We all have multiples of S&W's we cherish and enjoy. I have, however owned three S&W's over the years that have become objects of my scorn. The worst and by far most expensive offender is detailed below.

The most expensive 'hated' Smith on my short list- A early 1980's era Model 41. I had handled and shot one several years before and just fell in love with the 41's. When I finally had the money I treated myself to a pristine used one for my 30th birthday. The gun had been part of a doctor's collection of S&W and High Standard .22 pistols and appeared unfired. I assembled a few brands of target .22 ammo and headed to the range. On the first outing it wouldn't feed the second round from the magazine. I got really terrible 5 to 6 inch groups at 25 yards using CCI Std., Remington Target, Winchester T-22, Federal Match Pistol and a couple other brands. Shot my 617 that same day and got 2 inch groups with no problem. Several more range outings and 2 new mags later I still couldn't get groups under 4 inches with any ammo I tried. Worked my way up the price scale- RWS Target Pistol, CCI Green Tag, Remington-Ely Club Target, Eley Pactice. Still no decent groups. Finally a match pistol expert shot the gun for me and he couldn't get it to group either. He did try Eley Tennex ($$$$) and got a 2.5 inch group. His gun, also a M-41, was cutting one ragged hole with Tennex that day. I put the gun on consignment sale the next day. Sold it for a loss. The person that bought it traded it back in to the dealer a couple months later. No wonder..

I briefly owned a model 34 a long time ago. It was very cranky, or should I say it made ME very cranky. Extremely hard to extract spent casings, misfired frequently. Traded it for a model 18 adding a little cash, and never looked back.

Cheers;
Lefty

...great thread idea....

can't report any real issues with any S&Ws I've had though....other than the troubles a buddy had with any of his Smith auto collection, which bled through to me such that I've never owned a Smith auto

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

One. I disliked it so much I can't even remember the model number . It was one of those snubby double action .357 magnums without a hammer. Never again - I like "traditional" hammered SA/DA revolvers!

Well, hate is a big word.
I had a 629 Mountain gun that i never did like.

Sold it to a friend who liked it alot.
All my other Smith & Wessons i loved.
Though i had to sell most of them,
i have kept a model17 and a 19

Saved money and bought a S&W 629 Mountain Gun. It was pretty. It was not accurate. Sent it back to S&W. They returned it... no idea what they did to it. It still would only produce 3.5 inch groups from sandbags at 25 yds., and that was about the best it would do. Occasionally I'd get a odd group below 3 inches, but that was only occasionally. The norm was 3.5 inches. I traded it for a Rem. 700 VS-SF in .308 Winchester. With a nice Leupold 6.5-20 on top, it was one of the most boringly accurate rifles I've ever owned. A little over 5,000 rounds and 12 years later, a church member wanted to buy it from me. Two years later, he paid me what I paid for the rifle. It'd still put 10 shots under 1 inch. Excellent rifle. But... I had lost my interest in it. I still wanted a nice 4" .44 S&W. Found a 24-4... Happy! Happy! Happy! With 200 gr. Gold Dots it makes nice little 2 inch groups at 25 yds.! And at "combat" distances firing from a two hand hold groups are just 1 nice ragged hole. Love it! Now only need to find a Bianchi 10L holster... or maybe a El Paso Austin or Tom Threepersons holster. ;-)

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<><

I had a 27 that I couldn't wait to get rid of.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Don't think I've ever had one that I hated, unless it was a M36 that the cylinder release chewed up my thumb knuckle when I fired it. (I replaced it with an earlier flat latch and no more problems..)

However I have had a few that I have been disappointed with. A couple of M41's that were just too finicky with what they wanted to be fed and a M547 that just didn't do anything for me. (Of course, for some reason, I don't care for 9mm Para in the first place. Having it in a revolver was even worse..)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I had a Mod 14 with an 8 3/8" barrel. It was long, awkward, and I just did not shoot it well. Sold it and never looked back. To this day I just do not care for barrels longer than 6 - 6 1/2".

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Only S&W I ever that I decided was a mistake was an M59, my first-and last-aluminum frame gun. Sold it after 2 years, a few years later I bought an M659-now THAT I like.

