Well I decided to clean my trusty 642 by taking off the side plate tonight. It's been carried a lot so I wanted to make sure it was clean and oiled inside. This is the first time I've taken the slide plate off, but I've taken many off according to Kuhnhausen's direction in his shop manual.

I immediately noticed something was amiss.

The trigger would not travel and the cylinder stop was depressed so the cylinder spun freely. Odd.

After some investigating I noticed the trigger pin on which the trigger rotates was broken. To get the gun back together, I must push upward on the trigger while laying the sideplate in place. Once the sideplate is installed, the gun functions normally. Apparently the combination of the sideplate guide hole and the dimple on the frame from which the trigger pin broke off are enough to support the trigger.

Regardless, it's going back to Smith. I have other guns in may stable so it's not a big deal.

Has anybody else had this problem - the trigger pin just shearing off at the base?

I don't know what SW can do other than replace the frame - not like they can weld a tiny aluminum pin back on. Got me to thinking though - seems like a structure that might be prone to failure - lots of forces at work there, on a brittle aluminum pin.

Is this an infrequent but not uncommon issue in Airweights?

Thanks
PEF

One of my buddies had the same thing happen with his 642. I have been knee deep in smiths for a long time but have only seen pins come loose a few times. It happens though.

Call SW customer service today and they are replacing the frame. What I expected, can't really fix the integrated pivot pin. Bottom line it appears they are fixing it without any issues. I've only had good experiences with SW CS so far.

I doubt the pin is aluminum

I had a hammer stud shear off in the same manner on a new-production 442. S&W replaced the frame. Took about 10 days from the gun leaving my hands to being back in my pocket....in 2010.

Good luck.

Uggh. And I had just bought a 642 and have yet to light a round off in it. I wasnt really looking for one, but it was right there new and with no lock. You know how it is.

When the British company owned Smith & Wesson, I had two serious revolver issues. On one, the hammer pin broke. The revolver was about two years old and had been fired a limited amount. The other, had an ejector star damaged. Neither was owner caused. After years of unlimited warranty, they informed me that the warranty was only good for one year. My dealer did the best he could for me, but they refused to fix either at their expense. Each cost me $60.00 to repair. In 1987 or so that was considerably more money than it is today. I felt almost betrayed. The British Company was Tompkins, as I remember.

I have no problem paying for anything that I damage but this was absolutely a quality control failure (in both cases) and should have been taken care of by the company.

So, I REALLY take umbrage when someone complains about Smith and Wesson service today. Frankly, in nearly every case today, S&W service is excellent often going way beyond for their customers.

Yeah, I AM a fan (now, at least(:>)).

Dale53

Well just got the "replaced frame" today. Actually it appears to be a brand new gun, more than just a frame swap. So SW customer service is two for two with me.

My FFL was also feeling generous and waived the transfer fee as well! One less minor annoyance to worry about!

Just thought I'd chime in with the positive. Often people only vent and don't give credit when credit is due