Smith & Wesson M100-1 WeatherShield (Blue) Handcuffs Overview (NIJ)

These are my new Smith & Wesson Model 100-1 WeatherShield handcuffs which come in Blue color. I sold my yellow ones years ago and regretted it ever since!

Very smooth, very high quality and internationally known handcuff that is NIJ certified for law enforcement use. But these particular ones are more resistant to water, supposedly, which is why they call these WeatherShield. They are powder-coated blue for extra durability and identification.

Comfortable both to apply to someone or the person with them on.

You can lubricate them with a light oil now and then to keep them nice and maintained (or use Dry PTFE spray as I do). Like usual, I waxed these with renaissance wax for extra smoothness and protection.

The WeatherShield or Weather Shield line did not last that long. I'm not completely clear why, I have seen some info suggesting they changed the methodology of their colouring, not sure. The yellow was wearing a bit on my old pair. But they are very very uncommon in the UK. I got my yellow pair years ago from some random US-based Amazon seller and never saw them since, until recently on eBay many years later! So I had to grab them immediately!!

I demonstrate them with my on-person demo while wearing some bright and plain Khaki US prison clothing so that the cuffs show up better. Normally I wear a lot of black or camo trousers and black shirt so cuffs don't show up that well. So having a plain and brighter background helps. Plus contextually it is more applicable.

Enjoy!

An Early Smith & Wesson M100 (not 100-1) 1980 Police Handcuffs with PATS PENDING stamp!!!

These are the American Smith & Wesson model M100 handcuffs that came out about 1979. The patent wasn't granted until 1981, so the fact that these have PAT'S PENDING on means they are an early model, which is very cool to own!

These were the first time they had their new design of double lock whereby the internal spring also was the double-lock itself. These are stamped with their old Springfield location and soon after this they moved to Houlton.

Basically these are basically identical in function as the modern M100-1. The only real difference is the way the handcuffs are manufactured. Modern ones use rivets to hold everything together, whereas these old M100 have indents around the edge to help line the pieces up correctly and then heat, coupled with a special material added during construction sort of welds everything together. Apparently this older method was more secure of holding the handcuffs together. The modern rivet method is cheaper but still effective.

There was an revision of this M100 whereby the double locking window was not all the way through the cuff, but only was open on the front-facing cheek plate. But they quickly altered the design by having the hole go right through for easy double-locking from either side.

When I received them, the bow on one side was bent a bit and would not freely swing-through without being forced and the double strand was slightly bowed outwards. But I rectified this with a vise and a few bashes and bends by hand which gave these cuffs the chiropractic adjustment needed to function normally and healthily!! 😜

They seemed a bit hazy on the surface so I gave them a light once-over with some 0000 steel wool with some Autosol mixed into it and then after wiping the residue off I wax polished them, as is typical for me, with Renaissance wax. Of course I used some PMA Brake and clutch cleaner to blast out the internals before re-lubricating and cleaning them.

Lovely handcuffs! I wanted an M100 for years but when I found these and the fact they have PATS PENDING on them, since I found nothing else to buy I had to get these before anyone else.  About the only place I see these being used any more are on TV and movies, because the prop departments would have gimmicked them many years ago and never needed to throw them out with the little use they get.

Enjoy!

Smith & Wesson M100P-1 Long Chain Police Handcuffs ~ (Tested behind back also)

These are the Smith & Wesson M100P-1 handcuffs which have a longer chain for use on longer individuals.

Instead of the window design, they use the older push-pin style of double lock. I feel this is more secure because of the many and various attacks on the mechanism that are possible via the window style.

They have a single pawl mechanism like all their other cuffs, but given that suspects/criminals should be searched and not left unattended, it's not normally a major problem that a cuff doesn't have more fancy security measures.

The added chain length is useful for use on larger individuals that might otherwise require 2 pairs of handcuffs to be linked to extend the length. I tested them behind my back and they are more comfortable! However, this length also lends themselves to being used for carrying important and expensive goods in cases, to ensure that merely snatching a bag or case from someone would not liberate it from the owner. But in this situation it would be of basic grab & run protection, since anyone with a standard key could take the handcuffs off the bag or case if they had the time or threat of violence etc.

