66-8 2.75" VS 66 any dash 3"

The gun came back in November. The sights were better, it took me only a click in windage to get them to where I wanted.

But the gun would not run. When I started firing it double-action, after the second or third cylinder-full, it locked up. I could not pull the trigger through. It took some pressure to open the cylinder; none of the primers were high. I was shooting FMJ practice ammo (W-W white box). This happened three times in a row.

I sent the gun back. It came back to me three days ago, with notes that they had adjusted the yoke, the ejection rod and the hand.

I took it to the range yesterday. Pretty much the same thing, except that it took four cylinders of cartridges for the problem to resurface. I was shooting it at about the pace that I would in a USPSA match; not slow, not overly fast.

I'll contact S&W CS next week. This will make three times in for repair for a gun with less than 200 rounds through it. I'm thinking of asking them to send me another gun or buy it back.

S&W is replacing the gun.
 
I've got a "too nice to carry" 2 1/2" 19-3.

To resolve that problem I've got a 2 3/4" 66-8 on order with my LGS with an unknown ETA.

To resolve that problem I've got a pair of 4" 65-5s, one of which will be cut to 3". However, every shop that would cut the barrel and redo the front sight has a really long backlog.

To resolve that problem I have a nickel 19-5 on the way that had a price which would allow me to sell it at a price that would cover shipping and transfer costs. (Though I'm kidding myself, if it's as nice as it seems I'll end up keeping it.)

ETA: This is a great thread. Thanks to all the members who contributed and to OP for starting it. Condolences to StephanieB for all the trouble and disappointment. Hope the replacement 66-8 runs perfectly.
 
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Hard to beat a 3" model 65.....the one in the middle....the top is a too nice to carry 66-4 3" magna port... the bottom is an unfired -1 2.5" 66.....
 

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I picked up the new replacement gun from the LGS yesterday. The B/C gap looks a skosh larger than on the first gun.

I took it to the range this morning. The elevation adjustment screw is frozen. I wrote CS and told them that if it wouldn't void the warranty, then they can send me a new rear sight assembly. If not, then to send me a RMA label and I'll send them the gun. (For the fourth time, between this one and the last one.)
 
I took it to the range this morning. The elevation adjustment screw is frozen. I wrote CS and told them that if it wouldn't void the warranty, then they can send me a new rear sight assembly. If not, then to send me a RMA label and I'll send them the gun. (For the fourth time, between this one and the last one.)

Wow. Just incredible.

How can a company as large as S&W not have basic procedures in place to make 100% sure that a WARRANTY REPLACEMENT GUN is hand inspected for quality control prior to shipping?

It's bad enough that the customers original gun was so poorly made that it couldn't be repaired after 3 return trips to the factory, but they add insult to injury by grabbing another random gun off the assembly line and shipping it to the customer as a warranty replacement without even looking it over.

It might just be time to ask them to cut you a check for your original purchase price.
 
Just to comment a bit further on all of this...

If I ran the S&W warranty department, I'd make sure that every gun that was returned for warranty service was inspected by two different technicians as well as a supervisor prior to being shipped back to the customer. Additionally, both techs and the supervisor would have to initial a quality control tag and a digital logbook so that if that gun came back in a second time we would know who dropped the ball. Especially with todays workforce, people no longer seem to automatically take pride in their work. The only way to keep people accountable is by having a system in place that can trace problems back to the individual causing them.
 
I took it to the range this morning. The elevation adjustment screw is frozen. I wrote CS and told them that if it wouldn't void the warranty, then they can send me a new rear sight assembly. If not, then to send me a RMA label and I'll send them the gun. (For the fourth time, between this one and the last one.)

I backed off the rear sight leaf screw. The rear of the sight assembly appears to be jammed in place. I wasn't about to try messing with it.

So back it goes.....
 
I backed off the rear sight leaf screw. The rear of the sight assembly appears to be jammed in place. I wasn't about to try messing with it.

So back it goes.....

It came back and yesterday I took it to the range. After sighting it in, I ran a box of .38 Remington range ammo through it, all double-action. On the first gun, it would have been around cylinder #3 that the gun would freeze up. Not this time, and I was trying to get things as warm as possible.

I rolled a new target downrange to about 25' and began shooting .357s, all double-action, going as fast as I reasonably could. About half were what was left of a box of Magtech .357 FMJs, the rest were Federal 158grn JSPs. The Federals were a bit more sporty (and not a round that I'd continue to fire with the factory grips).

I shot thirty rounds and this was the target:

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So, the gun works. After a replacement, four trips in total to the Mothership and over eight months from the day I bought the first one.

I like the gun. I think that I will be happy to have it. I'll shoot it in some combat matches and I will carry the gun (with Ranger .38+P until I can get some .357 short-barrel ammo). But would I do it over again?

Not on your life.
 

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It came back and yesterday I took it to the range.
{snip}
So, the gun works. After a replacement, four trips in total to the Mothership and over eight months from the day I bought the first one.

I like the gun. I think that I will be happy to have it. I'll shoot it in some combat matches and I will carry the gun (with Ranger .38+P until I can get some .357 short-barrel ammo). But would I do it over again?

Not on your life.

I now have about 400 rounds through it. Mostly .38s, as the heavier .357s (Federal 158grn JSPs) are not enjoyable to shoot.

No problems to report.
 
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