crooked roll mark on new 686

[stillhere]

Very recently I bought a 686 competitor (performance center). I looked over the gun again and again and found two flaws. The barrel is stamped 'Competitor' on one side and 'S&W .357 Magnum' on the other. To the naked eye, they appear vaguely 'off'. Taking a straight edge to the roll marks confirms that they both are not parallel to the barrel. The word 'Competitor' runs uphill, as does the text on the other side.

The second flaw is that the milled radius on the barrel where it meets the frame has pretty good burr on side. It's perfectly deburred on the other side. Although observable with the eye, it's not obvious unless you drag your fingernail over it.

So, my question is this....Based on what I've described, would you send it back to have these things fixed, or just live with it.

I'm a bit stuck as to whether I should just accept it. I mean, these things are actually pretty minor, but every time I handle the gun, I am constantly reminded that the roll marks are not even, which takes away from the pleasure of getting the 'best' that Smith makes.

 

[Arik]

Guns have roll marks?

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[johnchamp]

Guns have roll marks?

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I think he means stamp roll arik

 

[Arik]

They have words written on them?

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[johnchamp]

if it were me paying top dollar I would send it back!

 

[Badquaker]

pics please......

 

[johnchamp]

a picture is worth a thousand words

 

[stillhere]

I'll get some pictures here soon.

 

[Arik]

My concern is strictly function. They can write poetry in klingon for all I care

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[Comrad]

If it was a coin it would be considered an error and be collectable with a greater value than a perfect example.

 

[SEIndSAM]

If you are paying top dollar for PC goods, I would expect it to be right. I would send it back.

 

[oldgranddad]

I don't understand. You saw that the advertisement on the barrel was crooked before you bought it. Why leave the store with it if you couldn't live with the imperfection? And now you are considering sending it back to S&W to do what...replace the barrel. What are the chances that they'll get it on straight? From what I read on this forum, pretty low. S&W is selling average guns at average prices. Get used to it. By the way, I own 4 S&W revolvers and I love each and every one of them.

 

[Ashlander]

I'm with oldgranddad. This is a mass production gun and you're going over the lettering on it with a straight-edge. Why not try to shoot it? It's a gun!

 

[jpeschken]

I would talk to S&W about sending it back. However, I am the guy who has all the presidents looking the same direction in my wallet, arranged by denomination. The wrenches and screwdrivers, and everything else in my toolbox are all lined up by size. My guns always get field stripped and cleaned with every use. It's not quite an illness.

I used to have a Ruger pistol where the laser marking on the slide sort of faded out as you read from left to right, as if it wasn't flat in the holding fixture when they laser etched it. It bugged me until I sold it. That wasn't the reason I sold it, but it made it easier to part with.

 

[regalsc]

I really don't know what I would do about the uneven lettering but it would bother me to some degree.

 

[Muss Muggins]

If it was a coin it would be considered an error and be collectable with a greater value than a perfect example.

Given what I've seen lately on this forum, a perfect example appears to be much more rare than an error . . .

Disclaimer: The above comment is posted merely as a summary of other posts on similar topics. The comment is not representative of the poster's position with regard to new production S&W products, and should be construed as new production bashing by the poster. That is all . . .

 

[slabside2]

Send it back without question. If we keep accepting this kind of stuff they will keep putting this kind of stuff out there.

 

[stillhere]

I don't understand. You saw that the advertisement on the barrel was crooked before you bought it. Why leave the store with it if you couldn't live with the imperfection? And now you are considering sending it back to S&W to do what...replace the barrel. What are the chances that they'll get it on straight? From what I read on this forum, pretty low. S&W is selling average guns at average prices. Get used to it. By the way, I own 4 S&W revolvers and I love each and every one of them.

I didn't see the 'advertisement'; I bought it online and it was shipped to my ffl. What are the chances they'll get it right? Who knows, that's up to them if they want to get it right. PC guns are hardly priced in the 'average' range, and SW certainly goes out of their way to crow about how above average they are.

 

[stillhere]

I'm with oldgranddad. This is a mass production gun and you're going over the lettering on it with a straight-edge. Why not try to shoot it? It's a gun!

Well, if was an ordinary 686, I probably wouldn't care too much. But, they sure talk up their PC guns, so I don't think it's too much to ask them to sweat the details a little.

 

[old bear]

jpeschken

I would talk to S&W about sending it back. However, I am the guy who has all the presidents looking the same direction in my wallet, arranged by denomination.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only other sick person in the world.

Which denomination do you start with? I start with the $20.00's, so when my cash is folded in half the smallest denomination is on the outside of the pile.