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Old 04-20-2011, 09:15 AM
X-RingDistroyer X-RingDistroyer is offline
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Default 6906 alloy frame - part broke off

Hi all. I have a 6906 I bought used. It was wearing Hogue grips. When I took the Hogues off to put on a Smith grip I saw at the bottem where the factory grip pin goes one side had a big crack in it and then it just broke off. The frame is an alloy.

Question: Will S&W fix or replace something like that? Does it matter if it were wearing Hogues?

Opinions and facts needed.

Thanks,
X.
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Old 04-20-2011, 09:35 AM
ronnie gore ronnie gore is offline
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Default 6906

i would give s&w a call and see what they say. someone most likely cracked that part removing the grips or replacing them improperly, there is really no stress on that part. if they won't replace the frame, someone might be able to welded it for you, but get someone with experience with aluminum.
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Old 04-20-2011, 10:48 AM
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I enjoy the 3rd gen pistols, but there are a couple of things that bug me.

One is the way they use a steel pin to secure the grips, and the grip holds the bottom of the mainspring too. Hogue improves this by having a plastic piece that holds the mainspring. Seriously, what were they thinking? I wonder how many times you can drive that pin out before the frame starts to wear. I like to remove the grips on a pistol when I clean it, and I don't want to have to grab a hammer and punch and drive out a pin.

The other bad design is the sideplate assembly that you have to be careful with when the grip is removed or you can bend it. I have seen more than one used pistol with a damaged sideplate assembly.

The 2nd gen, like the 645, has it right, at least as far as the grips are concerned. 4 screws hold the grips. Mainspring housing is like a 1911, a separate piece by itself, and yes, it has a pin too, but how many times do you need to remove the mainspring?

Last edited by Philip Marlowe; 04-20-2011 at 10:52 AM.
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Old 04-20-2011, 08:14 PM
WR Moore WR Moore is offline
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I tend to think it got seriously dropped at one time (or seriously abused) to produce the damage you describe. I'd check with the factory about possible frame replacement first. If frames are available you can get a cost estimate. Then you can check to see if a weld repair is possible and what it would cost. Given the nature of the material, location and possible machining to clean up the area, a few extra bucks for a frame would probably be a wise investment.
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Old 04-20-2011, 10:38 PM
X-RingDistroyer X-RingDistroyer is offline
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Thanks all, I'll call Smith up and see.

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Old 10-12-2017, 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by X-RingDistroyer View Post
Thanks all, I'll call Smith up and see.

X.
I realize this post was about 6 years ago, but I am currently having the exact issue. If you're still on this forum, could you please tell us your experience/results? Thanks.
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Old 10-12-2017, 10:00 AM
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His experience is no longer relevant as S&W announced in mid 2014 that it had discontinued support for the 3rd generation pistols. That's one reason so many of them have been showing up as law enforcement trade-in or surplus pistols over the last few years.

What this means is that if you send one in for repair, they will scrap it and “replace” it with an M&P Series gun. This is not a direct replacement, but rather they'll offer you a comparable M&P pistol at cost.

I like my 6906 a lot, but I wouldn't spend a dime on any of the M&P series pistols.

Your best bet if you like the 6906 is to find another one, and keep your current one for spare parts.

Last edited by BB57; 10-12-2017 at 10:02 AM.
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Old 10-12-2017, 01:07 PM
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As a number of posts in this forum have demonstrated, S&W is still doing some repairs for 3rd Gen semi autos. Some small parts are available at Brownells, Midway, and even Ebay.

Unfortunately, for StephenWhoDat, they will not repair frames and don't have replacement frames available. In your case, they will do as BB57 states. They will offer you a discount of some sort on a M&P of similar configuration.

Personally, I'd part the gun out and use the money to buy a new pistol.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57 View Post
His experience is no longer relevant as S&W announced in mid 2014 that it had discontinued support for the 3rd generation pistols. That's one reason so many of them have been showing up as law enforcement trade-in or surplus pistols over the last few years.

What this means is that if you send one in for repair, they will scrap it and “replace” it with an M&P Series gun. This is not a direct replacement, but rather they'll offer you a comparable M&P pistol at cost.

I like my 6906 a lot, but I wouldn't spend a dime on any of the M&P series pistols.

Your best bet if you like the 6906 is to find another one, and keep your current one for spare parts.
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Last edited by GaryS; 10-12-2017 at 01:32 PM.
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Old 10-12-2017, 01:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57 View Post
His experience is no longer relevant as S&W announced in mid 2014 that it had discontinued support for the 3rd generation pistols. That's one reason so many of them have been showing up as law enforcement trade-in or surplus pistols over the last few years.

What this means is that if you send one in for repair, they will scrap it and “replace” it with an M&P Series gun. This is not a direct replacement, but rather they'll offer you a comparable M&P pistol at cost.

