I just bought a NIB m&p 9 and it has a dent in the barrel. FINAL UPDATE

[My_Name_is_Guns]

Hey everyone, I need ya'lls help. I recently purchased a NIB full size m&p 9. I really like it and I was planning on shooting it this coming week but, when I broke it down to check it out, I noticed that there is a dent in the barrel. I have never seen this on a gun before and I wanted a knowledgeable opinion on whether or not it is a problem. Thanks in advance for your time!

 

[elrodcod]

Could just be cosmetic What's the inside look like? Do you see any shadow in the bore? I'd give customer service a call & see what they say.

 

[My_Name_is_Guns]

The inside of the barrel looks fine. I do not see any shadows in the bore. I am going to get up with their customer service and see what they say. It just sucks to get a new gun and have stuff wrong with it. Cosmetic or not. thanks for the reply.

 

[presspics]

It probably won't bother anything but it would bother the hell out of me. I'd call them and ask for a replacement barrel or ship it back if that's what they want you to do.

 

[twomoons]

second presspics.

 

[TSQUARED]

Normally I would not be concerned about a minor external flaw which does not detract from the functionality or the appearance since it's inside the slide.

 

[scooter123]

Normally I would not be concerned about a minor external flaw which does not detract from the functionality or the appearance since it's inside the slide.

Generally, I share this sentiment. However, on a brand spanking new M&P something like this would bug the heck out of me. I would suggest that you contact Customer Service and allow them to make it right.

 

[My_Name_is_Guns]

I emailed S&W’s customer service a couple of days ago. Today I received a reply from a Dave and he told me that they would send me a replacement barrel, which is great. No hassles so far. Hopefully it will not take to long to get here and I can take my new M&P out to the range. So far S&W’s customer service is A-OK with me. I will keep ya’ll updated. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Dragon88]

I couldn't live with something like that on a NIB gun. Even the most basic QC should have caught that. -1 for S&W. Glad you are getting it replaced.

 

[Kinoz]

As long as there is a dent in the bullet you should be ok.

 

[remat457]

I emailed S&W’s customer service a couple of days ago. Today I received a reply from a Dave and he told me that they would send me a replacement barrel, which is great. No hassles so far. Hopefully it will not take to long to get here and I can take my new M&P out to the range. So far S&W’s customer service is A-OK with me. I will keep ya’ll updated. Thanks for the replies!

That's great customer service! I would not be happy with it in a new pistol either.

 

[My_Name_is_Guns]

S&W customer service: A+ ; S&W quality control: D-

UPDATE:

So I received the replacement barrel that their Customer Service Rep., Dave, had ordered for me on Thursday the 23rd. I would have posted earlier but I have been very busy. I got the barrel promptly and at first everything seemed great. Unfortunately, when I closely inspected the new barrel for issues, I found that this new barrel has a manufacturer's defect as well. It should not be too difficult to see from the pictures that the new barrel has a dent/defect on the rear edge of the front lug. I included the factory barrel in the pictures as well in order to make the difference easier to see. I draw your attention to the fact that, as with the first barrel, the finish over the defective area is completely new and untouched. The packaging that the barrel came in was well done and in good condition. Of course, I requested another new barrel. Dave apologized and said that he would have a new one sent directly to him so that he could thoroughly inspect before shipping.

I want to make it clear that I do not blame Dave for this issue. He has been very helpful to me and, after all, he simply ordered the new barrel. He was not the person who actually shipped it. BUT, I do blame the person in charge of S&W’s quality control. It is beginning to seem that they are of dubious competency. Mistakes are simply going to happen but this is becoming a reoccurring issue and it does not reflect well on S&Ws reputation as a quality gun maker.

All that said, I still believe that this is a small issue that can be easily corrected and I have full confidence that Dave will rectify this issue to my satisfaction. It is just unfortunate that it will take S&W at least three tries, total, to get it right when it should have been done right in the first place. I am really hoping that when I finally get a chance to shoot my new M&P 9 that I do not have any more issues…


In short, my analysis so far is:

1. S&W customer service: A+
2. S&W quality control: D-

 

[presspics]

I would have just filed that "dent" on the locking lug down a little. It's not going to affect anything. Some people are just never satisfied.

 

[S. Kelly]

Good job S&W!

 

[Dragon88]

Wow, three tries to get a barrel right. Did you try installing the new one to see if the dent affects function?

 

[elrodcod]

That new barrel was probably dropped on a hard surface by someone.

 

[Geblynch]

It looks like a chip dent. This happens during the machining process when an operator doesn't clean the machine jaws and a chip is caught between the part and the jaws. Probably when the bore was being machined. That's why it doesn't show inside the bore.
Smith & Wesson will most likely replace it. Though, it's harmless.

 

[silvercn]

new gun should be new.
S&W seem to agree...
I bet they fix you up right.
they have always taken care of me.

 

[My_Name_is_Guns]

So I received the second replacement barrel from S&W the other day, and I have to say that it looks perfect. Now I just need to shoot the darn thing and see how it runs. My thanks to everyone for your help and/or sharing of opinions! It is always interesting to see what everyone has to say concerning an issue such as this. Taking for granted that the gun will shoot well, I can say that I am now a satisfied S&W customer.

 

[epj]

Glad you got a barrel that is to your liking. I do suspect that the problems with the other barrels were largely cosmetic and would not have affected function. As I read your posts, it doesn't look like you tried the gun out. However, the issues noted don't speak all that well for the S&W quality control program.