I just picked up an old stock "new in box" 329 night guard. I have been keeping my eye out for one for a while. I took it home, opened it up and found both the rear sight screws loose. After opening and closing the cylinder a few time it bound up tight. After I got it open I notice the extractor pin was loose as well. How does a $1000 gun make it out of the factory in this condition? Simple stuff and really no big deal but really, is this the best they can do?

Welcome to the forum.

I think quality control has gone by the wayside over the years.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

I think you just really have to go over any brand of new gun you buy and examine it closely. The last few new guns I bought I had to go look at least two or three that they had before I found one that I liked. As much as I like to get deals online it's one of the reasons I rarely buy online. I like to touch and examine the gun I'm buying before I pay for it. I would rather pay a little more for a gun in person then go through the disapointment and hassle of having to send it back.

Welcome from Ohio.

Mass production.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Makes me wonder being old stock if someone hasn't tinkered with it outside the factory. Difficult to believe that many things could be askew right out of the box.
Old stock makes me a bit nervous, wonder if it were robbed of a parts at one time then refurbed?
That is a misfortune, sorry to hear of your experience.
Karl

Smith and Wesson is still making a good firearm but they have seriously lacking quality control. Employee turnover, unskilled labor with automated processes, focus shifting to semi-autos etc. What you describe is not uncommon in my experience.

"Performance Center" firearms are no better. I received a 627PC that left the factory uncrowned. Searching here I found others with the exact same problems. An operation was not performed or was performed improperly. A few guys that know what they're doing could find most of the problems with a cursory examination of the guns before they leave the factory.

Worst case would be that they know when there are problems but send them to market anyway if its not a safety issue. They may have done the math to determine cost effectiveness on fixing the problems versus the percentage that return for warranty work. A botched crown or over clocked barrel is a good example. A lot of gun owners wouldn't even notice.

Sadly, quality control in most fields, firearms or not, has taken a back seat to the bottom line. It's cheaper to exchange or rework a defective product that to produce it correctly the first time.