Of course some people use these in the bedroom, since they are longer, they adapt well for use on bed headboards and posts etc, as seen in the Stephen King movie "Geralds's Game". The ones used in the movie were the version that used smaller chain links (so there were more chain links) but the same 6 inch length. It probably should go without saying, but if you use handcuffs in the bedroom, always use them safely and verify the cuffs work and that you have more than 1 key around!

As you would expect from S&W these are great quality handcuffs and feel very smooth to the hand. Very shiny too. Not mirror shiny but they reflect light in a nice way (especially when you wax polish them as I do most my handcuff collection)

Enjoy!

Smith & Wesson Model 90 Police Handcuffs From Late 1970's / Early 1980's

This is a pair of Smith & Wesson Model 90 handcuffs. They were used in the US by police (probably military police as well). I am not sure when this model was first manufactured but it would have been probably early 1970's or perhaps earlier. The airweight model 925 was modelled on these and I believe 925's were around in the late 50's so... chicken or egg. Not sure which came first but I do like these model 90.

They stopped manufacturing these in 1979, I believe. Based on the design nuances and serial number of mine, it would track with the original sellers claims that these were bought in the US 40+ years ago.

This pair has some interesting professional stamping of DFC and A / A which I do not know the meaning of. But there is also a owner-engraved number on there which fits the format of a US Social Security number. Apparently the US military used SS numbers for identity for a long time, so it makes me think these were possibly owned by someone in the US military. Given this context, if you know what DFC or A / A means, please comment below.

The mechanism is very strong and in amazing condition. I did have to use some 0000 steel wool to get some gunk off and then do my usual cleaning and maintenance steps to ensure proper working order.

I really like these! Very smooth feeling and yet have all the required modern features you would want, including the indent system for the bow which bites and holds the bow in place in case a very strong person tries to escape by pulling outwards.

Enjoy!

Scarce / Rare Smith & Wesson 926 Airweight Lightweight Aluminium 1970s / 1980s Handcuffs

These a pair of lightweight (known as airweight due to the extreme lack of weight) Smith & Wesson 926 chain link handcuffs. They are made from aluminium or aluminum and are exceptionally, extremely, ultimately, ludicrously light at 100 grams!

These have a single pawl like most S&W handcuffs and has the usual double locking. This is an old pair, likely from the 1970s or 1980s but in excellent like-new condition, pretty much. The bow teeth are still fully intact and sharp!

To see them, you might think they were a model 90 basic old S&W handcuff, but the rarity of handcuffs in this weight-class is where they stand out. These are so light, lighter than even Peerless 730 Superlite. They are so light people would swear they are toys. They weigh absolutely nothing. If you put some fur on these from a toy set of handcuffs and warm the handcuffs in your pocket to body temperature and hand them to someone, they would absolutely believe they were toys, not a hard to find expensive pair of handcuffs from one of the world's best known gun manufacturers!

I got a great price on these from @MrHandcuff . Normally these can be anywhere around £150 / $200 etc. While not strictly "rare" they are very 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 hard to find. This model was manufactured somewhere between the years of 1958 to 1979, though not in as large batches as the regular steel handcuffs, making them harder to find.

HIATT in the UK made a similar extremely lightweight handcuff, based on the 1980 pattern handcuff, but due to the larger costs to make them, they opted for less and less aluminium and more of a steel alloy which is lighter than normal handcuffs but not as RIDICULOUSLY lightweight as their early models, like this Smith & Wesson pair.

I used some very fine wire wool to clean some tarnish from the top side near the swivels and I polished with Peek cleaner and Renaissance wax, as well as lubricating with WD40 Specialist Dry PTFE (do not ever use graphite on aluminium handcuffs!) They are amazing!

At this moment they are not featured in my collage/tower image of my handcuff collection, but I shall be doing that as my next task once I get some time to set everything up.

Enjoy!

Smith & Wesson M1900-1 leg irons

These are the Smith & Wesson M1900-1 leg irons. Similar to the slightly older M1900, but these have the familiar modern rivets as part of their construction.

These are very nice quality. Their shape and design mean they can fit quite a wide array of ankle/leg sizes.

They have the usual familiar window double locking mechanism and work pretty smoothly.

They are decently comfortable and because of the ovular shape, can accommodate with people with particularly muscular calves/ankles due to the shape.

