Gotta side with op here. My gun didnt have a ding in the slide when it went to S&W. No reason to have one when its returned.
Simple as that.
I would be pretty annoyed if it were my gun. Price of the gun is irrelevant.
They damaged it they replace the slide. I would accept nothing less.

I guess us old guys are snoobs if its not a clasic gun we do not care. You are right even a hi point is some buddy's babby

Go to the OP click "edit".. then select "go advanced" rename title

I'm having trouble enlarging the photos but here's my opinion. The gun should not come back with any finish damages. If I bring my new car into my dealer for.warranty work I don't expect to get back my car with dings dents or scratches no matter how.small. I expect the same from any company servicing a product. If that means they have to refinish the slide that's their problem not mine.

If you sent it in to get the sights installed or adjusted and they pushed the front sight, then yes, they could have done a better job.

It doesn't take much to pad the sight to prevent the sight pusher from marring the finish. A piece of heavy paper, like the back of a match book, or a business card is plenty.

It is however not as easy to avoid removing any blue in the dove tail. You need to file the bottom of the sight enough to get a snug fit in the dove tail, but you do need it to be snug enough not to move. There's a very thin line between not removing any bluing and leaving it too loose for reliable service.

Back in the day when silver solder was to attach sights, it was pretty common to repair any damage to the finish with cold blue and with the right bluing agent and a skilled hand, it could be blended well enough that the repair wasn't detectable. But that took someone who actually cared, and that's what you paid for when you selected the gunsmith.

In this case you can still use cold blue to cover the marred blue. Just degrease it thoroughly with 90% rubbing alcohol and apply cold blue with a Q-tip. Rub it a bit, wipe it off with a clean cotton cloth and repeat until it's as dark as you need it to be. With a matte finish, just don't polish it out like you would for a gloss finish.

As for the ding in the slide. It's interesting that it appears to have finish on it. That suggests it was there when manufactured, and is not in fact damage done during the repair.

No type of "Blue" will work on any gun which has a Armornite/Melonite Coating/finish on it and most guns have these type of finishes, so about the best one can do to touch up a modern gun is to use some type of touch up paint!

If if bothers you simply call them. I'm sure they would make it rite.

Aww thats terrible.... lol
I had a smith put Ameriglo sights on my Shield 45. I noticed afterwards that he kinda nicked up the left side of the front sight on the logo. I just shrugged it off; if I had changed out the sights both front and back would have been dinged, scratched, and who knows what else. I was just glad they did it quick and reasonable priced, AND accurately.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That makes total sense. I did not understand you were joshing with the thread title. My response (the first in this thread) was written under the misunderstanding that you were actually being melodramatic over something that wasn't much of a big deal at all. I wouldn't have been thrilled that they nicked my gun, but I wouldn't much care, either.

__________________
Now go make God proud...

I for one have said just shoot the gun and enjoy it. I’m not giving you a hard time, I’m just saying it will happen if it’s a carry gun that you shoot often. Same thing applies to cars, they’re gonna get dings.

I am definitely what you would call an old guy. Maybe I am too particular about my guns.

All depends on why you have em

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I dont quite understand what you mean? Why I have them?
What would this have to do with caring if they get damaged?
Its called taking care of your equipment/property.
Yes, they are designed as a tool to be used, but if someone damages one on me, I would be annoyed about it. Same ad the OP

I mean as far as collecting/range/classes.

Range and collections are typically not exposed to much heavy use. Where as in many classes firearms get some hard use, scratches, rub marks....etc.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I get what you’re saying. I think my point is that, while certain guns will
Receive some damage from their intended use, I prefer to be the one inflicting it. Not some careless person at the manufacturer.

This is not common. S&W should fix this for you.

I agree with some in that it probably wouldn't bother me. However, it does bring in to question how they handled the gun. If they did this, what else is screwed up that we don't see?

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

I'm not picky, but that ding in the slide would bother me. I can't see the issue with the sights. Is it the scuff marks?

I think S&W should replace the slide. That ding would irritate me forever, even though some consider it minor.

So...let's do a little role reversal on this one. Let's say that the folks that say it's no big deal on the OP's gun, instead, let's say it is on YOUR gun, that was nicked upon arrival...oh, and please just keep your answers to your selves, the fragrance from your previous comments lingers. I share watchdog's assessment. And I agree with a post that Old bear made a couple of weeks ago regarding the negative, and argumentative responses that have been showing up on the forum lately. It feels like anyone who posts is the target for some folks to belittle and demean. The comments have not been friendly or constructive in many cases, in my view. There is a way to disagree without being disagreeable. Last night, for example, a new member posted a blown up pistol that he had fired factory reloads in-wow, he was keel hauled right away by an online mob. Think about how YOU would want to be regarded, and act accordingly. Very trollish in my view.

Teeny tiny battle scar.

I know how you feel, but most manufacturers won't take a new gun back for very minor cosmetic flaws. Way back when, I bought my first model 66 for duty. It came with the cylinder machined slightly lopsided. This was when there were a lot of QC problems at S&W. Others officers I knew who bought new 66's also had problems. Instead of sending the revolver back, once I had clearly identified the problem, I decided that I could alleviate the problem with patience, a good eye, steady hand, vernier caliber and 1" file. I solved the problem on my own. That revolver served me well for many years, enabling me to qualify and win or place in duty matches. I've never been a collector or owned any collectable guns, so I don't worry about minor flaws. I know that there are a lot of folks on here who do buy guns as collectors and many who don't, spend a lot of money and time to dress up their guns and accessorize. The Shield is a pretty plain Jane inexpensive plastic pistol designed for self defense. If I were you, I'd just shoot the snot out of it, get proficient and pack it. That being said, I'm not you, so if every time you look at that pistol, you grind your teeth, attempt to get satisfaction from S&W or sell it and get one without any flaws.

Perspective...Please read post from sureshotbob this morning at 10:31...bet he would trade a tiny nick in a gun to get sammie back.....

Kaps, I am sorry that you feel S&W abused your pistol. It is your right to complain about shoddy repairs.

However, as others have said, the pistol is inexpensive. The pistol is a carry gun. It is not a safe queen one has to observe as an art object.

Has the imperfections done by S&W during the repair lessened it operating precision or effectiveness? If so, hound them until they make good.

If not, then simply consider its present visual look a matter of wear and tear.

Save your ire for important things. God knows, there are enough of them these days.

Looks like a tool mark (dent).

If I have to look that close to see something its not important to me. Personally I think its nit picking but that's just me.

I don't remember if this was asked, but, was the slide replaced or repaired? If it was replaced, the ding is likely a defect in the manufacturing process. It looks that way to me because it's completely filled in with black. A ding that significant wouldn't be completely black because the finish would be removed.

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

Where ?

__________________
Forum consigliere

Is it right, NO. Would it bother me YES. Going thru the time/trouble returning it and the wait, I'm not a good waiter. I'd be royally miffed if they got me a second time. Sometimes you gotta choose your battles. Too small an issue to get an ulcer over. Now if they were within a reasonable driving distance???

It's right here:


See it now? How could you have missed it. It's so obvious.

Attached Images

Kap Dovetail Damage.jpg (78.0 KB, 86 views)

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

Rather than tell us and discuss the fool out of it here, contact S&W with your complaint and see if they are willing to make it good.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"