Like most, S&W probably ramped up production so much during the Obama years they probably lost sight of some important things.
Ruger got so bad for a time that even their most die hard fans could no longer take up for them.
Colt? LOL.
A tough time anyway for revolver guys IMO. Most makers wanting to sell AR's or their 5th attempt to compete with Glock & Sig.
Personally, I think S&W has come up with some wonderful engineering feats with their revolvers that seem to indicate they are still committed to building fine guns. But they are getting expensive & a person should expect quality. If you look though, Ruger prices are a lot closer to S&W's than they ever were. The days of choosing a Ruger over a Smith cause the R is 20% cheaper are long gone.
I haven't looked at recent Taurus' so I can't say. But do know they weren't the answer at one time. Hand picking at in stock items in a store seems like the safest way for most brands.
