It's... Well... It's like Mecca. It's a pilgrimage that all gunnies should make at least once in their lives. If you're a fan of the revolver, if you want to live, learn, and breath in the history of one of the most storied names in firearms manufacturers, you owe it to yourself to make this trip. One of the few benefits of being stuck in Massachusetts is that it's only a couple of hours from my house, so for me it will be more than once-in-a-lifetime event (I hope).
The factory is an interesting dichotomy. It's reminscent of the great factories of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, yet the revolvers it produces are decidedly modern (from what I could tell from what we saw, Smith and Wesson makes only 1911-style pistols and stainless steel, 4" barrel revolvers. :) One thing that struck me was how similar the S&W factory was to the chemical factory where I worked as a fresh-faced post-grad many years ago. Apparently "Generic Factory Layout 101" is still going strong...
For anyone with even the most cursory interest in firearms, metallurgy, or machining, there will be plenty to keep your attention. You're taken to most of the stages of production, stopping at final assembly. Apparently, another casualty of 9/11 was the ability to witness a firearm being assembled, as the assembly area was made "off-limits" to the tour shortly after 9/11... But there was still oodles to see, from the CNC machines that produce the slides and frames to the 100 year old devices used to bore the barrels of the target model 41s...
And then, culture shock. Leaving the historical factory for the ultra modern Shooting Center right down the street. Got to shoot a whole passel of S&W guns, and realized a few things:
1. I simply must get a Smith & Wesson 1911. According to the S&W sales guy who addressed our group at the start of the tour, they will be coming out with a smaller 1911 in the near future. Oh... yeah...
2. A Smith & Wesson model 41 is very near the top of my wish list. Shot a well-used one at the Shooting Center, and even I, a very mediocre shooter, was eating the center out of the target at 10 yards like a pro. This gun is that good. Plus it shares magazines with my model 422, so I wouldn't need to buy more magazines.
3. I do NOT like the new M&P. I shot the .40 S&W compact, as I was eyeing it as a new carry gun. NFW. In the whole 30 rounds that I put through it, it failed to load 4 or 5 rounds (FMJ) and the magazine fell out three times for no apparent reason! The full sized .45 ACP was okay, but I'll save my money and buy a Sig 229...
3 comments:
Wow - sounds like it was a great day! My husband and I want to get out there sometime. I think it would be awesome to see it. Maybe we'll do it while my son is on leave this summer... but I guess I should leave that up to him. *grin*
Strange - that's one of the rare negative accounts of the M&P I've heard. Their 1911 clones are great, though - I guess it evens out.
Theresa,
I highly encourage the trip, at least once. Even if one has no interest in firearms, Smith & Wesson is a part of our nation's history, and the factory is part of that history.
Mulliga,
I wasn't the only one who didn't care for the M&P out of the group that went on the tour. Perhaps it was just that one gun; that's certainly a possibility. However, I'm not about to pony up five bones for a gun I can't depend on.
And based on my experience at the S&W Shooting Center, I couldn't depend on the M&P.
I can depend on my SW99s. I have had exactly ONE failure-to-feed in my full-size SW99, and that was magazine-related (Pro-Mag). I've put easily over 2,000 rounds through the full-sized .40, and another 1,500 or so through the compact 9mm.
IOW, there's no compelling reason to switch to the M&P that I've had issues with.
Now... A scandium-framed commander 1911 with fixed sights for a .45 ACP carry gun? HELL YEAH... :)
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