On Saturday, April 19, my friend Chris and I went out to a local gun shop/range that was hosting a Smith and Wesson day. That is when a S&W factory representative is present to help sell guns and give away hats and such. So here I am with Chris looking at the pistols when Chris announces that he wants to buy a .22 auto. (don't you envy single people?) So we looked around and we set eyes upon a Model 22a target.
Chris and I looked over the pistol and found it to have several redeeming qualities, so Chris tells the S&W rep that he'll take it. Right about here is when I noticed the rep showing the 22a to another customer while repeatedly dry-firing it.
I holler over to the rep,"We'll take that pistol. Do me a favor and stop dry firing it."
The rep looks at me like I just said the dumbest statement of the week and says. "You can dry fire this gun all day long, Smith and Wesson designed this with a special groove in the chamber to prevent damage."
Well I asked this clown to show me this "groove" and after he looked for five minutes he said, "Well, I guess this model doesn't have that groove, but I know this one does." He takes out the new Airlite .22 revolver and shows me the recessed chambers. "See, these recessed chambers are so they don't get damaged by the firing pin."
Now anybody who knows a thing or two about revolver construction will know that the
recessed chambers are to give the cylinder extra strength, not to aid the gun when dry
firing. But the representative either didn't know what the hell he was talking about,
or thought he could bulls## a bullsh##er. I am absolutely suprised that S&W would
allow someone that galactically clueless to represent their company.