Canted, over clocked barrels

[sinbad71]

This thread is not a complaint of S&W revolvers, but rather a comment on the problems some have with canted barrels. In the past several years I have purchased 8 brand new Smith revolvers of various models and calibers through both local gun shops and online sites. I am also noticing the large number of complaints of forum readers pertaining to canted or over clocked barrels coming from S&W. This has prompted me to go to the safe and check all my Smith's for that problem and I found that NONE of the new guns have any clocking problems. I then went to my LGS and looked at their S&W inventory of revolvers and found just one of the many with a slight cant. This certainly doesn't mean there aren't revolvers produced with problems, because there are some.

I think this must make me the luckiest new gun purchaser going??

I only comment on this issue so that new readers don't get the impression nearly ALL Smith revolvers come from the factory screwed up, because MOST seem to be just fine.

Just my observations.

 

[Laketime]

I think most of these canted barrels came from the era of non P&R.Some from this time frame were just fine. Others looked like the factory had the overnight cleaning crew make the guns.

 

[HarrishMasher]

I have bought well over a dozen new and used S&W revolvers over the last 6 months. Mostly new. I have not had any canted barrel issues. I have no doubt this problem exists, because forum members post here having this problem.

But think about it this way. People who have problems are the loudest. When someone here buys a new S&W revolver and the barrel is NOT canted, they don't write a post reporting their barrel is installed correctly. So we don't hear about that. We do here from the folks that have a problem. These posts are rare as well. I suspect the percentage of guns that leave the factory with a canted barrel is quite small. A fraction of 1%...something like 0.0001% is my guess.

This is not to say S&W does not have some serious QC problems. I have bought a total of five new 7-shot 357 L Frames over the last six months. Three of the five had bad timing and had to go back for repair. Not good. S&W fixed them quickly and shipping both ways, so no biggie. Just annyoing to have to send a brand new gun back for repair, and even more annoying to have to do it 3 times in a row in a two month period.

I asked my buddy who owns a high volume LGS if they noticed a problem with timing of new 7 shot S&W revolvers. They said they rarely see a timing problem on the 6 shot and 8 shot S&Ws, but frequently see 7 shot Smiths with bad timing that they send back to the distributor for replacement. They said they see it surprisingly often lately.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

I love my new 629. I make a post about it. Bought it brand new from my LGS in the 27th. Wish I had looked it over better but had I turned it away idk when I would have seen another one. Anyway I'm staying positive S&W will make it right.

 

[GunarSailors]

I love my new 629. I make a post about it. Bought it brand new from my LGS in the 27th. Wish I had looked it over better but had I turned it away idk when I would have seen another one. Anyway I'm staying positive S&W will make it right.

WOW!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

WOW!!!!!!!!!

Just a smidgen off I'd say. Lol

 

[mauiblue]

I love my new 629. I make a post about it. Bought it brand new from my LGS in the 27th. Wish I had looked it over better but had I turned it away idk when I would have seen another one. Anyway I'm staying positive S&W will make it right.

Ouch! That shouldn't have left the factory that way.

 

[Hopper]

Whoa. I recently posted about my 640 being canted, as mine was over-torqued by just a few degrees, but nothing like that.

To the spirit of the OP's message, I'm sure there are many, many fine S&W's that leave the mothership perfectly fine out of the gate. I have a new model 66 Combat that's screwed together very nicely. But some do occasionally slip through the QC cracks.

I'll be contacting S&W on the 2nd when they reopen to get my shipping label, and I am very confident they will make it right.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

I'm hoping they make it right! Lol. I was just so excited when my LGS called me to tell me they got one in. I was excited and didn't look it over the greatest. I'm not worried tho. It took me a couple months to even find this one a few more weeks at the mothership won't hurt.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

And in case anyone wonders the spent shell casing was dated 11/06/2014. So it just left the factory not long ago

 

[Dot_mdb]

The factory has to know there is a problem and apparently they just don't care. If they can't screw the barrel on right how can you depend on them to do the heat treatment correctly?

I can live with the internal lock and the two piece barrels and other changes. I can't accept poor quality control and apparently poor manufacturing practices. This is the type of thing that gives American manufacturing a black eye.

Bill

 

[gunnails]

And in case anyone wonders the spent shell casing was dated 11/06/2914. So it just left the factory not long ago

=======================================

Or 900 years in the future.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

^^^ I just caught it. I was editing while you were typing.

 

[mauiblue]

This type of poor craftsmanship and quality control does cast a negative shadow on the company. I would be very disappointed if I waited for some time for a firearm only to return it because of a defect.

 

[Hopper]

And in case anyone wonders the spent shell casing was dated 11/06/2014. So it just left the factory not long ago

I'm with you. I had a 640 in mind, and when I finally found one at a LGS, I had to have it. Mine was test fired 11/04/2014, so like yours, it's a very recent build.

I didn't really notice the cant on mine until I got it home and gave it a careful cleaning/inspection. It can be hard in a gun shop to turn a pistol over this way and that without sweeping people. But wow, mine is noticeable, but not *nearly* as obvious as yours.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

I'm with you. I had a 640 in mind, and when I finally found one at a LGS, I had to have it. Mine was test fired 11/04/2014, so like yours, it's a very recent build.

I didn't really notice the cant on mine until I got it home and gave it a careful cleaning/inspection. It can be hard in a gun shop to turn a pistol over this way and that without sweeping people. But wow, mine is noticeable, but not *nearly* as obvious as yours.

Same here. Didn't notice till I got it home and cleaned and oiled. I'm still thrilled to have my 629. Just gotta wait a few more weeks to take her to the range. I guess while I'm waiting I'll be able to find a holster, speed loaders, and stock up on some more .44 ammo

 

[HarrishMasher]

Incredible how canted that barrel is. It is like in the 1 o'clock position. Unreal!

 

[spdguns]

What surprises me is the number of web threads about the barrel clocking issue. Everyone sends them back, but you would think enough of them had been returned that S&W would address the issue at the factory.

 

[Mi_Shooter556]

What surprises me is the number of web threads about the barrel clocking issue. Everyone sends them back, but you would think enough of them had been returned that S&W would address the issue at the factory.

The only part that gets me is these things aren't cheap. As gun enthusiasts we all know this hobby is expensive. I paid $800 + tax for the 629. Not Colt Python money, but not Hi-Point either. Two days after Christmas $800 is a lot of money. Lol. Don't get me wrong it's a quality firearm. And it will be beautiful when I get it back, but I dislike the fact my new $800 toy will be gone for a few weeks. Lol we just started to get to know each other and she is leaving me.

 

[Co Th G]

I love my new 629. I make a post about it. Bought it brand new from my LGS in the 27th. Wish I had looked it over better but had I turned it away idk when I would have seen another one. Anyway I'm staying positive S&W will make it right.