Big Blue’s New Guns at NRAAM

The National Rifle Association Annual Meetings, or NRAAM, has become a SHOT Show lite, if you will. While SHOT Show is exclusive to those in the industry, NRAAM is open to any NRA member. This means it is more of a consumer show than an industry trade show. This coupled with its date on the calendar, means new product reveals. For Smith & Wesson, one of the bigger exhibitors at the event, they dropped two big items—the 1854 WLNT and Model 327 WR.

Model 1854 Walnut

The 1854 Walnut is the next, and most logical extension to the line. The standard 1854 has sold relatively well and is popular amongst lever-gun enthusiasts. Unfortunately, its modern ergonomics shun purists. That’s where the walnut edition comes in. The 1854 WLNT is like the earlier model, sans plastic furniture. The deep walnut finish contrasts well with the stainless steel, Armornite finished barrel (which gives it a near black look). All the other features are the same. MSRP is $1399.00 while street price will be $100 less.

Model 327 WR

Smith & Wesson approached renowned speed shooter and ultimate competitor Jerry Miculek on attempting a World Record to commemorate the opening of their new world headquarters in Maryville, Tennessee. While the details and the attempt are remarkable, I will not bore you with this in writing, instead, here is a link to a video documenting the attempt.

So, why is this important? Well, Smith & Wesson has decided to release a limited run of the recorder-breaking wheel gun. With only 1,880 units released (you know because his time was 1.88 seconds), this will surely be the centerpiece of any Smith & Wesson or revolver collection. The 327 WR is a facsimile of JM’s gun, down to the grips and optic selection. For features, the frame is made of scandium, the cylinder is titanium, and the barrel is made of stainless steel and has two ports on either side. Everything was designed to make the gun fast to shoot while managing recoil as efficiently as possible. Being a 327 designation, the cylinder holds 8 rounds of 9mm. You read that right, this gun is not chambered for the more conventional 357 Magnum. Another feature is the JM signature grips that can be finely tuned to the individual. The final notable item is the inclusion of the C.O.R.E optics mounting system adapted to a revolver. From what I can tell this is a first for Smith. They’ve had other optic-capable models, but those usually mount on the barrel sleeve. To round out the package, the gun ships with a Vortex CompDot, hard case, moon clips, moon clip loading tool, and a screwdriver to tune the gun. Because of its exclusivity, this gun will retail for $3499.00 (yikes, but it is exclusive and limited, right?)

Final Thoughts

Smith had a busy week at NRAAM and with these line extensions, they offer something a bit more traditional compared to the usual polymer and metal guns we normally see. Both guns are shipping and should be hitting dealer shelves shortly.