Got my 617 back from warranty work, S&W destroyed the frame

[Nemo288]

Hey guys,
Finally got to shoot the 617 two weeks after I got it back. This story has a happy ending after all. She's a fantastic shooter! And i'm happy to report no problems whatsoever.

YAY! You lucked out.

Seems the older I get, the pickier I get. Does that mean I
am now a curmudgeon? (That's a rhetorical question).

I am still slowly fixing up the revolvers I got in the 80's.
The one I sent back to S&W back then is spot on.
The one I sent for minor mods last year was
a) not fixed the way I wanted and
b) had the matte stainless finish screwed up on the crane.
FEH!

Support your local or regional expert gunsmith. The factories
no longer care.

...Nemo...

 

[cowboydave]

Hey guys,
Finally got to shoot the 617 two weeks after I got it back. This story has a happy ending after all. She's a fantastic shooter! And i'm happy to report no problems whatsoever.

Congrats. Glad it turned out good for you. Enjoy.
Dave

 

[arc2x4]

Last week I was in a large local Gunshop that had hosted a Smith and Wesson Days. They had 4, 4" 617s and a 5 inch 63 and a 3" 63 in the case to choose from. Every one of the 617s had a huge gap 1/4", between the top of the Crane and the bottom of the barrel area of the frame like they had used the wrong jig to Machine it. The "finish" looked like they had been thrown in a bag of gravel and shaken up. One had an uneven barrel crown. The 3 inch 63 failed to carry upon three chambers in Single action with cases inserted. The 5" 63 practically needed a mallet to close it.

Blech, I had to pass on all of them, all brand new no QC what so ever. Very sad and disappointing.

 

[Old Fashioned Six Shooter]

Last week I was in a large local Gunshop that had hosted a Smith and Wesson Days. They had 4, 4" 617s and a 5 inch 63 and a 3" 63 in the case to choose from. Every one of the 617s had a huge gap 1/4", between the top of the Crane and the bottom of the barrel area of the frame like they had used the wrong jig to Machine it. The "finish" looked like they had been thrown in a bag of gravel and shaken up. One had an uneven barrel crown. The 3 inch 63 failed to carry upon three chambers in Single action with cases inserted. The 5" 63 practically needed a mallet to close it.

Blech, I had to pass on all of them, all brand new no QC what so ever. Very sad and disappointing.

I am not questioning what you are saying, because you were there to see and handle these guns first hand, and I was not. However, with that being said, I find tales like this strange, because in the past year I have purchased six new production S&W revolvers including two 642s, a 43C, a 325 NightGuard, a 627 PC UDR, and a Governor with ZERO quality control issues. I think I will continue to keep playing this card game until I get a bad hand. Maybe my luck will spill over to the lottery the next time it reaches $640 Million!

 

[arc2x4]

Old fashioned six shooter, I have no doubt you have bought nice ones that were just fine, even perfect. When there is poor QC you have some production runs that are great, and other production runs that are very poor.

 

[grumpy7159]

I have two 629's, a pro-60, 627PC, 625PC, and four M&P's. I like them all and will continue to buy S&W's product (but not their stock).