I bought this model 66-8 recently from Buds. It is supposed to be NIB, and I'm going to give Buds the benefit of the doubt. This is my second S&W firearm (first being a Shield), and my second revolver.

I didn't really expect a show gun, but I was hoping for a range toy that would be more pleasant to shoot than my LCR while still looking good when cleaned up.

That being said, the finish and QC on this gun seems terrible and I'm debating contacting S&W and seeing what, if anything, can be done. Unfortunately it was already transferred so there's no chance Buds will refund or exchange. Are any of these issues common on the newer S&W guns, particularly the 66-8? I own quite a few guns and this is the worst shape I've ever seen a NIB gun come in. Here's what I'm seeing:

-It has the satin finish, and there are spots on the gun where the finish is worn down and looks more reflective. Again, this gun is supposed to be NIB, so it shouldn't have any use wear.
-There is powder residue along 3 of the cylinders, probably from test firing, that I haven't been able to get off yet.
-There are small gouges on the outside of two of the cylinder openings (one of the dirty ones, and one of the clean ones).
-The "C" of "Combat" is too deeply engraved (almost gouged), while the "num" in "Magnum" is very faint, with the "u" being all but invisible.
-The satin finish is blotchy and uneven around the barrel.
-On the side of the gun (don't know the terminology) without the cylinder release, there is some kind of dent or gouge in the seam that runs down between the back of the cylinder and the grip.

I haven't shot it yet, and I'm sure it shoots fine, but I wanted to get input from people with experience with S&W firearms before exploring options. Thanks.

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I would first contact Buds because this does not look NIB to me. The lettering things you mentioned looks fine to me. As for the other issues, I'd contact S&W once you have talked to Buds.

Looks ok to me.........Also looks NIB. If you look hard enough you can find imperfections in ANYTHING. I used to fret over he tiniest thing in revolvers years back but hen realized I was being anal. No to say you should overlook obvious defects because they DO happen and get shipped out-but your gun looks fine to me.

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for a new gun, that turn line looks like it may have been a demo gun, could be wrong.

The dents in the sideplate look like ****, maybe S&W can replace the sideplate. The rollmarks on the barrel look like ****, but that's decorative. The satin finish does show scratches and wear too easily, I predict it will be short-lived.

The evidence of having been fired doesn't bother me. Is the forcing cone cleanly machined? That's been an issue for a couple of us.

That gun is 100% BNIB from S&W. They test fire 3 rounds from every revolver that leaves the factory. You will see 3 powder burn rings on the front of your cylinder. They do NOT clean it after firing the 3 rounds. It goes in the box and bye-bye.

Looked at a new Rolls Royce on the showroom floor once. Pretty easy to spot defects. Nothing is perfect that is made by man.

Its good that you did see those 3 fired rounds in the cylinder. The factory only fires 3 . As if one may want to use the gun, one would want to load a full cylinder. And the factory doesn't clean the gun after. Not even the barrel.

That "combat magnum" roll mark looks a little faint at the end. But, otherwise seems to look fine. You should shoot it. That 4" shoots like a 6". I have one.

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I have one that had a few flaws out of the box. I called Smith, they emailed the shipping tag and done. While it was there I had the performance center do a Master Action Package on it so I won by not having to pay shipping. Came back perfect cosmetically and the action was awesome... problem was it didn't reliably light off primers. Another call to Smith and another shipping tag and off it went to get an extended firing pin for no cost. Now it's home and shoots like a dream. Sometimes you just have to get things fixed, no biggie as it's far from my only gun.

I'll ask them about the sideplate when I ask about everything else. As far as the forcing cone goes, I really don't have much to go off of besides my LCR. I'll attach a picture.



Really appreciate the replies. I agree it probably is NIB, for a number of reasons you guys listed. The main reason I questioned it was the finish and wear lines, as the powder marks do make sense for factory testing.

As far as cosmetics go, I do know the finish is going to wear, and that the rollmark "Combat Magnum" is aesthetic, but my intentions with this purchase were to dress it up in some nice wood grips, shoot it, clean it, put it back in the safe, repeat. I was hoping with that itinerary the gun would remain relatively new looking for a long time.

I always thought the "Combat Magnum" was a cool rollmark (unlike my SR1911 which has a safety warning on it) and I'm bummed how poorly it's been engraved. There are also the various gouges in the metal that I mentioned above that seem like they shouldn't have passed through QC. I have my Glocks and Shield (which have seen a LOT of abuse, still have a great finish) for carry and nightstand, so I can afford to send it off if need be.

I have an IL plug (ordered from a member here) and a Wilson spring kit coming and I don't want to mess with it if I need to send it in for warranty.

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That's one reason I try to buy local if possible. I prefer a close hands-on inspection before spending serious coin on a new S&W.

We shouldn't have to have caveat emptor on a brand new gun, as if we were buying from some shady character online, that's just not right. But when I bought my 640 recently the display model didn't feel quite right when I dry fired it, the trigger pinched me somehow. I asked if they had another and they did; it was perfect except the rubber grip had a small blister on one side. I can live with the blister, it can be replaced any time I want.

I will offer a piece of advice that I give in all cases of new guns with cosmetic issues: if you plan to send it back to S&W, shoot it a bunch first. Shoot it enough to find out if there are any functional issues that might not be obvious. I don't expect you will find any problems, but if you do, you can get everything fixed at once.

Do this.

And I'd use at least 1-200 158gr magnum loads to give it a good shakedown. If your not used to the recoil, a shooting or golfing glove help.

As for cleaning that residue, Birchwood Casey Lead Remover and Polishing Cloth makes short work of it.