Model 317, 3" kit gun. One of the few I bought brand new. Had to have it.

Most inaccurate, poorly assembled gun ever (for me) from SW. Poor cylinder fit, yoke messed up, scraped the inside of the frame.

Didn't even bother to send it back for repair. Sold it and took a bath.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Nope.
Pray for America,
Gordon

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better have that checked

don't hate any; my 2nd, a 4506 on paper looked great and had good reviews (1991) from many including Mr Ayoob. Bought it because I couldn't find a Sig 220 - v. rare in the UK at that time - even rarer now they're banned...

They tried to get all ergonomic with the grips which didn't work for me - the contour, instead of fitting my hand, dug into the palm, so not particularly fun to shoot. Traded for a Springfield Mod 90.

Had a M63 when they first came out; extraction was very sticky. Unloaded it, got an old I-frame Kit. It shot nice, but was inclined to misfires no matter what I did to fix it. Finally gave it to my daughter for a plinker.

On the other hand my faithful old M18 takes up the slack nicely, and I've been pretty satisfied with S&W's quality and service over the years.

I sure liked reading the old catalogues with model NAMES better, though.

Just one; a S&W model 5903. That gun was a menace to everything except what you were shooting at. On the other hand i had another 5903 that was very accurate.

Other than that one I have never had a S&W that I didn't like.

Model 469- 9mm. 1st Gen What a piece of Sh--. It had the Dead Man" magazine safety- weapon was useless during a tactical reload. The trigger had extremely long travel in double action. The over travel in single action was just painful. The hammer was bobbed so you could not cheat into single action. The egos on the frame were good, but those plastic grips sucked. I think I still have the box if anybody wants it.

My apologies to any S&W semi-auto guys. I saw too many 3 digit model guns fail in the beginning. Will not depend on them to save my life. I do not own any 3 digit model S&Ws.

Mike E

None that I actually hate, but one that causes me concern -- a top break .38 safety hammerless. Feels wrong in the hand, terrible trigger pull, unreliable "single-action" staging, inaccurate at almost any distance.

I think most of these problems could be addressed with a little smithing, some custom grips, and practice. But I wonder if it is worth the effort.

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David Wilson

Picked up a used 4006 in great shape. All the ergonomics of a 2x4 and the accuracy of a rock. Sold it within 6 months

a 469 that you couldn't hit a barn from the inside with and a 645 that wouldn't feed a full magazine of anything,and tried 6 different mags. other than the early model 41's and 52's, i gave up on smith autos.

I love all my S&Ws, I just love one a lot less than the others...

Actually, the the reason one I love less isn't the 637's fault, it's mine.
Big hands vs small grips vs light weight
I can shoot it or I can conceal it, but not both.

I picked up an unmentionable brand in all steel that's doing the job for me until a suitable S&W follows me home.

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Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

Mine was a model 59. The DA pull was so bad I can't think of a good description. It and I could not hit anything. Didn't keep it a full day, traded it for a new Browning Hi-Power, plus a lot of cash, which is still new in the box 30 years later. Really needed another 9mm.

Another vote for a 59. It shot hardball just fine, but any hollow point jammed it up. The grip angle was wrong for me also, so I traded it for a 9mm Beretta, and traded that one off for something else. I don't have any 9's right now, guess I should just out of principle. Maybe a nice 39....

Just one, as as with many of the others in this thread it was a bottom feeder. It was a 22s Target, it would not feed anything reliably, ate recoil buffers like they were candy, pretty darn inaccurate, and felt like a brick in the hand.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

was always something fiddly and unappealing about any .22 for me; preferred airguns to be honest.

I guess I have been very lucky and never experienced an S&W that I hated or even had serious problems with.
Of course I have not bought a new S&W since the late 1980s.

Knock on wood.

I've had two, both were 686's. First one was a LH 2.5" I bought new. It had a dead cylinder, by this I mean that every so often that one cylinder would not fire. You'd never know when, but it was constant enough to make me aware and thankful when a full 6 shots worked - kind of like a scratch on a record you like - you get used to the scratch spot.

Traded it off with full disclosure to a gunsmith.