I like my 6906 a lot, but I wouldn't spend a dime on any of the M&P series pistols.

Your best bet if you like the 6906 is to find another one, and keep your current one for spare parts.
This is absolutely false. I own 20+ 3rd gens and S&W customer service still takes care of any issues I have. Issues are extremely rare, but they still stand behind the lifetime warranty on all of my 3rd gens, even post 2014. Most recent was January of this year (2017). I was only inquiring about this particular issue because I'm curious if he was able to salvage the firearm. Not sure where you heard that they stopped support, but I can tell you that they have not. They continue to remain one of the best customer service/support teams around.
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Old 10-12-2017, 01:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StephenWhoDat View Post
This is absolutely false. I own 20+ 3rd gens and S&W customer service still takes care of any issues I have. Issues are extremely rare, but they still stand behind the lifetime warranty on all of my 3rd gens, even post 2014. Most recent was January of this year (2017).
It appears you've answered the op's question.


Last edited by Nutsy13; 10-12-2017 at 01:29 PM.
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Old 10-12-2017, 01:45 PM
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I think what you will find S&W to offer is service of safety related issues with 3rd gens.
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Old 10-12-2017, 02:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StephenWhoDat View Post
This is absolutely false. I own 20+ 3rd gens and S&W customer service still takes care of any issues I have. Issues are extremely rare, but they still stand behind the lifetime warranty on all of my 3rd gens, even post 2014. Most recent was January of this year (2017). I was only inquiring about this particular issue because I'm curious if he was able to salvage the firearm. Not sure where you heard that they stopped support, but I can tell you that they have not. They continue to remain one of the best customer service/support teams around.
You've ignored the context of the OP's repair needs. Even if you didn't, "absolutely false" is hyperbole.

The OP is not in need of a small part that S&W may still have in stock. The OP is talking about a new frame, and that raises two separate issues:

1) It used to be common practice for companies to scrap a damaged frame and the put the other parts on a new and not yet numbered frame off the production line, then stamping it with the same serial number as the original pistol. That approach is now viewed as illegal by ATF.

ATF is more concerned that worn out receivers on registered full auto weapons are not replaced, but by extension it applies to all firearms. As an example, ATF prosecuted someone who tried to circumvent this by cutting the serial numbered section of a worn out full auto receiver and welding it into a new receiver. When a receiver wears out or breaks, ATF wants it to stay dead.

2) There is no production line for the 6906, and hasn't been for a long time, so they'd have to have a new numbered 6906 frame sitting on a shelf that could be used to "replace" the OP's pistol. S&W has in fact discontinued that kind of major component support for the 3rd gen pistols.

S&W does still provide small parts support when they are available. However, S&W is not making new runs of small parts, and while they will continue to support 3rd gen pistols until those parts are gone, they will eventually be gone. At that point replacement with a newer model pistol as a "simulated" repair is the only thing they can do.

Your personal experience and good fortune doesn't change that.
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Old 10-13-2017, 10:09 AM
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Okilly dokilly!
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Old 10-15-2017, 09:48 AM
nll401 nll401 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57 View Post
His experience is no longer relevant as S&W announced in mid 2014 that it had discontinued support for the 3rd generation pistols. That's one reason so many of them have been showing up as law enforcement trade-in or surplus pistols over the last few years.

What this means is that if you send one in for repair, they will scrap it and “replace” it with an M&P Series gun. This is not a direct replacement, but rather they'll offer you a comparable M&P pistol at cost.

I like my 6906 a lot, but I wouldn't spend a dime on any of the M&P series pistols.

Your best bet if you like the 6906 is to find another one, and keep your current one for spare parts.

There was a discussion in another thread not too long ago about someone offered a M&P because his 3rd gen wasn't repairable by S&W. As I recall, the amount he would have to pay for the new M&P wasn't much less than the then current price at, for example, Buds. Did not seem like a good deal to me even if you factor in shipping and FFL costs. YMMV.
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Old 10-15-2017, 10:13 AM
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There was a discussion in another thread not too long ago about someone offered a M&P because his 3rd gen wasn't repairable by S&W. As I recall, the amount he would have to pay for the new M&P wasn't much less than the then current price at, for example, Buds. Did not seem like a good deal to me even if you factor in shipping and FFL costs. YMMV.
I agree, the replace it with a comparable firearm they will sell you at "cost" which is I suspect the wholesale cost, not the production cost. Better than nothing I guess, but no where near "free".

When you consider you could part out your broken third Gen pistol and make some money off it, if you kept it, you're probably losing money going with the "replacement" option, rather than just waiting for a deal on a new M&P series pistol.

If S&W actually used the returned pistol as a donor for parts for other returned pistols, it would be nice, but I suspect they won't put used parts on 3rd gen pistols sent in for repair, due to liability concerns.
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