Where are S&W 44 magnums made these days?

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Big Caliber

New member
Iv'e been out of the gun scene for a while now. I'm thinking of buying some version or variation of the Smith and Wesson model 29 or 629. The last bit of news I heard was that S&W was manufacturing their handguns overseas in Turkey. Can someone please bring me up to date on S&W and the quality of their new guns. I have no interest in alternative revolvers or calibers at this time, so facts are preferred to lobbying. Thanks!
 
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jglsprings

New member
Well the website says made in USA since 1852. And facilities are listed in Massachusetts and Maine...

I've had good luck with my Model 69 and 60. (New purchases).

The rest will argue about the new build quality.
 
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CajunBass

New member
If they're made in Turkey, it will be a surprise to the folks in Springfield I'm sure.

I haven't bought a NIB Smith & Wesson in quite some time, but I have bought some of recent vintage. I can't see a thing wrong with them for all the weeping, moaning and gnashing of teeth that goes on. I'm not too crazy about stainless steel which is what most of them are made of these days, but I am being tempted by the new Model 69, and a beautiful new Model 27.
 
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TimSr

New member
Aren't they still made in Springfield, MA?
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I think so, because last i heard, they wee one of those gun companies looking at the possibility of moving to a more gun friendly state.
 
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KEYBEAR

New member
Son bought a 69 a month ago .
Took less than a week for him to sell it .
Cheap Cheap If you're going to shoot it save your money
 
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old bear

New member
Smith and Wesson handguns are still made in the good old USA:cool: Sadly their Q.C. is not up to the standards of years gone by. 99% of the guns made today are fine serviceable firearms, but some models do inherent problems, and the hand fitting S&W was famous for is a thing of the past.

On the plus side Smith and Wesson does have excellent customer service, and problems are generally handled fairly and quickly.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I bought all my S&W's new and in the following years: 1983 (629); 1984 (686); 1984 (60); 1986 (686); 2013 (686); 2014 (67); & 2015 (629 - still in my Ca 10-day wait period, so It's only been in my hand once).

I can tell you without doubt that the old ones are better made and with smoother triggers than the new ones.

My 686 from 2013 has a heavy and gritty trigger. But it's still a smooth enough piece to carry - and I do.

My 67 from 2014 had a pretty decent trigger. I say "had" because it has since had trigger work done. It's a sport/play gun and I love it. 11,000 rounds in just 17 months.

My 629 that's sitting at my LGS going through its 10-day wait, seems to have a very heavy, but not gritty trigger. I dry fired it quite a few times at the store. I went real slow and didn't feel grit.

As a side note: it has been my experience that most triggers smooth out with use.
 
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highpower3006

New member
Just look for a decent used one. I have a few S&W's and I have yet to buy a new one. If you look around you can find a nice 29 or 629 at a decent price. While the new guns are nice enough, I find I prefer the fit and finish of the older ones.

These are just a few of the previously owned N frame Smiths I have bought over the last couple years. All purchased for much less than the price of a new one.

IMG_2945-XL.jpg
 
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Driftwood Johnson

New member
Howdy

Let's see, the last time I bought a brand, spanky new Smith was in 1975.

Model 17-3

Model_17-3_zps30d7772c.jpg




Model 19-3

Model_19-2_zpsdc8c8de7.jpg




The oldest Smith I own was made in 1863. No. 2 Old Army.

No2OldArmy02_zps0c4ea28a.jpg



The newest Smith I own was made in 2003. Model 617-6.

model617-6_zps562f28e0.jpg


I have quite a few made in between too. Are the modern guns as good as the old ones? Define 'old'. I'll bet a donut that with every generation the old guys were saying the current production was not as good as the 'old ones'. Are the triggers on the modern guns 'awful'? Not really, try them yourself, don't rely on what a friend said. That 617 is the only MIM gun I own, and I was surprised how good the trigger is.

Would I buy a current production Smith? Nope. I really do enjoy the craftsmanship involved in the older ones. To me 'older' means pre-1975. I buy 'old' Smiths all the time. Yup, you can probably find a nice 'old' Model 29 for less than a brand, spanky new one and it will probably be nicer.

Are they still made in Springfield? Of course they are.
 
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Duster340

New member
Love my new 4" 629 picked it up a few months ago and only have a bit over 1000 rounds through it. If the quality is poor, I sure am not seeing it. It's tight, great trigger and a heck of a shooter. I will buy new again without reservation.
 
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SVTCobra306

New member
I've picked up a 629-6 and a 686-6 both in the past year, both TALO models, both shoot and feel great, both made in Springfield, MA. Also have a 66-2 and a 63 no dash, aside from the "Hillary hole" I can't see a big quality difference between the four.

Working at a LGS, I have noticed that some of the stainless S&W's have a tendency to come in with the finish looking sub-par, maybe 1 in 5 end up this way, and we send them back. The non stainless models have been flawless, and the distributor exclusive versions and especially the Performance Center versions always look and work great.
 
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JERRYS.

New member
my 629-6 mountain gun is decent but not as nice as my old school 66-2 or 681. the trigger is the main "feel" difference, but it also sounds quite different when opening and closing the cylinder, like a hollow sounding close....
 
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TfflHndn

New member
I recently bought a Model 57-6 NIB. N-frame, very similar to my old 29-2. Fit seems as good. Finish is not quite as deep and glossy, but is still very good and even. Trigger on the 57 is not quite as glassy smooth, but I only have about 400 rounds thru it so far, and the 29 has a lot more. I really have no complaints about the quality of the new revolver and it shoots great, so what more could I ask?
 
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Nanuk

New member
A friend of mine handled the new models and said the triggers are awful, not up to the older guns at all.
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I remember the triggers on the old Smiths from the factory. They sucked then too.
 
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CajunBass

New member
I remember the triggers on the old Smiths from the factory. They sucked then too
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.

Well, I don't know if they "sucked" or not, but the old timers said they did compared to their version of the "old stuff." They told me to "get an old ones, the new ones suck" back then too. Now, I didn't know a good trigger from a bad one back then, so I didn't listen.

If you get a new one, shoot it for ten, twenty years, you'll swear the gunsmithing gods touched it and it's always been that way. :D

And the "new ones" then will suck too.
 
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Jeff #111

New member
Well, I don't know if they "sucked" or not, but the old timers said they did compared to their version of the "old stuff." They told me to "get an old ones, the new ones suck" back then too. Now, I didn't know a good trigger from a bad one back then, so I didn't listen.

If you get a new one, shoot it for ten, twenty years, you'll swear the gunsmithing gods touched it and it's always been that way.

And the "new ones" then will suck too.
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Yes indeed. A perfect bullseye.
 
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