The other was a 4" 686-2 that shot LOW. No matter what I did, it shot low with my ammo. I even replaced the rear sight blade with S&W's tallest blade and it was almost acceptable, but when a 4" 586-1 appeared at the local candy store, I sold it and bought the better 586. The finish of the 686 was best described as rough. Tool marks, sharp edges, unfinished rough edges on the forcing come - not the best foot forward IMO.

Add to this, the barrel was clocked when I got it and I sent it to S&W on my dime for that and to get it to shoot to POA. S&W did neither correctly and it still shot low and had a clocked (just not as bad) barrel.

It got sold.

The 586 shoots perfectly with my ammo using the 6 O'Clock hold I favor. Feels better when shooting too, but I can't pin down why that would be. I use the same Hogue grip I swapped over from the 686.

80's K22 that never fired all of its cartridges in one take, about 3 or 4 of them never fired, sent back to smith and wesson in MA twice for this problem and once to a "master" gunsmith and neither of them could fix the ****ing thing.

dumped at kittery trading post with full disclosure a number of years ago and replaced with a 50's beat to hell k22 thats always worked with all shots and under all conditions.

for my dad it would be that 686 that put him off of smith and wesson for damn near 30 years that locked up on the first 6 shots of fresh factory ammo at a gun range in 82 - 83' when the gun first came out, kind of funny that it turned out to be that model too, I've always hated the 686 since I first saw it and didnt know why.

little wonder now and thank god he didnt find that out the hardway either!


and Joni_Lynn what was wrong with the 27? did it just not fit you?

Just two - a Model 6904 9mm that always shot low and gave washtub sized groups - this despite two trips back to the factory; and a Sigma 40F. I still have the Sigma, and it's a fine gun, my problem is that I paid too much for it when they first came out, and I "had to have one". I'll never get my money back on it, but it is the softest shooting .40 that I own. I traded the 6904 off years ago on a Model 625 after full disclosure at my local gun store. By the way, on the second trip back to the factory, S&W Customer Service indicated they replaced the barrel and that the pistol was within normal specifications. Their repairs didn't really improve things, and I've been reluctant to try the 69 series since then.

Regards,

Dave

!

had a no dash 686 4 inch shot very bad with any ammo i used in it, traded it for a 21/2 686 that shot great!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

I agree with Rule3 that my Model 317 Airweight, 3" is the worst. Like Rule3, I just had to have it and paid a lot of good money for it. I do love this revolver. It is the perfect jacket pocket piece. It just shoots like hell! The trigger is awful and the accuracy (probably because of the trigger pull) is just as bad. I would like to get it fixed and be able to use it. I am not in the mood to take a bath on it until I try.

Does any member have any suggestions. I have seen many complaints on this revolver over the years. Is there anyone out there that has done something to theirs to make it a favorite piece to just carry around in a jacket pocket and expect it to shoot reasonably well?

Many thanks,

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Doc Garrett
Dead Man's Doctor

I do own a Schofield second model. I love this revolver becouse she looks great. But she shoots like a whet newspaper. I can't hit anything with it. I do own a model double action model 1881 to. Same story.
They are in my collection becouse I love they are old Smith and Wesson revolvers. Would I depent my lfe on it? Heck Now. On that way they let me down. Do I let them go? What do you think?

What that about real good stuff, I get my New Model 3. Now that is an Revolver with A big R for revolver. Accurate, trusworthy and loveley.
With enough ammo I will survive.

A model 22A that I thought was a piece of junk. (cheap). Got rid of it and bought a Ruger MK III

The only "bad" S&W I can recall was a 6-inch Model 66 that would not keep 6 rounds on a 14x14" piece of cardboard at 15-yards. Luckily, the seller was a gentleman and allowed me to return the gun, even though I told him I had fired it and what I found wrong with it.

It was actually an intriguing gun. I sort of wish I had it back because it was a perfect example of a gun that wouldn't shoot, in spite of the fact that careful examination revealed nothing wrong with it. I even asked a very well known pistolsmith for ideas of what might be wrong with the gun. Everything checked out and all measurements taken were within expectations, but the gun would not shoot with any .357s I put in it. A great curiosity.

