Went shooting today with my daughter (father's day treat-awesome). Little problem though, as my daughter was shooting the 4043 she complained of the trigger being "rough". I shot two full mags through it after she did and did notice the trigger not being as smooth as it normally is but I didn't think too much of it. On the third mag, first shot, it fired, but the trigger completely locked up. I was able to clear the pistol, disassemble, and the trigger was unable to be depressed at all.

This is a police trade in I purchased several years ago at Summit. I've put around 2,000 rounds through this since I've had it, but of course I have no idea how many rounds were through it before I got it. I will contact LGS tomorrow to get it sent to them to look at it, but it needs a little TLC and maintenance.

Question, are the DAO pistols/triggers susceptible to any parts breakage or maintenance requirements that the other TDA/3rd Gen pistols have?

Hard to say without being able to handle and examine the actual gun ...

However, it wouldn't surprise me if it turns out that the older production drawbar finally cracked, in the middle (to the rear of the disconnector tab) or at either corner. If so, as long as the DAO hammer isn't worn or damaged, they can probably just drop in a new drawbar (about $60 for the part, plus whatever they charge for labor, inspection, etc).

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Send it to S&W....it is a 3rd Gen.gun and you have a safety problem. Call Customer Service and let them take care of you.They normally will send a call tag from UPS for you to ship to them. They usually have it back to you in less than 2 weeks.
You should also ask them to make sure that it meets or exceeds S&W standards for safety in all regards.Many times, all springs get changed and all worn parts changed out as well. At least that is how they treated my 4006's that I sent in.

Randy

Yep. They might well handle it as a safety issue, especially since it's a former LE gun. You never know.

I can't keep track of where the 3rd gen guns are going for repair now. Whether the pistol repair folks are still handling problems in Springfield, or whether they're being forwarded to Houlton (where the 3rd gen guns are now being made for LE orders). I have been told that they're stocking fewer 3rd gen parts at the main factory, though. When I was ordering some parts I was told that the drawbars for some models were being reserved for repair-only (meaning not for retail sale) because the quantities in stock in parts was running low. (Although I was also told that it may change as new orders are made for parts from S&W's vendors.) Dunno. S&W has apparently sold off some extra quantities of some of their parts to retail vendors.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Fastbolt, you nailed it. I just got my 4043 back from LGS. The drawbar was broken and they replaced it. Are drawbars on the DAO's more prone to this type of breakage? Can't wait to shoot it.

Same drawbar as used in the TDA guns.

The older drawbars (in both models) had more sharp corners which could increase the potential for a stress riser to occur sometime. Maybe.

The newer drawbars not only have more rounded, thicker corner angles at the rear (reinforcing the back corners), but the center of the drawbar tails (behind the disconnector tab) now lack an earlier narrow recessed machine cut, also removing a potential spot which might crack under stress someday.

The pickup & throw notches on the drawbars in DAO guns probably experience more wear, since they're engaging the corresponding DAO hammer notches and functioning it for every shot, versus only being used for initial DA shots in the TDA guns, with the cross piece of the drawbar pushing forward against the flat of the sear to release the hammer for SA shots.

Not something I'd lay awake worrying about, though.

I wouldn't consider drawbars parts that "commonly" fail. Not very often. Out of about a thousand (plus) S&W TDA 3rd gen guns that I've helped support, I can probably think of maybe 2 or 3 of them which developed broken drawbars, and those were all in older 3rd gen guns that had been in service for about 15 or more years. It happens, but any mechanical part can fail at some point.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Thanks for the response. I appreciate the time and information that you provide!

Please let us (other new/potential owners/dreamers) know how you make out.

Thanks.

B2