It is rare for M&P strikers to break.
Do M&P strikers frequently break? I have checked with several knowledgeable gunsmiths and other reliable sources. The most frequent comment has been, "A broken M&P striker? I have never seen one nor have I ever heard of one." Apparently the problem with my M&P's striker was a freak occurrence. A small piece at the tip had broken off, and the striker could not quite reach the primer. There was no primer indentation.
Some have suggested that I should have returned the pistol (which has only fired a few hundred rounds) to S&W under warranty. That seems like a reasonable approach, but in my situation, it seemed more reasonable to take it to the gunsmith. A couple of weeks before the problem occurred, I had taken my M&P to the gunsmith to have him install an Apex sear and night sights. The gun functioned perfectly before I took it to him. After he installed the sear, I took the pistol home and dry fired it 15 to 20 times to test the trigger pull. I used a snap cap, but I have not always used one in the past. A week or so later, I took the pistol to the range and discovered that it wouldn't fire.
Since the problem was first observed immediately after the gunsmith worked on it, I decided to return it to him and to have him check it out. I wanted to give him the opportunity to make it good. He discovered that the striker was broken and offered to order a new one and install it. He and I both believed that it was unlikely that he had done something wrong to cause the problem; but since the problem was so rare and unusual, the cause and explanation of it are also likely to be rare and unusual.
Since the problem occurred in conjunction with the installation and use of an aftermarket part, and because I had dry fired the pistol a lot when it was new without using a snap cap; I was not sure whose responsibility it should be to take care of the problem. It seemed more reasonable to order a relatively inexpensive and easy to install part rather than to ship the pistol all of the way across this great nation and back. I don't see it as very different from replacing a recoil spring in that respect. At the time the part was ordered, the S&W service person estimated the part would be delivered within a week or 10 days at the latest. The gunsmith has contacted S&W a number of times to follow up on the order.
Regardless of whether or not I should have sent the pistol to S&W, it seems to me that they failed to provide me, my gunsmith, and several other suppliers and distributors with a replacement part which they undoubtedly have a large quantity of. This could indicate a possible problem with communication within the company, some kind of mix-up or oversight, or possibly an employee giving a low priority to solving the problem.
A problem like this could happen with any company which has hundreds of employees, millions of customers, and thousands of parts to inventory and keep in stock. At this point, I am not drawing any negative conclusions about S&W nor do I have any negative feelings towards them. I have contacted S&W, and I feel confident that they will take care of the problem as quickly as they can.
