pitted barrel

Bought the 8 3/8 barrel .500 a few months back, my first revolver. Bought it at lgs and didnt really look it over extremely well as it was brand new and the first gun i have ever purchased new. After i got the gun home i noticed the barrel has a LOT of pitting in it. Is this something covered by warranty or am i sol? Don't get me wrong i love this gun but am slightly displeased about the pitting. My only camera is my phone so getting a pic is likely not going to happen.

Since you mentioned this is your first revolver a couple things must be stated. S&W tests fires at least a few rounds (sometimes more) through each revolver before it is shipped. They do not clean them after firing them. Are you just seeing a dirty barrel and mistaking that for pitting? Have you tried cleaning it and seeing if it looks better. I have never heard of the test firing leading to pitting. I have started cleaning all my new guns before I fire them and sometimes it is surprising how much "dirt" comes out of them in the cleaning. I use M-pro 7 cleaning products and found their claims of subsequent cleanings being easier as their product conditions the barrel to be true. That's why I started cleaning my guns when new before I fire them.

If you still find pitting after cleaning, then I am sure everyone here is going to tell you to return to S&W for warrantee repair.

Smith will replace anything that is a manufacturing defect without regard to time. You might take a close look at the barrel though. It may not be pitting but it could be the result of broach chatter or breakage during the manufacture of the barrel. All Smith barrels are broached and as the broach wears it gets vibration and can even break. Barrels have made it through production and gotten sold to the public in guns that are not good. I have had to send a couple back to S&W for that very thing and they replaced them for me without charge except for the fee to mail them in.

I have cleaned it very well it is pitted, i also had some rusting issues with this same gun and had already called the service department and have everything needed to ship it back. I will add this as part of the problem in my letter describing the issue with rusting. Perhaps they are related in issue.

The issues could be related, who knows. However, we all need to remember at times that stainless isn't "rust free". Rather it is "rust resistent." I've seen rust inside of stainless S&W revolvers on many occasions when I was doing maintenance as a LEO. It is not even uncommon.

flintsghost said:

Smith will replace anything that is a manufacturing defect without regard to time. ............................................................................................................................... without charge except for the fee to mail them in.

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Not quite. They will replace anything made form 1989 onward if it's a manufacturing defect in work or materials. The lifetime warranty started with the beginning of '89.

Also, if it is a legitimate warranty claim, they will send you a shipping label free of charge. If they have to look at it to determine if it is actually a covered issue, and it turns out it is, they will reimburse you for the shipping fees you paid to send it in. If it isn't their fault and covered by the warranty, then you pay shipping both ways.

CAM00946.jpg Photo by XxCaMeLxX | Photobucket
not the best photo but best i can do with my phone.

He s a pic of 'rust free stainless'

BJoe said:

He s a pic of 'rust free stainless'

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I Get it stainless is not rust free thanks. I however would not expect a new gun to rust, same as i would not expect the bumper of a new truck to rust in the first two months of ownership. I do know how to care for a weapon and i do care for my weapons. I edc is a taurus 1911 and i have had it (bought used) for two years and it has no rust, so excuse me when i find it a problem that a weapon that was purchased new has rust on it after two months....AND its stainless....that not an issue for you?
Btw if you remove the grips and clean there when you clean the rest of your weapon that would not occur.

you post said "pitted barrel" not frame

While it is true that stainless can still rust if that was truly a new gun something is bad wrong.

Get in touch with S&W

woreout said:

you post said "pitted barrel" not frame

While it is true that stainless can still rust if that was truly a new gun something is bad wrong.

Get in touch with S&W

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That is not my gun in the picture, is another posters picture of his gun. Trying to show and tell me like most the rest of the replies that stainless is not rust proof, but i already know this. Yes the post is about my barrel being pitted, trying to post a picture put having issues.

When you said barrel, it came across to me that you were referring to the bore, not the outside, and that would miff anyone who cares about accuracy.

Did that area actually have true rust, or were those small pits there and you assumed it was from rust? They look like poor polishing was done after machining was finished to me.

No one likes imperfections, especially me, but that is so minor that I wouldn't think twice about it. It can be easily remedied using fine steel wool or a scotchbrite pad made for SS.

