How important is having War Caster for Somatic components?

First question, can you draw or stow a weapon as a free action? I think the answer is no, but I really can't remember.

Next, for most spells is it possible to get around the requirement by simply Stowing/drawing the weapon the previous/current turn? I feel like the only issue would be spells that take an action. 

It seems to me that drawing and stowing a weapon is limited to your action in both 2014 and 2024. 

I guess the important question is that I have 3 players this would apply to. 2 of the 3 took war caster making this a moot point for them. The question is really the third player who did not take warcaster. Essentially is war casters point about allowing you to use somatic components useless because you basically already can?

A weapon is an object, so you can indeed interact for free with one.

The War Caster Somatic Components is not useless as it allow you to perform the Somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a Shield in one or both hands.without having to unequip any.

Quote from bhthephoenix >>

It seems to me that drawing and stowing a weapon is limited to your action in both 2014 and 2024. 

I guess the important question is that I have 3 players this would apply to. 2 of the 3 took war caster making this a moot point for them. The question is really the third player who did not take warcaster. Essentially is war casters point about allowing you to use somatic components useless because you basically already can?

One thing to remember is that the somatic (and/or material) component only requires one free hand. So if the character can manage that then the issue isn't a problem (a two-handed weapon only requires two hands when making an attack, in between being used it can be held with one hand).

But yea, if two out of three have the feat then I would not let the third player get off easy when having to switch around equipment to satisfy somatic/material components.

 The Free Item Interaction is in fact the only way to interact with a weapon without attacking via the Attack Action, such as when moving or taking any other action.

By default a spellcasting focus must be held to be used unless its description says otherwise.  However, the same is not true of individual spell components or the Component Pouch which must merely be "accessed" with a free hand during the spell casting procedure.  Since that all happens as part of the Magic action, no additional Object Interaction or Utilize action is required.

The 2014 SAC includes an example that mentions when War Caster is useful:

What’s the amount of interaction needed to use a spellcasting focus? Does it have to be included in the somatic component?

If a spell has a material component, you need to handle that component when you cast the spell. The same rule applies if you’re using a spellcasting focus as the material component.

If a spell has a somatic component, you can use the hand that performs the somatic component to also handle the material component. For example, a wizard who uses an orb as a spellcasting focus could hold a quarterstaff in one hand and the orb in the other, and he could cast lightning bolt by using the orb as the spell’s material component and the orb hand to perform the spell’s somatic component.

Another example: a cleric’s holy symbol is emblazoned on her shield. She likes to wade into melee combat with a mace in one hand and a shield in the other. She uses the holy symbol as her spellcasting focus, so she needs to have the shield in hand when she casts a cleric spell that has a material component. If the spell, such as aid, also has a somatic component, she can perform that component with the shield hand and keep holding the mace in the other.

If the same cleric casts cure wounds, she needs to put the mace or the shield away, because that spell doesn’t have a material component but does have a somatic component. She’s going to need a free hand to make the spell’s gestures. If she had the War Caster feat, she could ignore this restriction.

This is the updated question for the 2024. It doesn’t mention War Caster, but it’s just as useful as described above.

What’s the amount of interaction needed to use a Spellcasting Focus? Does it have to be included in the Somatic component?

If a spell requires Material components, the spellcaster must have a hand free to access or hold them, but it can be the same hand used to perform Somatic components, if any. This latter rule holds true for using a Spellcasting Focus, which a spellcaster must hold unless its description says otherwise.

For example, a Cleric uses an Emblem on a Shield as their Holy Symbol. When in combat, this Cleric likes to wield a Mace in one hand and the emblazoned Shield in the other. This Cleric must have the Shield in hand when casting a Cleric spell that requires a Material component. If the spell, such as Aid, also requires a Somatic component, the Cleric can perform the Somatic component with the hand holding the Shield, allowing the Cleric to keep wielding the Mace. However, if this same Cleric were to later cast Cure Wounds—which has Somatic components but no Material components—they would need to unequip either their Shield or Mace to free a hand for the Somatic components.

Not. How many spellcasters will be holding a weapon at all times?