earlier. Yeah, taking out the lock is good 'cuz they've got a rep for failing, but just removing the lug and leaving those holes there ... well, to me that's like taking the spoiler off my old Mustang and leaving the bolt holes in the trunk lid.

More relevant, I've seen rifles where the owner has removed a scope and left the mounting holes empty. Very unbecoming.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Michpatriot]

On my first 340, being a tool and die welder, my solution was to tig weld both holes and bench down the weld till it was flush. Then I bead blasted the frame, if you do a search on the smith and Wesson forum for : bye bye illness, there's pics of my 340 with the holes erased. My 329 got a plug. I just had to see if I could make em go away.

[Redneck Zen]

On my first 340, being a tool and die welder, my solution was to tig weld both holes and bench down the weld till it was flush. Then I bead blasted the frame, if you do a search on the smith and Wesson forum for : bye bye illness, there's pics of my 340 with the holes erased. My 329 got a plug. I just had to see if I could make em go away.

Wow. that's way out of my skill set, obviously, but it is impressive. Fill me in ... tig welding scandium/aluminum is a go, then? How did you finish it? Just the bare scandium? Saw the pics ... your gat looks nice.

I shoot my 340s a couple of times a year, but mostly shoot my steel guns. One of the titaniums are always on me or nearby; the 340 PD shows wear from pocket carry but is tight. I have several Js, including a beat up old Model 38 which looks like crap but it is mechanically perfect and accurate and has a scary smooth d/a trigger.

[Michpatriot]

I enjoy lighting up my tig in places others shy away from, I regularly take jobs others have turned down on plastic injection molds manufactured from aluminum that cost as much as my house. The holes on my 340 really bugged me, and I toyed with the idea for about a week, having never welded on this particular alloy was intriguing. I disassembled the 340 and taped off areas and used clay in other areas I didn't want media blast to affect, tossed it in the cabinet and had one last look at the black coating turning it over inside the window, and started blasting..Lol it felt great taking the first real un reversible step. After that it was just like welding up any other thousands of little aluminum features I'd done on molds. Then I bench stoned down the weld and reblasted it, I really like the look after it was all done. On this 340 I also removed the tritium front sight and adjusted the windage by machining one side of the sight base and then manufacturing a shim the same thickness that I removed from the sight, drilled the shim to match the hole for the sight pin and reinstalled it, now it shoots to my point of aim. Oh and somewhere along the line I fitted it with a titanium cylinder.

[Redneck Zen]

I enjoy lighting up my tig in places others shy away from, I regularly take jobs others have turned down on plastic injection molds manufactured from aluminum that cost as much as my house. The holes on my 340 really bugged me, and I toyed with the idea for about a week, having never welded on this particular alloy was intriguing. I disassembled the 340 and taped off areas and used clay in other areas I didn't want media blast to affect, tossed it in the cabinet and had one last look at the black coating turning it over inside the window, and started blasting..Lol it felt great taking the first real un reversible step. After that it was just like welding up any other thousands of little aluminum features I'd done on molds. Then I bench stoned down the weld and reblasted it, I really like the look after it was all done. On this 340 I also removed the tritium front sight and adjusted the windage by machining one side of the sight base and then manufacturing a shim the same thickness that I removed from the sight, drilled the shim to match the hole for the sight pin and reinstalled it, now it shoots to my point of aim. Oh and somewhere along the line I fitted it with a titanium cylinder.

A-FREAKING-MAZING!!!!

Pretty speechless. I do some pretty dumb stuff to my guns, so far I haven't screwed them up. But this is a whole new level of supreme audaciousness. Wow. Just amazing.

Interesting how you used clay. Reminds me of swordsmiths of old ... and new. Good stuff!

How about a shot of your sight picture? Specifically the rear sight. One of mine shoot slightly to the right at 10 yards, the other slightly to the left. This is usually remedied by rotating the barrel a teeny tiny bit, but as i understand it, the barrel shroud is locked into the frame with a detent of sorts.

I did recently fit a titanium cylinder to my M&P 340, so now I got two ultra lightweight mini-magnums. I usually carry an RMR'd G43, but if I go light I carry the two titanium guns ... why bother with a speedloader or speedstrip to reload, just pull out a second gun.

[Michpatriot]

Couple sight pics...

[Michpatriot]

One more..just for those thinking 340sc, nope naked MP..

[Michpatriot]

A-FREAKING-MAZING!!!!

Pretty speechless. I do some pretty dumb stuff to my guns, so far I haven't screwed them up. But this is a whole new level of supreme audaciousness. Wow. Just amazing.

Interesting how you used clay. Reminds me of swordsmiths of old ... and new. Good stuff!

How about a shot of your sight picture? Specifically the rear sight. One of mine shoot slightly to the right at 10 yards, the other slightly to the left. This is usually remedied by rotating the barrel a teeny tiny bit, but as i understand it, the barrel shroud is locked into the frame with a detent of sorts.

I did recently fit a titanium cylinder to my M&P 340, so now I got two ultra lightweight mini-magnums. I usually carry an RMR'd G43, but if I go light I carry the two titanium guns ... why bother with a speedloader or speedstrip to reload, just pull out a second gun.

ReClocking isn't the be all end all, you mess with the cylinder latching lockup when clocking even if you could bypass the pin. Machining the sight is the fix for windage. On my other 340 that is a PD I Installed a Trijicon brand front sight that was a little taller, it didn't need any machining for windage. They are each their own DNA if you will. I just can't deal with POA POI differences, must tweak em to my needs..