Well call me a purist. 
I am interested in how the new S&W works without the firing pin safety. That, along with the Melonite finish may yield a winning combination if the external extractor holds up.
There are different rumors on why S&W went with the external extractor in their version. Some say it was because of reliability while others say it is for manufacturing costs. While purely speculationg, I believe it was the latter because S&W has a lot of experience with the external extractor on their previous models. The issue I see is that the internal extractor is far more popular than the external. This limits your options if the gun starts acting up which means that you will have to find a gunsmith that knows and understands the S&W design or send it off to the factory.
I have had no personal experience with the 1911 version of their extractor but I currently own a 745 and 39. Both are range toys and both have had far more failures to extract than any internal extractor based 1911 I have ever owned.
"The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental." John Steinbeck
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