Reloads and Warranty

marty_aus · #1 11-20-2009, 11:50 AM

I'm just curious as to wether using reloads in S&W pistols voids the warranty?

tlen · #2 11-20-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty_aus

I'm just curious as to wether using reloads in S&W pistols voids the warranty?

This is a no brainer. Certainly, there are warnings throughout all the S&W Safety and Instruction manuals to not use reloaded ammo. Look at your manual. That said, all I shoot are MY reloads

S&WIowegan · #3 11-20-2009, 01:22 PM

Is there any special reason you would need to blurt out that you shot reloads when you send the gun in for warranty work?

Treeman · #4 11-20-2009, 03:14 PM

If were to ever load a huge boo boo and cause a kaboom I would chastise myself and make no warranty claim.......but I use safe loading practices and trust my handloads more than I trust factory rounds. If parts break, pieces gall, lockwork jams etc. with normal pressure loadings it has nothing to do with who assembled the cartridges and I won't burden anyone with such irrelevant details.

kennyb · #5 11-20-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlen

This is a no brainer. Certainly, there are warnings throughout all the S&W Safety and Instruction manuals to not use reloaded ammo. Look at your manual. That said, all I shoot are MY reloads

+1all i shoot as well is MY reloads!

DonD · #6 11-20-2009, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S&WIowegan

Is there any special reason you would need to blurt out that you shot reloads when you send the gun in for warranty work?

Only if you know you did something dumb and want to be ethical about it as I think would be right. Suppose you put a full case of Bullseye in where you wanted H110. You'd probably grenade the gun and that would be your fault and I personally wouldn't ask to have the gun replaced.

I think the "no reloads" is a CYA on the part of the manufacturer to allow them to deny repairs when it is obvious that a grossly over pressure round or POSSIBLY squib caused the problem. Don

Wayne M · #7 11-20-2009, 07:40 PM

It voids the warranty and S&W knows that millions of shooters run reloads through their guns every year....and they fix 'em under warranty if there's a problem.

n4zov · #8 11-20-2009, 07:53 PM

Straight from the horse's mouth:

"WARNING: NEVER USE NON-STANDARD, RELOADED
OR “HANDLOADED” AMMUNITION WHICH HAS NOT
BEEN SUBJECTED TO INTERNAL BALLISTIC PRESSURE
TESTING. RELOADED OR HANDLOADED AMMUNITION,
MAY HAVE MANY MANUFACTURING AND QUALITY VARIABLES
(SUCH AS THE TYPE AND AMOUNT OF GUN POWDER).
ANY AMMUNITION THAT IS IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED,
EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST DEGREE, MAY FAIL TO FIRE
OR MAY GENERATE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL PRESSURES
WHICH CAN DAMAGE OR EVEN RUPTURE THE FIREARM,
CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH TO THE SHOOTER
OR THOSE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY."

S&WIowegan · #9 11-20-2009, 08:41 PM

If you blow up a gun with a bad cartridge, I consider that not to be warranty work. It is a request to replace gun or parts(good luck on that). A friend of mine blew up a 627 8-shooter some years ago and he devoutly believed his reloads didn't cause it. S&W would not replace the gun but did sell him a new 625 at dealer price.

BUFF · #10 11-20-2009, 11:49 PM

The first handgun I handloaded for was a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special. Speer swaged 240 grain SWC's would key-hole. I wrote Charter a letter and asked if this was a common occurence as factory ammo shot fine.

They wrote back and said that they hadn't heard of a problem. The letter ended with, "Please note that we don't recommend reloaded ammunition. Your warranty is now void. Thank you for buying Charter Arms!"

Jellybean · #11 11-21-2009, 01:11 PM

Quote:

I'm just curious as to wether using reloads in S&W pistols voids the warranty?

Looking at their warranty in their manuals and on their website, I'd say not necessarily. Although it would probably take an attorney to prove it.

Vulcan Bob · #12 11-21-2009, 06:09 PM

Oh my, we all know that we would never fire a reload out of our S&W's, wink,wink, nod,nod! Short of a blow up no one needs to know.

sza · #13 11-21-2009, 08:44 PM

I have always been upfront with their customer service about my use of reloads when I send a gun in for repair.

Most recently, they replaced the firing pin bushing in the frame of my M&P R8, which was apparently torched when flame leaked around a primer in a loose pocket. The gun has never seen a round of factory ammunition, and I told them as much. The work was done under warranty and they paid shipping both ways.

I see no reason to lie (even through omission) about your use of reloads. I'm sure that there is some line they will not cross (for example, if you blow the topstrap off a gun), but they're not out and out denying all warranty work due to use of reloads. The people at customer service didn't just fall off the turnip truck--it's pretty obvious when there's a gross failure due to the ammunition being used.

oldRoger · #14 11-23-2009, 10:01 PM

SIG very clearly states in several places in their manual that use of reloaded ammunition will void the warranty. My newest S&W is a 1911, I don’t remember that being mentioned, but I usually do not read the safety section of the manual very closely.
From reading kaboom stories on the forum, I would say that many are alleged to have happened with factory ammunition.
I can imagine that customer service really wants to avoid arguing with customers about whether 15 grs of bullseye behind a 148 gr wad cutter is an appropriate load in a M14.