I bought a brand-new 642 just over a year ago, but haven't shot it much until recently. I've been trying to work up a load that doesn't shoot 8" left. I kept telling myself I have to get used to shooting it, it's a handful, etc. Well, that load doesn't exist and my control has always been decent. Last night, when I was cleaning it, I realized that the reason it is not shooting to POA is that the barrel is just slightly canted to the right. Apparently, it doesn't take much with such tiny sights. So now I'm wondering what to do with it. I'll call S&W on Monday to see if they will repair it or if it falls into their "close enough for government work" category. In some ways, it doesn't matter for a defensive handgun because you aren't going to aim at 2' anyways. But a 7 yard shot would have to put the sights on the guy's left shoulder to hit center mass and that's not acceptable.

I'm somewhat annoyed by this discovery because I've been talking up the newer guns, but now I'm only showing off my own ignorance. I wanted it to be like the older ones I own, which are flawless. It isn't. It's like every other stupid thing I buy these days--the quality is lacking. Anyhow, we'll see whether S&W will fix it.

"These days" has been going on for 26 years that I am aware of. The 686 I bought new in 1986 has a canted barrel. Luckily I was able to move the rear sight enough to bring it in. Mine was made before the lifetime warranty so I gotta accept it.

I understand your irritation with the gun but in S&W'd defense they have always taken care of any question I have had with one of their guns. One as simple as a new design of a laser button to a mistake I made on another gun. Call them and tell them you need this fixed and, in my experience, they will take care of it. Other than Ruger I have never dealt with a company that is so willing to make things right for it's customers. I hope it all works out to your satisfaction as I love my 642. I have had a 637, 638, before the 42 and could not be happier with the gun.
Good luck, Frank.

Any gun with the three letter prefix is covered under the lifetime warranty.

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Centennial Every Day

I had to send my new M&P 340 back b/c the cylinder came off the yoke during cleaning. They fixed it and got it back to me in about 10 days. Their customer service is good, but I do read a lot of complaints about quality control. That may be internet buzz but it does give me pause.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I don't know where you got that information. I'd like to see it in writing. The gun has a three letter prefix (AJN). I sent an email to S&W a few months ago asking about fixing the canted barrel. The responder told me a gun of that age was not covered under warranty.

Canted barrels seem to be all-the-rage of late. Cracked frames took the lead last year and it seems the canted barrel syndrome has struck. I was considering sending one home to have it re-barreled, but I'm not so sure.....it may come back canted.

The three letter prefix started in the early 1980's. The lifetime warranty only covers guns made since February, 1989.

Warranty Repair Shipping Form - Smith & Wesson

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"I also cook."

If they won't fix it I'll find a local gunsmith who will--I think it just needs to be snugged a hair and would be top dead center. It's better than being over-torqued because that could be hairy to fix.

I have seen this a lot on some of the Pythons and SW 686's that are for sale on Gunbroker. You can usually tell by the way the rear sight is adjusted way to one side. I am amazed people do not see this and still buy the guns. I would think that is why they are for sale?

I would think the factory test fire would find this problem?

Call S&W CS and have it fixed. My 642 shoots beer can sized groups at 10 yards all day long and is absolutely a hoot to shoot. Not to mention it is small and light enough to carry anywhere.

I have a similar problem with a 442 bought new about a year ago. It shoots well to the right. I called S&W last fall and they sent me a shipping label (FedEx, I think it was) by email without any hesitation. I think it came within a few days. I didn't send the gun in at the time because it was my daily carry piece and I didn't have a ready alternative. Now I do, so I plan to call 'em again next week and see what they can do.

"Pistols and revolvers bearing a serial number beginning with three letters followed by four numbers are covered under Smith & Wesson’s Limited Lifetime Warranty."

This is from the LSG website. LSG is a factory authorized service and warranty repair station.

LSG, Mfg|Gun Parts|Warranty|Gunsmithing

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Centennial Every Day

Is this a problem with all the smiths are just one model? I have been wanting a 686 model, but leary of getting one, due to all the complants about canted barrels.

Just remember , if Smith sells 200 guns with canted barrels out of the 200,000 guns they sell in a year, you WILL hear about the 200 on the internet and you will NEVER hear about the 199,800 that have perfect barrels.

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Centennial Every Day

This one would fit that criteria. Because S&W told me it was not under warranty should I contact LSG?
The gun is in pristine condition and the sight problem is correctable. Because of this I'm leery of letting someone clamp it in a vise and torquing it with a 3' long lever of some sort. I'd rather have a canted barrel than a scared 686.

It wouldn't hurt to contact them and see what they have to say about it.

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Centennial Every Day

I have been too busy to follow up with S&W about my 642 until today. The crazy thing is, when I was looking at the gun to write down the serial number, the barrel looked even more canted than when I was previously looking at it--before, you could hardly notice the cant, but now it looked even worse! Mind you, it has been sitting in the safe since my original post, no firing, no carrying, nothing. So I tried to turn the barrel with just hand force and the damn thing unscrewed! Now this has gone from a minor annoyance about POI to a safety issue! I just finished filling out the warranty repair form since the case is completely cut and dry now and will send it in. But I'm really put off by this whole experience now--this is a handgun I was going to be using as an EDC and it's a complete basket case. This revolver has seen at most 100 rounds of regular 38spc fired through it. So unacceptable! The EAA 45 I traded in to partially fund the purchase of this 642 was completely reliable and that was an EAA! I like all of my old S&W revolvers, they are all great, which is why I bought this new one. I am so freaking disappointed right now.

Obligatory crummy camera-phone photo:

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