S&W Pre-Lock Explanation ????

[Jakenmidas]

Hello!
Hopefully you can help educate me about the 29/629.
I'm looking to buy a .44 magnum and I'm seeing a lot of information regarding "pre-lock" and "lock" and "pinned".

What do these terms refer to?

My experience is primarily with the 1911 format, and I don't have experience with revolvers.

Thank you for your help!

[Quiet]

"pre-lock" means the S&W was made before the ILS (Internal Lock System).
Almost all new S&W revolvers have the ILS and some people do not like having them, due to malfunctions caused by the ILS locking by itself when the revolver is being fired.

[dustoff31]

What Quiet said about the "pre lock".

"Pinned" refers to where the barrel has a retaining pin to hold it into the frame, in addition to being screwed in. You will see the pin going through the front of the frame just slightly above the barrel.

You might also see the term "recessed" also used. This means that the back of the cylinder is cut to allow the rim of the cartridge to be completely covered by the cylinder.

If you look at the side of a loaded non-recessed revolver you will see the rims of the cartidges "sticking out" of the cylinder. Recessed, no rims, just cylinder.

[Jakenmidas]

Thank you for the info!

[Mickey D]

What Quiet said about the "pre lock".

"Pinned" refers to where the barrel has a retaining pin to hold it into the frame, in addition to being screwed in. You will see the pin going through the front of the frame just slightly above the barrel.

You might also see the term "recessed" also used. This means that the back of the cylinder is cut to allow the rim of the cartridge to be completely covered by the cylinder.

If you look at the side of a loaded non-recessed revolver you will see the rims of the cartidges "sticking out" of the cylinder. Recessed, no rims, just cylinder.

As stated S&W revolvers had their barrels pinned prior to 1984. The cylinder charge holes were recessed on magnum cartridge and rimfire cartridge calibers only. This recess was discontinued in 1982 on magnum calibers, but continue with rimfired.

Pinned barrel on S&W Model 10

[tonelar]

The ILS doesnt fail much on std loadings. Its mostly magnum calibers that generate the kind of recoil that can cause the ILS to actuate.
However, ILS smiths generally dont command the same $$$ a prelock version would on the used mkt.

[norcal77]

Pretty much everyone said, I would get a pre-lock..or look for an Anaconda

[hasserl]

Unfortunately you can only buy most of these older S&W's by private party transfer. Once they become dealer stock they cannot be sold to civilians in CA because they are not on the Handgun Roster.