They came with 2 standard chunky S&W keys, one of which I have converted into a back-cut TOOOL  Ultimate Handcuff Key.

The nickel finish on them seems a bit on the patchy side. Almost like it consists of grubby hand prints all over it. It is hard to describe but you may perceive them to be dirty, but let me tell you that I have cleaned them with metal cleaner, polished them with Renaissance wax and given them some PTFE lubricant. It's part of the finish. Also it seems during transit they got slightly chipped. On the back of one of the double strands the nickel has flaked off on a small area making it feel a bit rough when running a finger over it. Normal skin contact areas are intact but this was a bit of a disappointment never the less.

I believe Yuil definitely copied this design. I no longer have a pair of Yuil leg irons, as at the time I did not really want to collect leg irons and I gave them to a worthy home :) But as I recall from memory these are extremely similar to each other.

On their smallest size, they are adequate to secure around my hands and on their largest size they would accommodate a leg larger than mine, so I find that quite impressive.

On the very very largest setting, within the ramp divot area, you can double lock them and they do appear secure, though because it is a slope either side, unsuccessful attempts to kick the bow tighter or pull it out may progressively damage the teeth on the pawl, whereas when closed on a normal click, any attempt to kick closed or pull open either go nowhere or merely pull on the pawl teeth. So I would recommend closing them on a proper click unless someone has SO large ankles that you have no choice but to use that little initial groove area.

These are mainly used in the US but there may be other places using them. I have seen them used in transport situations and in courtrooms/prisons but it's not a typical "cop on the street" item as far as I can tell.

Very nice and glad to have these in my collection!

Enjoy 😀

Smith & Wesson M100-1 M&P (Military & Police) Chain Handcuffs in Black Melonite Finish NIJ

These are a standard pair of Smith & Wesson M100-1 handcuffs which have 2 special things about them. This is the M&P model, which stands for Military and Police. These have a Melonite (Carbon nitride) finish which provides a similar look and feel as a blued finish and also provides protection from rusting, but also further hardens the exterior metal face to offer scratch resistance etc.

Another thing which makes these special is the fact they have a lever action double lock. Smith & Wesson do some models where you dig the end of your cuff key into the side of the handcuff to double lock, they have their classic window slot where you use the back of the key to slide the double lock across and the M&P have a lever which you can pull using your finger, without needing to use a key.

The double lock lever should work even if you have bitten your nails off too!

Aside from this, they are just another excellent pair of Smith & Wesson handcuffs. Yes, they only have 1 pawl bar like most standard US handcuffs, but these are top notch build quality, tolerances and quality control. A really, really nice handcuff. I like it a lot! Smith & Wesson are trusted by police officers, amongst other brands like Peerless, Chicago, ASP, Hiatt, CTS Thompson and many more.

Enjoy!

Smith & Wesson M300-1 Black (blued) Hinged Handcuffs

These are Smith & Wesson M300-1 handcuffs in a Blued-black finish. They are the M300 model with external rivets, which is what the -1 means in the model number.

These are very very strong indeed. The centre links are thick steel and feel very secure. They offer only a very little amount of freedom of movement outside of the intended hinge direction.

They are identical in operation to the regular chain link version, just with a more restrictive connection between both bracelets.

Why would you want hinged cuffs? Well they offer even more restrictive movement for dangerous people and they can be easier to hold when applying since they do not flop around everywhere since they are connected so well. The downside of hinged handcuffs is they can be problematic to apply with a combative suspect because you have to get the person's other wrist into the right area to let the handcuff secure them, whereas a chain link handcuff can be manipulated in various angles to get the other wrist secured in the position it is at.

These are very nice. I have wanted to get a pair of these for years but never got around to getting one till now. I am able to do my little trick I came up with where I can put the keyholes facing my body and use the key and get it into the keyway and turn to get free, so if you do bets and things, it is possible with these cuffs!

Different handcuffs have varying tolerances. My pair have one side which is easy to pick and the other side has a very slightly mis-aligned keypost which does NOT hinder it's operation in any way. But this small mis-alignment reduces the space for tools to get into the keyway, so it is much harder for me to pick one side :D

All in all, Smith & Wesson handcuffs are top notch quality and do the job well. The blued finish is an oxidation which provides some protection from rusting as well as making them black. This finish wears over time and blued cuffs need a bit more frequent care to ensure they do not rust up when they get worn in. I prefer non-blued handcuffs where possible but these are the best, cheapest option I had available to get regular M300-1 cuffs and they are the genuine article as used by police in the US and elsewhere.

