Firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson announced that it has begun shipping the eagerly anticipated Night Guard Series of revolvers.
Introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show, the new line of self defense and concealed carry revolvers includes the Model 315, Model 325, Model 327, Model 329, Model 386 and Model 396 handguns. Offering consumers a broad range of choices when selecting a firearm for protection both at home and for concealed carry situations, the Night Guard revolvers are available in three frame sizes along with four different capacities and five calibers.
Manufactured on a light-weight scandium frame, the Night Guard revolvers feature a 2 1?2 inch barrel and are chambered in .45ACP, .44 Magnum®, .44 Special, .357 Magnum® and .38 S&W Special + P. These simple, yet powerful double-action revolvers are complete with a non-reflective matte-black finish, durable and corrosion resistant black stainless PVD cylinder and Pachmayr® wraparound Compac Custom grips for maximum concealment and shooting comfort.
On top of the frame, each Night Guard revolver is standard with a XS® 24/7 standard dot tritium front sight and the new rugged Cylinder & Slide extreme duty fixed rear U-notch sight for fast, convenient and accurate sight alignment in low-light or no-light conditions. This combination of features makes the Night Guard revolvers a logical choice for all personal defense needs.
“The new Night Guard series was specifically designed to offer consumers a lightweight yet durable revolver that is equipped with all of the features needed for personal defense situations,” said Tom Taylor, Vice President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson. “By offering consumers a choice of three different frame sizes and five calibers, they can easily select the revolver that best suits their individual needs. We believe that these new firearms compliment our current product line by offering consumers yet another choice when selecting a carry-ready revolver well-suited for the times when you need it the most.”
The revolvers comprising the Night Guard line include the Model 315 six-shot chambered in .38 S&W Special + P, the Model 325 six-shot chambered in .45 ACP, the Model 327 eight-shot chambered in .357 Magnum®/.38 S&W Special + P, the Model 329 six-shot chambered in .44 Magnum®/.44 Special, the Model 386 seven-shot chambered in .357 Magnum®/.38 S&W Special + P and the Model 396 five-shot chambered in .44 Special.
As part of the 2008 Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence Awards, the Model 327 Night Guard has been nominated for “Handgun of the Year.” Presented annually, the Shooting Industry Awards recognize innovative products that have set new standards of excellence through design and function.
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Richard Johnson is a gun writer, police trainer and really bad joke teller. Check out his other writing on sites like Human Events, The Firearm Blog and BlueSheepdog.
As a fan of almost all handguns and designs of quality, I recently aquired the model 327 in 357 and it is a nice peice of equipment. The construction, grip, and design is another excellent example of Smith and Wessons continued success in changing with the times. It is a light weight, eight round 357 that will replace of my automatics as a concealed weapon. It is by far no pocket sized, everyday carry weapon but I feel comfortable with the firepower of 8 rounds and the reliability of a reveolver and have always been a fan of the 357′s stopping power. It also makes a nice side arm for hunting or hiking. A++ in my book. I first viewed this weapon at the 2008 shot show in Las Vegas and decided then I would like to add it to my collection.
I have owned a mdl329 NG .44 MAG and want to find a holster for my piece. preferably a leather holster. I understand there is only one manufacturer of such item and am having trouble locating through my local dealerships. Any suggestions? Oh, and by the way, the grips that came with have been replaced with an exotic wooden Hogue, which looks extremely menacing as does the framework. The manufacturer forgot to take into account the light weight and extreme tourque and as a result my rubber grips were stripped from the frame after only 100 rounds or so.
After only 100 rounds? Wow. I hope you called Smith and Wesson about that. The grips feel pretty good, but they should be good for thousands of rounds…not just 100.
As far as the holster…I would suggest checking with some of the custom holster makers such as High Noon Holsters, Milt Sparks Holsters, and Kramer Handgun Leather. If you are ok with kydex, CrossBreed Holsters may be able to work something out for you.
Good luck, and please let us know what you wind up with.
–Richard