robocop10mm,
What you say makes sense, in a way. What doesn't make sense is that Smith & Wesson would design a gun that is marginally safe. But, with the deeper shoulder of the chambers, .45 ACP is not likely to fire without the clips, so maybe that's their way out.
Never cared for alloy framed revolvers anyway, always prefer steel and wood. I do have one alloy revolver, a Smith Model 442, but it stays in my desk drawer most of the time, just in case.
I've had a number of .45 ACP revolvers, both DA and SA. The DA guns were Colt or Smith Model 1917s, one Smith Model 625, and of course my Ruger Blackhawks.
I tried to find a beater of a Model 629 with the intentions of using the barel from the 625 and chambering it to .45 S & W. Was planning on doing some kind of defensive match shooting, though the .45 S&W would give better extraction, and didn't want to fool around with those steel clips. Never came to fruition, though. Only stainless steel gun I ever owned, traded it off for a Blackhawk or something like that.
Bob Wright