Enjoy.

Smith & Wesson M1-1 Oversized Handcuffs [NIJ]

These are oversized Smith & Wesson handcuffs. Model 1-1. They accommodate a larger wrist size and also close smaller than average.

They sometimes require a more special larger case to fit them.

They have a pin-push double locking mechanism instead of the usual window slot one.

These are the more modern version which are riveted together and more capable of defending against being prised apart by seat belt buckles etc.

🚨 Smith & Wesson M100-1 Chain Linked US Police Handcuffs [NIJ]

These are a pair of US Police Smith & Wesson M100-1 chain link handcuffs. High quality.

These are a popular brand and model of handcuffs that are used by American law enforcement. They are high quality but are not high security. They have tight tolerances which is good, however since they only have 1 pawl bar, a thin enough shim has an easy job to do and since there is 1 pawl bar it means picking can be done relatively easy with the simplest of devices, such as a bobby pin aka hair grip.

That said, they are wonderfully manufactured, look great, are relatively comfortable for people to wear and do the job they are intended to do. Temporarily secure people. Any self-respecting police officer would do a search for hidden keys and what not prior to proceeding with transportation of the prisoner any way.

I can recommend them.

A similar brand you can check out on my channel is Peerless. Peerless do also wonderful handcuffs that are comfortable, extremely well made and also are slightly more secure than these Smith & Wesson due to the position and angle of the keyway. Pick locking tools would have farther to turn inside the mechanism before unlocking, making them a tad bit more secure. Both are high quality and very nice though.

Smith & Wesson Model 104-1 Maximum Security Handcuffs [NIJ]

These are the Smith & Wesson 104-1 (M104-1) [the newer version of the model 104] MAXIMUM SECURITY handcuffs. They are used on the most dangerous and risky prisoners.

Particularly during transport and on Death Row,  as seen in this image of executed serial killer Aileen Wuornos sporting the original model 104: http://crimefeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Aileen_Wuornos_crimefeed.png

They are HIGHLY pick resistant. They use a special, smaller than normal key with, obviously, a tighter keyway which makes sticking picking tools more difficult due to the constrained space.

Not only that, the mechanism is designed in such a way as to have keyhole bushing which has kind of a dome placed around the keyway with a gap only down one side so that the key's flag can fit into the slot. The key then has a bit that hooks up and around the rim of the dome so that this special key can turn, where others would be blocked. Extremely extremely pick resistant because you need something small enough but exceptionally strong, something that can bend all around the outside of the dome "Bushing" and that is very difficult. I have picked pretty much every cuff in my collection except this one. Here is an image of the mechanism: http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx303/Americanpw/PICT0001-5.jpg

Other high security handcuffs are available to the US police and department of prisons but I believe the label of "Maximum security" on these is applicable here. Making cuffs require a 2 bitted key is difficult to pick but having 2 paper clips can get the job done. Trying to bend something thin as hell but strong as hell around that bushing would be quite the trick to pull off.

These are not typically used by regular police officers because the keys are more rare and it would cause problems for releasing the person at the other end if the original arresting officer was not present. So they are typically only used during transport to prisons, on the worst people and in really serious places like death row.

They come with 2 keys and locating extra keys to buy can be difficult, due to the high security, excuse me, MAXIMUM security nature of them lol.

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Thanks

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Smith & Wesson M100-1 WeatherShield (Yellow) Handcuffs Overview (NIJ) Police Supplies

These are my new Smith & Wesson Model 100-1 WeatherShield handcuffs which come in Yellow color.

Very smooth, very high quality and internationally known handcuff that is NIJ certified for law enforcement use. But these particular ones are more resistant to water, which is why they call these WeatherShield. They are powder-coated yellow for extra durability and identification.

Comfortable both to apply to someone or the person with them on.

You can lubricate them with a light oil now and then to keep them nice and maintained. Like usual I wax mine with renaissance wax for extra smoothness and protection (also the key too).

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