Understanding the nuisance and irritation of the situation, did the OP call Ruger and ask them to send him the (what sounds like a $.50) part in a stamped envelope?
I don't understand the logic of avoiding older guns because parts that will probably never break may be hard to find, but if anyone wants to get rid of one of those junk Colt Pythons before they have an issue, I'd be happy to buy you a BRAND NEW Taurus revolver in trade. Parts are available...
I don't know if there are any that are really more desirable or rare, but I prefer the original no-dash models or at least models with hammer mounted firing pins, where they should be. (I have no reasoning for that other than that's what's in my head that I want.)
To answer the OP's question, if I have a choice between the two, I'm taking the pre-lock revolver every time. I won't shy away from a post-lock, but it definitely isn't my first choice. (At least in the Smith & Wesson realm. I can't speak towards Taurus.)
A revolver with hand fitted parts is like a fine Swiss timepiece. One with mass produced drop-in parts is like a walmart Timex. (A nice Timex, but a Timex, none the less.)
(And given the two options, of which a 9mm wasn't one, I would absolutely prefer the lighter weight and more rounds of a .380 versus a heavy two-shot .45.)
I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I was only stating that a .380 isn't a round that's just going to "sting" someone and has no lethal abilities, as some would have people believe. I don't write it off as junk to not be considered. Some people may, and they're absolutely welcome to.
Then why not just carry a .500 magnum? That will stop an attack and kill someone's soul. There's no perfect gun for every person for every circumstance. I carry an LCP in the summer when I'm wearing light shorts and I have no issue wondering if it is "enough." The gun show billy-bad-asses...
I don't understand your comment. I don't need to be stabbed in the shoulder to know that it's going to hurt (nor would I ever say that it wouldn't hurt.) A .380 (or .22, etc.) can kill just as dead as a .500 magnum. My point was that people that like to emasculate or belittle people for...