Factory wait time 9 months??

[Win]

My 38/44 "hand" is not engaging to rotate the cylinder...making me think a spring is broken. I called S&W for a ship label and was told it would be 9 months before they could look at it. Was she just trying to discourage me from sending it in.....or are they that backed up?

She also said they may not have the parts to fix a gun that old. Don't they still make an N frame at SAW??

 

[KLYDE]

I shipped my M 10 back in early June. Haven't heard a peep as of yet. I'm still waiting patiently. The rep was probably spot on.
Back in late Winter the wait was about 3 months. I think I shipped one out in Jan and had it back by April. I don't know what caused the sudden back up.

 

[Hapworth]

I don't know what caused the sudden back up.

Speculation on my part, but the last scare led to huge demand for all manner of firearms (especially revolvers in places where high capacity was threatened). Increased demand led to increased output led to fall in quality control led to increased returns; too, more resources devoted to production led to fewer resources dedicated to repair.

All told -- longer wait times.

Plus, the holidays are right around the corner; they take long breaks over the holidays and things back up even more.

 

[Alk8944]

Since your gun can be no newer than 1966 I am amazed you were not told they would not accept it or repair. That seems to be the usual response for guns made before 1975 or so.

I would suggest asking for gunsmith recommendations in your area, this cannot be a repair that requires that it be done by the factory. It is most likely a case of improper assembly!

 

[TAROMAN]

S&W will not send a label for anything other than warranty work on newer guns or specific Action job packages on the same ones.
Anything else is shipped in on your dime.
As stated above, they will not do any work on any pre-numbered guns.
I shipped a 2902 in May for some work.
CS told me last week that the wait is 9+ months before they even look at it for an estimate.
The shop is totally swamped with work.

 

[H Richard]

If you cleaned, or had the interior cleaned and the hand was pulled partially off the trigger the spring may have just slipped off the peg. You can fix this, but it does take 3 hands to do it. I don't recall ever hearing of this spring breaking. Any gunsmith should be able to make this fix, and possibly while you wait.

 

[Win]

So S&W e-mailed me a label on Oct 27 and here it is Nov 27...about a month later. I received an invoice today for $166 which covers replacing the spring for the hand, installing washers to correct "end shake," installing a new, wider trigger (which I asked them to do while they had the gun apart...I hated the narrow one) and tightening the rear sight blade which tended to wobble side to side about a 32nd of an inch....plus all shipping costs.

So, they do send labels for older guns if you stand firm...the do work on them and they seem to have parts (wide triggers, anyway). I sent them an N-frame, which is currently in production, so repairing a 60 year old gun shouldn't be a big challenge (since they are still making them). It will be interesting to see if I get a mim-ed trigger or a forged case hardened replacement.

I called in to give them my credit card to pay up and the operator said to expect the gun in 12 weeks.....or so. I guess the backlog is getting a little better.