Made the mistake of ordering a brand new Performance Center 627

[Spokes]

Just a nightmare. I would also be terribly upset with a purchase like that...

 

[MichiganScott]

S&W needs to just go out of business. This way, hopefully someone who actually cares about quality can buy the patents and reproduce them again, properly.

Are you serious? They have problems but going out of business will solve nothing.

Check the complaints on all of the gun forums. Complaining is so much easier now that we have the Internet. I remember having to send pistols in for repair that were considered S&W's flagship models. I just couldn't complain about it publicly past my circle of friends at my gun club.

FWIW, the OP's gun needs to go back.

 

[old&slow]

Sadly this isn't the first firearm I've seen from S&W, and the Performance Center, that had piss poor quality.

I've been buying S&W firearms for over 40years. Use to be, the quality was so good on S&W's , you probably didn't even have to open the box to check the firearm. Fit, finish, & quality was that good.
For the past few years, I will not buy,, and I tell my friends not to buy, a new S&W unless it is checked out completely from open end to the other.

Very Sad !!

 

[Old_Cop]

You should be upset, that revolver is just terrible. You deserve an explanation as to how that escaped the factory. Please post the results of your experience with S&W.

 

[typetwelve]

I mirror what everyone else is saying, send it back in with a long (and detailed) list of complaints.

I bought a 627 Pro last Dec and it also had some problems...and I had to send it back in. My chief complaint? A garbage barrel crown, just like yours. Like you, I tried to look it over when I bought it...but I just missed things that I didn't see until I got home and really dug into it. I'm sure this is a common thing. You're excited, you want to get it home...you just want to leave. Most (including myself) will not take the time to bust out the microscope on the thing.

They had it pushing a month or so, but they fixed it and sent it back.

It is frustrating, that's for sure.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Thanks everybody at least I now know that I'm not the only one who sees the problems and I don't feel like a lunatic for thinking it's messed up.

Off to call S&W

 

[revolver_ph]

That is horrible. I hope the 686 I have on order was built with a lot more care.

I wish you luck in getting it all sorted out.

 

[JHB51]

The only way to force S&W to improve there quality is stop buying there product. As long we purchase there guns and send them back it will not improve. This is a numbers game it is cheaper to fix the few that are sent back than to improve the process. How many people don't even notice the poor workmanship compared to the few that complain on this and other forums. We will have to do without for a wile till they get the message but in the long run every body wins. I spent 45 years in manufacturing and I can tell you the know how is there. This is a numbers game and the only way to too put a stop to it is look over the gun at the store and if you don't like what you see walk away after you tell the shop owner why. I for one won't buy a gun if I cant cycle the action and test the trigger with snap caps if they won't remove the trigger lock because of store policy I walk out. I don't buy a car without driving it nor will buy a gun without dry firing it. I for one won't play the send a new gun back to do what they were paid to do when they built it game.

 

[forrestinmathews]

You should have learned something here. Go in and initially inspect it and fondle it. Then go get lunch and relax. Come back after lunch and reinspect with a fine tooth comb before taking possession. You would have saved yourself some time.

 

[BAM-BAM]

The PC seems to have started going down hill around the turn of the Century..... with slab sides and porting vs 'building" semi-custom guns.

Looking at your gun the PC shop is now totally off the rails.

 

[Jdavis]

It's sad to see one like this slip through the Performance Center. It should serve as a reminder to all purchasers of new S&Ws to look them over throughly before accepting them. However, this isn't limited to S&W because I have seen some similar examples from other makers. I am certain that more good examples leave the factory than bad ones. We just hear about problem guns more than proper ones.

 

[Dr. Marneaus]

Well, called, explained, and have a shipping label.

Guy on the phone was completely nonchalant about it. "okay what did you say was wrong?"

Not so much as a "sorry about that" or an "oh that doesn't sound good" or any kind of empathy or anything, lol, just "okay, okay okay, address? okay, the label is being sent......okay bye"

OH well. I printed out a letter detailing the issues. Back from whence it came.....

 

[Jeppo]

Pity you received that kind of reception. I'm guessing S&W is going absolutely balls-out with the crazy prices and rebates on a few pistols. According to their last year's annual report, they've faced past "capacity constraint" issues. So, I can imagine what happens when maybe the best selling pistol in the world (Shield) is sold under half price (saw a post here yesterday with the 9mm offered at $200 after rebate, delivered).

The only thing I would have added during the phone call (and it would have been a complete waste of breath) would be requesting someone call me back after inspecting the gun to tell me whether they feel it is even up to their "normal" standards (forgetting PC).

We're all looking forward to knowing what happens. Don't forget us please.

 

[CScott]

The newest S&W I own is a 627 Pro series I bought new about 3 years ago. I have to say it came to me in perfect condition; fit, finish, accuracy, function, are all the equivalent of my older Smiths (except for the IL). Send yours back as many times as it takes. You will be rewarded with the fine revolver you bargained for.
I don't think I will ever spend the extra money for "Performance" Center work. Any reasonably competent gunsmith would do better work.
Good luck to you in getting this resolved quickly and well.
Scott

 

[Lou_the_welder]

Just saw the picture of the crown. It looks typical of the target barrel the performance center has. Many of them are like that. Although, the target barrel on my 986 Pro didn't have those extruded reliefs that show how the grooves and lands are present.....
I've called them on this(SAW) alone. Just be aware you may get something similar back.

I use a Brownell's crowning tool to clean up mine. Just because to me, they don't look aesthetically pleasing even if I noticed that even Crappy looking, they actually shoot really well sometimes......

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

 

[Dave T]

This post and dozens like it, as well as personal experience like seeing late model S&Ws in a gun smith friend's shop for repair/alterations to make them suitable for competition is why I will no longer consider a new S&W. For the average $1000 prices they ask, I can buy fine old pre-lock, pre-MIM & pre-CNC S&Ws and not only enjoy them but take pride in owning them.

Yea, all the other gun makers are going down the toilet too. That's not an excuse for S&W to take the same route.

Dave

 

[Collo Rosso]

The only thing I would have added during the phone call (and it would have been a complete waste of breath) would be requesting someone call me back after inspecting the gun to tell me whether they feel it is even up to their "normal" standards (forgetting PC).

A VP at my company did just that. He was walked out the door after the lawsuit was filed against us.

 

[crankyoldlady]

Well, called, explained, and have a shipping label.

Guy on the phone was completely nonchalant about it. "okay what did you say was wrong?"

Not so much as a "sorry about that" or an "oh that doesn't sound good" or any kind of empathy or anything, lol, just "okay, okay okay, address? okay, the label is being sent......okay bye"

OH well. I printed out a letter detailing the issues. Back from whence it came.....

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

 

[yanici]

Well, called, explained, and have a shipping label.

Guy on the phone was completely nonchalant about it. "okay what did you say was wrong?"

Not so much as a "sorry about that" or an "oh that doesn't sound good" or any kind of empathy or anything, lol, just "okay, okay okay, address? okay, the label is being sent......okay bye"

OH well. I printed out a letter detailing the issues. Back from whence it came.....

A picture is worth a thousand words and you have some excellent pics you can send along with the gun to help explain your very legitimate complaints.

 

[JamesArthur60]

If this was a 300 revolver it would be typical ... but for a $1k gun you have the utmost right to be royally pissed off. Looks QA was a tad lacking on this build.

Really? I bought an used stainless M65-2, mfg in 1977 for $300. My used $300 S&W is flawless, especially compared to that PC built handgun. Everything is aligned, clean and smooth. