Brand New Model 442-1 Locking Up...

[TTSH]

Its a nuisance to send a gun back for repair in the short run, but I think there is an advantage in doing so. It will be the first time in your revolvers life that it has been seen by someone who can be called a gunsmith. Up until that time, it has been "assembled", but not "smithed". When I sent my M66-8 back, they fixed more than I complained about. Gave me confidence that my gun was in the condition that the designers had in mind!

I do understand what you're saying. But for me, it's always been a balancing act between: a) potentially getting a fully-fixed and better running gun... vs. ... b) risking shipping damage, sloppy work and potentially even worse problems than had I not sent it in. That's why whenever I can fix something myself, I do so. Verdict is still out on this buggy 442-1. I am out of town right now, but when I return I'll mess with it a little more, I'll call the mothership... and then I'll make my decision.

Must not have been the same "smith" that worked on mine!

Ouch!!!

 

[TTSH]

Sadly, not unknown on these little guns. Poster Armorer951 has commented often on improperly fitted hand/ratchet units on 442/642s. In any case, something not quite right inside. Don't know that I'd want to stress an improperly fitted mechanism by dry firing it. Let the factory handle it. It's a carry piece: It has to work!

Good points. I'll look into that hand/ratchet issue. But yes, it does have to work or there isn't much point, is there.

 

[TTSH]

I think a can of rem oil or clp would be just as good as compressed air. If you don't want to take the side plate off, just remove the grips and you can pour drops inside the frame where you could see the spring.
They won't deny you a warranty for removing the grips or the sideplate.
I sent in a 629 with a trigger job for warranty and although it was for a canted barrel, it got shot a whole bunch of times when they had it. They didn't bother cleaning it too and sent it back fixed.
You can put oil in it. It's your gun. Just don't put grease inside. It has to be very light oil.

Understood on the very light oil. I know the potential for trouble quite well.

I've also decided that I'm going to shoot the gun before sending it back. No sense in not identifying all problems before it takes a trip back to the mothership. That forcing cone/cylinder gap looks extremely small and I could see it causing trouble as the gun heats up. I believe the best way to test for that is with live fire.

I'll also admit that I am curious if a little live fire will loosen-up whatever is binding or blocking the action internally.

 

[Execpro]

I always take off the grips and spray Rem oil inside the works. I use snap caps and fire in all directions (upside down, bbl up, bbl down ect.). Always check to be sure all screws are snug (Have found some lose on a few Guns) and Rem oil the grip frame before reinstalling grip.
Wipe off excess oil that comes out from cracks,trigger frame area ect.. it takes a couple days for all excess oil to drain but Rem oil with Teflon works into all areas and won't leave a heavy film like CLP. JMO
I use CLP on pistol lubrication points because it won't evaporate or go away with heat from shooting like Rem Oil (A great product).

Good idea to shoot a few rounds to see what else may develop or your problem may go away.
I had to send in a new 360J before shooting it. S&W returned it in a week with the problem corrected. I feel the pain!

Be SAFE and shoot often!

 

[somorris]

I think I would take it back to where you bought it and see if they will exchange it and safe you a lot of trouble.

 

[mauiblue]

I would contact S&W Company ASAP and explain what's going on with the gun. They will repair it under warranty. I just got my Model 638 back yesterday afternoon after being away at the repair shop for 3 weeks. I was having an accuracy issue and the barrel was realigned. I didn't get a to shoot it as of yet.

Good luck on getting your gun fixed.

Sent from my coconut frond hut using Tapatalk

 

[MCorps0311]

That don't sound good,i'd send it back.

 

[TTSH]

I think I would take it back to where you bought it and see if they will exchange it and safe you a lot of trouble.

No can do. I bought it from one of the big on-line sellers and had it transferred in. There was a savings in doing it this way, but there is always the remote chance of getting a lemon. I figured what the heck can go wrong with a Model 442-1? Now I know.

 

[TTSH]

I would contact S&W Company ASAP and explain what's going on with the gun. They will repair it under warranty. I just got my Model 638 back yesterday afternoon after being away at the repair shop for 3 weeks. I was having an accuracy issue and the barrel was realigned. I didn't get a to shoot it as of yet.

Good luck on getting your gun fixed.

Thank you. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that I should shoot a box or two before sending it back... just in case there is something else wrong with it. Aside from the ribbing I received (and am still receiving) from my Taurus-loving friend, I am over the initial frustration of purchasing a brand new handgun that doesn't work right. It is what it is. I will deal with it. I'm not even surprised. I'm just a little frustrated.

 

[one eye joe]

Just picked up my first brand new S&W revolver in 35 years an hour ago... and it looks like it's going back to the mothership already. It's a Model 442-1 and it's locking up on me every few dry-fire trigger pulls. A little movement of the trigger and it is eventually functional again (temporarily) until a few more trigger pulls and then another lock-up. Doesn't matter if the trigger pulls are fast or slow... full (finger off trigger) release or keeping my finger on the trigger... same problem.

I had to de-burr the forcing cone a bit, but that didn't solve the problem. Can't see any dragging marks. Same problem unloaded or loaded with .38 snap caps. I'm looking for any ideas about what I might be able to try before shipping it back to S&W later this week. Any and all suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH IT---JUST SEND IT BACK......

ANY BUBBA GUNSMITHING ON YOUR PART MAY VOID YOUR WARRANTY........

 

[TTSH]

I always take off the grips and spray Rem oil inside the works. I use snap caps and fire in all directions (upside down, bbl up, bbl down ect.). Always check to be sure all screws are snug (Have found some lose on a few Guns) and Rem oil the grip frame before reinstalling grip.
Wipe off excess oil that comes out from cracks,trigger frame area ect.. it takes a couple days for all excess oil to drain but Rem oil with Teflon works into all areas and won't leave a heavy film like CLP. JMO
I use CLP on pistol lubrication points because it won't evaporate or go away with heat from shooting like Rem Oil (A great product).

Good idea to shoot a few rounds to see what else may develop or your problem may go away.
I had to send in a new 360J before shooting it. S&W returned it in a week with the problem corrected. I feel the pain!

Be SAFE and shoot often!

That's encouraging that the turnaround was so fast.

I'll give the Rem Oil drenching idea a shot when I get back home. I'd still like to hit it with compressed air first just to see if I can blow out whatever might be blocking the action.

 

[vipermd]

I think I would take it back to where you bought it and see if they will exchange it and safe you a lot of trouble.

A dealer is not going to take back a gun that has been "tinkered" with, regardless of what it is doing. But the OP can call S&W they will send the mailer, UPS will pick it up, and bring it back when it is fixed. If S&W does not get it right, the dealer can help with that. Be Safe,

EDIT: Just saw the op bought it online, his only option is to call S&W, transferring FFL is not likely to get involved, since it was not purchased from that dealer. Be Safe,

 

[mauiblue]

Thank you. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that I should shoot a box or two before sending it back... just in case there is something else wrong with it. Aside from the ribbing I received (and am still receiving) from my Taurus-loving friend, I am over the initial frustration of purchasing a brand new handgun that doesn't work right. It is what it is. I will deal with it. I'm not even surprised. I'm just a little frustrated.

Nah, don't shoot the gun. I would hate to hear that there was a catastrophic failure when you were testing it. [emoji24][emoji853].

When you send the gun in the repair shop will test it it out just like they did with mine. S&W will analyze the problem and any other issue. Good luck.

Sent from my coconut frond hut using Tapatalk

 

[99bob]

I agree with not shooting it. I had a problem out of the box with a N frame. I also had a couple encourage me to shoot it before sending it back, but I restrained myself. I believe that you should not shoot any firearm that is known to have a problem. First, you don't know what could happen. Second, it's not going to fix it, but probably make it worse. Worse usually means more expensive. Not an issue assuming the warranty is in good standing, but if you know it's not working right and it explodes(extremely unlikely), who's to blame? The manufacturer? or the person person shooting it knowing it wasn't working right? If your car engine makes a noise do you drive your car? I realize some people do That's like saying I want to be stuck on the side of the road, waiting on a tow truck, leaving my life in the hands of people whizzing by. I think I'll take the car that sounds like ****.

 

[TTSH]

Nah, don't shoot the gun. I would hate to hear that there was a catastrophic failure when you were testing it. [emoji24][emoji853].

When you send the gun in the repair shop will test it it out just like they did with mine. S&W will analyze the problem and any other issue. Good luck.

I appreciate your concern, but I don't see any specific reason to suspect I'd have a catastrophic failure. It will either work right and fire the round... or the trigger will lock-up and it will not fire the round. The gun itself is otherwise in brand spanking new right-out-of-the-box condition.

In regard to trusting S&W warranty repair service to do all the right things... this is where I get slightly cynical. Maybe I've been hanging around this forum for too long, but I've read way too many stories of guns needing repeat visits to the mothership before a problem or set of problems are fully addressed and made right. This is the world we live in today and so I want to make sure that if this 442-1 has got to go back that I have identified all problems, not just the first one I found.

I also remain cautiously optimistic that the gun will loosen up and work correctly if I give it a chance. Keep in mind that this is an intermittent problem (albeit a fairly frequent intermittent problem) and those are the problems that the mothership tends not to get right the first time around.

Anyway, I am back home now and will start messing with it as time and my many doctor appointments allow. Unfortunately, another pressing family crisis just emerged last night, so it could be another week or so before I make a decision about sending it back or pursuing some other solution.

 

[TTSH]

I agree with not shooting it. I had a problem out of the box with a N frame. I also had a couple encourage me to shoot it before sending it back, but I restrained myself. I believe that you should not shoot any firearm that is known to have a problem. First, you don't know what could happen. Second, it's not going to fix it, but probably make it worse. Worse usually means more expensive. Not an issue assuming the warranty is in good standing, but if you know it's not working right and it explodes(extremely unlikely), who's to blame? The manufacturer? or the person person shooting it knowing it wasn't working right? If your car engine makes a noise do you drive your car? I realize some people do That's like saying I want to be stuck on the side of the road, waiting on a tow truck, leaving my life in the hands of people whizzing by. I think I'll take the car that sounds like ****.

Well, the car analogy is a good one, but I don't think this buggy 442-1 will leave me stuck on the side of the road. That's good because there isn't an AAA for gun breakdowns.

But in all seriousness, I see nothing unusually dangerous about attempting to shoot this gun. I see nothing to lose and possibly something to gain if the problem works itself out. Something is intermittently stopping the trigger from moving. If I can figure out what that is and eliminate it, I've saved a lot of trouble and the risks associated with mailing the gun in.

Let's see what happens and take it from there.

 

[Mrnurse]

Best of luck on test firing it. I bought a 442-1 NIB this summer, about 150 rds so far with factory ammo without a issue. I bought it because I needed a 100% never fail carry weapon, If I had your issues with it I would send it back to SW period...they built it...they know all about it...they can fix it. I would NEVER NEVER fool with opening up a New Pistol or Warranty covered Model that can void the Warranty if they detect you've fooled with it. Again good luck.

 

[fortyshooter]

100 % never fail...is there such a mechanical thing?

 

[TTSH]

Best of luck on test firing it. I bought a 442-1 NIB this summer, about 150 rds so far with factory ammo without a issue. I bought it because I needed a 100% never fail carry weapon, If I had your issues with it I would send it back to SW period...they built it...they know all about it...they can fix it. I would NEVER NEVER fool with opening up a New Pistol or Warranty covered Model that can void the Warranty if they detect you've fooled with it. Again good luck.

I appreciate your point about this gun needing to be a "100% never fail carry weapon"... and it's for that reason that it may have to go back eventually anyway even if I get the gun working somewhat better than it is now (i.e., less frequent lock-ups). There will always be a question in the back of my mind about when it will or could fail next. On the other hand, will I ever trust the gun even after it takes a trip back to the mothership? I see mucho consumption of ammo ahead before I will ever be able to trust the gun either way.

The good wife had a great point in that regard: She says just go buy the PC 442 (on sale locally for cheap) and dump the buggy 442-1. Not such a bad idea, actually.

 

[jimbo728]

Send it to S&W...You`re in Ma, they are in Ma. If you do you will get a working gun back,be happy and forget about it before you know it.
Good luck!
Jim