Warranty on Shield?

So for the last 6 years that I have been selling guns at various FFL's, I have been telling people most US MFR's [including S&W] have a lifetime warranty. A few weeks ago, I picked up a Shield. I called customer service to ask for an owner's book, as I didn't get one. While on the phone, I asked what the warranty was. I was told 1 year. So today at the gun show, when a customer asked what the warranty was on a Shield, I replied 1 year. Just what the S&W rep told me. Well the old guy whose been a S&W fanboy for decades, & used to sell new Devels, & Asps when they were new, gave me a pile of ****, stating they were guaranteed for life. I told him I used to think so too, but the S&W rep told me 1 year. So I saw him grab an owners book, & read the warranty page. Well now he says the book is ambiguous. I wasn't wrong with my 1 year statement, but it has a 1 year warranty, & after that, a limited liability warranty. So what does this mean? Lifetime, or 1 year? Was the rep correct stating 1 year warranty? GARY

I'm not sure of the legal distinction between the "1 year warranty" and the "lifetime service policy" but they come with both of those. Check the #1 on this page. Service Info - Smith & Wesson It's in effect a lifetime warranty as most of us would use that term, but for some reason they prefer to say that the warranty is 1 year and the service policy is for the life of the original owner.

shakyshoot said:

It's in effect a lifetime warranty as most of us would use that term, but for some reason they prefer to say that the warranty is 1 year and the service policy is for the life of the original owner.

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So what does this mean? What's the difference between the 1st year of warranty, & the service policy after the 1st year? I'm not worried about my Shield falling apart. I just want to know how to answer the next customer who asks about the warranty. I'm not a lawyer. LOL. GARY

N4KVE said:

So what does this mean? What's the difference between the 1st year of warranty, & the service policy after the 1st year? I'm not worried about my Shield falling apart. I just want to know how to answer the next customer who asks about the warranty. I'm not a lawyer. LOL. GARY

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I have no idea, but I stopped worrying about it after reading that one sentence, "We will repair any defect in material or workmanship without charge to the original purchaser for as long as you own the handgun." I do understand that since you sell the guns you'd like to understand the difference. Maybe someone will be along that gets it better than I do.

Here is the main text of the two items cut from the on-line pdf copy of the Shield manual - "Warranty" & "Service Policy". The difference appears to be in exclusions after the first year.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson2/upload/other/MP_Shield_Manual_11-11-2015.pdf

This warranty is granted by Smith & Wesson Corp. This warranty
is effective from the date of purchase and applies to the original
owner of any firearm. With respect to such firearms, this warranty
supersedes any and all other warranties.
Smith & Wesson firearms are warranted to be free from defects
in material and workmanship. Any such defects of which Smith
& Wesson receives written notice within one year from the date
of purchase by the original owner, will be remedied by Smith &
Wesson without charge within a reasonable time after such notification
and delivery of the firearm as provided below.
In the event of an emergency (repairs needed by law enforcement,
an upcoming match or hunting trip), call 1-800-331-0852,
ext. 4125 and ask for 911 Priority Repair Service. This allows
you to speak with a Smith & Wesson representative.
Immediately upon receipt, your firearm will be assigned to a gunsmith.
After the work is completed, we will return your Smith &
Wesson firearm via overnight delivery.
Warranty claims (in writing) and the firearm concerned should be
delivered to Smith & Wesson’s Customer Service Department,
2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104. In
addition, a copy of the bill of sale in the owner’s name, or a copy
of ATF Form 4473 indicating date of purchase must be included.
It is important that the owner comply with all applicable federal,
state and local laws and regulations in the shipment of firearms
to Smith & Wesson.

- - -

Smith & Wesson’s Lifetime Service Policy begins after the warranty
period has expired. Smith & Wesson will repair, without
charge, for the lifetime of the original owner, any Smith &
Wesson handgun purchased on or after February 1, 1989, and
any M&P series rifles, that is found to have a defect in material
or workmanship. Eligibility for this Lifetime Service Policy
requires returning the Product Registration Card within 30 days
of purchase. The Lifetime Service Policy covers functional
defects; it does not include the firearm’s finish, grips, magazines
or sights. The Lifetime Service Policy is in addition to and not
an extension of the Smith & Wesson Warranty.

So I guess in the 1st year, the gun will have a 100% warranty, & after that only a warranty that they will fix the gun to work. But after the 1st year, should the grips crack, or sites fall off, that will not be covered. To keep from confusing potential customers, I will simply state the guns have a "lifetime warranty". Too much info confuses them, & scares them away. GARY

Sometimes it depends on who you get on the SW end of the communications.( email,phone call,etc) to send the prepaid envelope to you for shipment to SW for repairs. I've had all diff responses from," Sure we can repair that" O

I hope I am not off topic, but I think what I will say here is relevant.

Ruger offers no warranty on their firearms. My understanding is that the term "warranty" has different legal meanings in different states. If you call your policy a warranty, you will have a legal obligation that may vary from state to state. These state laws apply regardless of the wording in the written warranty. Ruger avoids the need to have their lawyers keep track of the different rules by avoiding the term warranty. Instead they have a company policy to resolve all issues to reach customer satisfaction. But this policy is not legally binding.

I suspect that a similar set of issues is in play with Smith & Wesson. They have probably adjusted their "warranty" according to lawyer recommendations. That does not affect their company policy to provide excellent service under a wide range of circumstances.

I recently had a 10 year old Smith & Wesson firearm break. They sent me a shipping label for free. After inspection, they determined that the gun could not be repaired, and they replaced it with a new gun at no cost. I was the original owner of the gun, but they never inquired about that. My experience is not unusual. I have no concerns about service on Smith & Wesson firearms, regardless of warranty.

My experience with S&W, the 1 year warranty covers defects in material and workmanship. The Lifetime service warranty covers just about anything else that would create an unsafe condition. It's their product and the last thing they want is their product causing unnecessary harm. I had a 640-1, which I purchased used, that had 3 very tight charge holes. I contacted S&W, explained the situation, they sent me a return tag, and explained I would have to pay if they had to replace the cylinder. Fine...I sent it in on Monday, the wife called me at work on Friday telling me my gun was back. When we checked the invoice, the cylinder had been replaced, no charge. It was their product, was unsafe, taken care of all on their dime. With few exceptions, I've never known S&W not to take care of their products or their customers. I will say this, if you call for repairs, be polite... being an arss generally makes the whole process more painful.

The Shield is relatively cheap and S&W provides good service in my limited experience. Some seem to think the service agreement is transferable....only by luck and good behavior as gunny4053 suggests above.

I've contacted SW about the warranty as well. The rep response was, "contact us if you have any issue and we'll take care of it." For all intensive purposes, it's a lifetime warranty for the entire gun (magazines and all accessories) with free shipping both ways (shipping handguns are relatively expensive).

So far, I've received 3 Shield mag springs and a mag plate (lost it during disassembly) with a simple chat/email. They'll also align/check your sights if you ask them to free of charge.

I purchased a SW MP Full Size with crimson trace and the rep said since it's a factory package SW will take care of both the CT and the gun if any issue should arise. SW owns crimson trace and also offer free battery for life (1 request per year).

If you are planning on getting night sights or a crimson trace laser, find a pistol that comes with it from factory and I'm quite sure it'll be covered by SW incredible lifetime warranty regardless of what their wording is on the warranty.

I've read numerous posts where owners had 10 year old pistols crack and were offer new ones or a comparable model. Forget this 1 year warranty wording, it appears to be legal mumbo jumbo.