I think the OPs Model 41 likely needed its barrel properly fitted. Most 41s from that era seemed to group fairly well but I remember being told by someone at S&W that even though they sell Model 41 barrels as an accessory, not all barrels will shoot well on all guns. A little tweaking usually solves the problem.

None that I really hated. I have had two J-frame snubbies that I sold because they just didn't fit my hand.

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Charles Randolph

None that I really hated either but two I got rid of. A Sigma .380 with that awful zinc slide and a Model 457 .45acp that I didn't like the trigger and resulting poor accuracy. The Sig P245 I replaced it with is far superior.

Starting to develope a dislike for S&W .380 body guard recently purchased just doesn't seem very accurate...but it could be me...not really sold on .380 although many think it's adequate!

Two S&Ws I just don't like. The first was a Escort. I never could get a full mag. thru it. Jam-Jam-Jam-***. The other is my 19-3, for completely the opposite reason. It is tight and just too nice to shoot. I will end up trading it off. I can't afford a gun I don't use.

Model 645 that the "Off/On" Switch on the right side of the slide kept falling off after four to six round. Tried everything to get it to stay on, nothing worked. Traded it off.

Rule 303

Two. Both department issue guns. A 669. Went from carrying my privately owned six inch 66 which I shot master with, to a 3 1/2" aluminum framed auto with the ergonomics of a two by four. Hated it as I could barely qualify with it. Then got issued a DAO Model 4046. NIB, with a trigger pull of around 30 lbs. Again, hated it and barely qualified with it. Back to shooting master again with a Gen 4 Glock 35.

hmm I think I saw that one on gun broker actually awhile back, did you sell it with a holster and two mags?

I had a 625 5" JM gun that only seemed to shoot marginally with most loads, and in only a couple of thousand rounds the cylinder stop notches peened up so bad that it skipped chambers. I sent it back, got the cylinder replaced under warranty and then traded it.

I never have liked stainless guns much...this one took the cake. I've had a couple of 25's now, and never had a problem since.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Kavinski,
No, I sold it at a gun show to a friend whom I gave a complete run down on the gun to. He ended up sending it back to S&W and having a second generation "off/on" switch mounted on it, to the tune of $48.00.......

It was design flaw to use a phillips headed screw on it, Smith said they couldn't warranty it. It was in the mid 90s that this happened.....

Rule 303

ah I see, its just that I saw a really beat up one on youtube and gunbroker both missing the right side safety about 2 months ago.

My duty weapon. M&P 45 full size........junk.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

A 669. Worst ergonomics and trigger pull I ever encountered. Was so glad to sell it.

I had two, both "N" frames. One was a 4" M57. It was the first non-pinned S&W I ever owned. After shooting it some, I noticed that I could grasp the barrel and turn it slightly by hand. Factory fixed it, but I sold it. The other was a 3" M24. When I got it, the cylinder would rub against the top of the forcing cone when you cocked it. I got it fixed, bought a nice El Paso holster for it, and never could love it. It hid underneath a light jacket about like a Ruby Red grapefruit. I swapped it for something (can't remember what).

I still have it a pre-29 model 44 magnum...I hate it so much i've never shot it or taken it out of the box....come to think of it I don't think the cylinder has ever been rotated......any reasonable offers considered.....couldn't be worth very much...

I had one of the first Model 59 9mm L. when they first came out. I owned a Model 39-2 and thought it would be just like the Model 39 with a double stack magazine... it wasn't even close..... We called it a "Mattel made toy gun". I tried carrying it as a LEO duty gun and decided I could not trust my life on it and traded it off and went to a Model 25-2 .45 ACP revolver. A number of my other LEO friends did the same and went to other duty handguns.

Years later I ended up with a Model 659 9mm L. and it was a much better handgun and I still have it.

A Model 547. After a long chase for one, I found out that this gun hit
ca. 6" low and left in relation to the POA at 10 meters. At 25 meters
it was luck when I found all 6 holes on the targetpaper.

Some months later, a dealer offered me another one. After testfiring with acceptable results, I bought it. The first gun was sold to a collector who knows about the problem. He don't care, becaus he don't shoot the guns.

Swissman