Yesterday I got out my 14 to clean it up a little, and when I was cleaning behind the crane I noticed a crack in the frame below the barrel. My heart sank. It must have happened in November when I shot it last, but I don't know how I missed it when I was cleaning it afterwards. Anyway, I got online and searched and found a thread on here about cracked frames. Several of those guys were able to send their guns back and got the frame replaced, so I figured I would give it a shot and call Smith and Wesson when I got off work today.

Well, I got off the phone with them about an hour ago. The guy was a real.... well, I won't get into that part of it. He said the warranty started in 1989, and anything older than that you are on your own with. He said I could send it in to them, and they MAY offer to sell me a new one. I told him if I wanted to buy a new gun I'd go to the dealer because Smith and Wesson isn't going to cut me some amazing deal. He laughed but I wasn't joking and I don't know how he found this situation to be funny. He said my gun is junk, and I said "well the frame is, I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes open for someone selling a 14 with a bad barrel or something as long as it has a good frame". He said "no no, you can't do that, the whole gun is junk", but later in the conversation he said I could maybe find a gunsmith wanting to buy it for the parts because everything about that gun is valuable. It didn't dawn on me until after I got off the phone, but I should have reminded him about the comment he had made earlier about the "whole gun being junk". He also said that guns "that old" (it's a 1978 14-4) were tested with primitive loads and today's loads are too hot for them. I've only shot 130gr Winchester FMJs in it. I told him that and then reminded him that Smith and Wesson themselves have stated that +P ammo is fine in guns manufactured after 1958 so I know my standard loads didn't crack it. He said that was wrong because S&W didn't start testing +P until 1985 and nothing made before that should use +P. I told him that it's even in the owner's manuals that you can view on their website, then he promptly changed the subject.

Needless to say I am very upset over this. I wasn't really expecting Smith and Wesson to do anything for me and I already figured I was screwed, but the guy I dealt with just added salt to the wound. I literally cried out of frustration when I got off the phone. I don't have a lot of money to spend on guns so when I want one I have to put some money aside little by little. I was proud of this one when I got it, and now less than a year after I get it the frame cracks. It will be a while before I can do anything with it because I'm saving money for a scope to put on the rifle my wife got me for Christmas, but maybe I'll eventually find a good frame for it that doesn't cost me a lot.

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386NG, M&P R8, M&P40c, 460 XVR