However, if using any of those products is not something you'd feel comfortable doing to a new gun (they will not hurt it, and are what many guys use to make a well used SS gun look new again for selling), then by all means, send it back. All they'll do is the same basic thing I just told you to do, but you'll be without your gun for a while.

Gun 4 Fun said:

When you said barrel, it came across to me that you were referring to the bore, not the outside, and that would miff anyone who cares about accuracy.

Did that area actually have true rust, or were those small pits there and you assumed it was from rust? They look like poor polishing was done after machining was finished to me.

No one likes imperfections, especially me, but that is so minor that I wouldn't think twice about it. It can be easily remedied using fine steel wool or a scotchbrite pad made for SS.

However, if using any of those products is not something you'd feel comfortable doing to a new gun (they will not hurt it, and are what many guys use to make a well used SS gun look new again for selling), then by all means, send it back. All they'll do is the same basic thing I just told you to do, but you'll be without your gun for a while.

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The picture does not show the pitting very well. They cover the majority of the barrel. The rust appears where the pitting is. They are small however some are deep and in my thought not something i can simply buff out, but i will try. I would rather do it myself then send it back and waste smith an wessons time over something that a little polishing will take care of.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts regarding this matter.

I picked up some flitz compound at my lgs. When i get some time i will work on polishing out the pitting. I love this gun and cant wit to use it for hunting this November. I am so pleased with the quality (other then minor finish issues) i am stsrting the search for my next wheel gun, S&W .357 likely, though i do not know any thing about the different frames and models yet.

cbr600f3 said:

I picked up some flitz compound at my lgs. When i get some time i will work on polishing out the pitting. I love this gun and cant wit to use it for hunting this November. I am so pleased with the quality (other then minor finish issues) i am stsrting the search for my next wheel gun, S&W .357 likely, though i do not know any thing about the different frames and models yet.

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This is sure the place to learn when you don't know. There are enough posters here, along with enough genuine experts on particular models, that you will get some very good and accurate replies 99% of the time.

Gun 4 Fun said:

Not quite. They will replace anything made form 1989 onward if it's a manufacturing defect in work or materials. The lifetime warranty started with the beginning of '89.

Also, if it is a legitimate warranty claim, they will send you a shipping label free of charge. If they have to look at it to determine if it is actually a covered issue, and it turns out it is, they will reimburse you for the shipping fees you paid to send it in. If it isn't their fault and covered by the warranty, then you pay shipping both ways.

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My experience with Smith & Wesson indicates otherwise. The lifetime warranty extends only to original owners. In my case I was at least the third owner of my 657 3" which was made, I believe, prior to 1989. The barrel bore showed damage from a broach breaking during production according to the well known barrel maker who examined it for me with his bore scope. S&W didn't reimburse the cost of shipping to me. They did however agree as to the barrel interior and replaced it with a new one and returned it to me without cost. This was done about 1991. They knew I wasn't the original owner as I told them when I talked to them by phone and also in the letter which accompanied it back to the factory.

flintsghost said:

My experience with Smith & Wesson indicates otherwise. The lifetime warranty extends only to original owners. In my case I was at least the third owner of my 657 3" which was made, I believe, prior to 1989. The barrel bore showed damage from a broach breaking during production according to the well known barrel maker who examined it for me with his bore scope. S&W didn't reimburse the cost of shipping to me. They did however agree as to the barrel interior and replaced it with a new one and returned it to me without cost. This was done about 1991. They knew I wasn't the original owner as I told them when I talked to them by phone and also in the letter which accompanied it back to the factory.

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In your post I responded to, you stated "Smith will replace anything that is a manufacturing defect without regard to time." That is what I responded to. I know for a fact that they will not cover free of charge, nor pay shipping both ways if the gun was made before 1989. I went round and round with them over one made in the last 2 months of 1988 that had a defect, and they would not cover it free. They would repair it, but not for free. Their warranty states they will cover any gun for life found to have a defect in materials or workmanship made in 1989 or later.


That's true regarding the warranty now days, but as you stated, they normally do extend the warranty to anyone because they rarely know who the original owner is, as long as the gun was made after 1989. Many never fill out the warranty card, preferring to keep all the original box and docs together with the gun, and still others buy the gun as a gift and send the card in themselves instead of letting the giftee do it. Plus, it's smarter financially for them to do so from a liability standpoint with all the lawsuits that gun companies have gone through.