I bear in mind two issues concerning the Evening Guard when it was initially on the market all these years again. First, it regarded completely wonderful. Second, I didn’t assume I may ever afford one. It nonetheless seems to be wonderful, and whereas I’m nonetheless undecided if I can afford it, I now have a second alternative due to S&W partnering with Lipsey’s to carry the sequence again from the lifeless.
This partnership, which additionally gave us the S&W 432 UC (which I really like a lot), has formally resurrected the road. Whereas the unique Evening Guards have been produced from 2008 to 2012, this yr’s premiere options two distinct “flavors” with some important upgrades over the legacy fashions.
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Evening Guard Key Design Upgrades
Essentially the most notable change is the transfer to a 3-inch barrel. That is extensively thought of the “candy spot” for a Ok or L-frame revolver meant for concealment. Past the ballistics, it permits for a full-length ejector rod. This considerably simplifies and accelerates reloads in comparison with the shorter rods on the outdated 2.5-inch fashions.
Moreover, S&W has addressed a long-standing grievance by eradicating the inner security lock. There isn’t a extra “Hillary gap” to assault your eyes or create a possible failure level. It appears S&W is slowly transferring away from that function on their enthusiast-grade weapons, and the business is rightfully cheering them on.
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Constructed for Sturdiness: The Endurance Package deal
The brand new S&W Lipsey’s Evening Guard sequence contains a scandium alloy body paired with a metal cylinder. This mix drastically cuts weight, making these “massive weapons” far more comfy for day by day carry. To make sure they will deal with a gentle weight loss plan of defensive masses, the weapons include the identical Endurance Package deal upgrades discovered within the UC sequence.
Light-weight revolvers in heavy calibers have a repute for beating themselves up over time. Nevertheless, these enhancements—together with strategically positioned titanium pins, a ball detent lockup, and a bolstered forcing cone—purpose to make these “heirloom” items that may final for generations.
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Sights and Ergonomics
The sighting system is constructed for high-stress engagements, that includes a shiny tritium entrance sight and a totally adjustable rear sight. This gives a transparent, high-contrast sight image that works simply as nicely in low gentle because it does on a sunny vary.
For management, the Evening Guard makes use of Hogue Bantam rubber grips. Whereas they prioritize preventing ergonomics and recoil administration over aesthetic “protected queen” seems to be, they match the utilitarian nature of the gun completely. The set off motion is reported to be buttery clean, with a rolling double-action and a crisp, clear single-action break.
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Fashions and Availability
The 2026 sequence debuts with two fashions:
Mannequin 386: A seven-shot L-frame chambered in .357 Magnum.
Mannequin 396: A five-shot L-frame chambered in .44 Particular.
As a .44 Particular fanatic, the 396 is a improbable shock. Maybe probably the most surprising half is the worth. With an MSRP of $1,269, it stays inside a realm that—whereas premium—isn’t as absurd as many different scandium-framed choices.
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