Years ago, I purchased a Smith & Wesson M&P 340 revolver for back-up and off-duty carry. On shift, it rode in a pouch on my ballistic vest, a Blackhawk Serpa while in the office, or pocketed during off hours. I loved its feathery weight and XS Sights tritium night sight. A Crimson Trace 405 laser grip was added for better close range target acquisition. But something still bothered me about the gun.
That dang lock. Smith & Wesson added its revolver locking system in the early 2000s for supposed safety, but it incorporated a fault. The lock can fail and leave the revolver lacking the ability to…revolve. And thus fire. This can occur even when the feature has never been engaged. Many unquestionably reputable users, not internet content creators, have suffered an inability to work their gun because of this. No thanks.
While my 340 has not given me a problem, seeing that “Hilary Hole” above the cylinder latch just got into my head. I have several other revolvers, Colt and S&W, but none has a locking device. I’m 75.6% sure my gun wouldn’t suffer the malfunction, but the uncertainty percentage is no comfort. It must fire in a critical incident.
The Hilary Hole terminology comes from a compromise between corporate Smith & Wesson and the Clinton White House over gun safety and attendant lawsuits at the time. Big Blue unfortunately acquiesced to government overreach and built the internal key-operated safety cam in its revolvers, to the dismay of its knowledgeable buyers.
I did a little due diligence and found a solution to my troubles in a lock delete from TK Customs. Two machined parts and a little surgery would bring my M&P 340 to better reliability and a sense of ease. Could I do it in the comfort of my dining room table like the company asserted?
The kit was ordered for $39.95, plus shipping. It arrived and looked, well, minuscule. A tiny plug and retainer. I guess the cost was in the materials and execution. A tutorial was found online. Their YouTube link did not work, but the video could be found on Vimeo. I also discovered a very useful video by 4eversnubby on the S&W lock removal. I used them both.
And the TK Customs blister pack remained on my kitchen counter for several weeks while I mustered the stones to reduce my thousand-dollar revolver into pitiful pieces. In no Marvel Multiverse reality am I a gunsmith. While I can effectively wield a few hand and power tools, some things are best left to the professionals. Yet I persevered.
One afternoon, I gathered a screwdriver set, dental pick, needle-nosed pliers, a twist tie, and some courage. For safety, I put down a textured rubber mat in case things fell out of my control and to place parts in sequential order. My iPad ran the videos which I used for reassuring reference during the operation.
Following the instructions, I disassembled my old friend. This process was straightforward and I had the offending lock flag excised quickly. The locking piece had galling from its interaction with the other internal workings. This is where the failure can cause a fatal (not figurative) inaction of the revolver. I suddenly felt vindicated that it seemed slightly damaged.
But now the game became more difficult. I removed the lock’s rotating assembly and retainer. The new TK parts were a bit of a bugger to install but we made it work. Reinstalling the hammer in the Airweight’s frame proved more frustrating. When I finally had it properly placed, after running the video over and over, I had to tackle the mainspring.
I understood the ministrations needed to put it back in place, but it came unseated from its plastic retainer and shot out of battery. A flashlight and neodymium magnet helped me to find the grounded spring. The second and third time it flew skyward had me evoking pagan deities. Fingers cramped and patience nil, I suffered on.
Yes, I had the gun’s action back together in due time. It functioned as manufactured. The bonus was the matte black plug was visually pleasing in the frame. I now had no residual doubts in the functionality of my beloved wheelgun. A machine is only as good as the sum of its parts. Or lack of. You know what I mean.
Now, I just need some range time to confirm the quality of my efforts. The intent is to run a battery of various ammunition through the M&P 340, not just to test the update, but to see which bullets don’t aggravate the arthritis that is causing my increased recoil sensitivity. “Old” gives me a love of revolvers and also an unfortunate health barrier to their enjoyment. Boom now equals ouch.
If your Smith & Wesson comes with the dreaded lock, be assured that you can rectify its potential flaw with a little dough and a reasonable effort. A revolver should be a stalwart companion with maximum reliability and minimum doubt. I feel good about my wheelgun’s lock-ectomy surgery and so could you.
Randall
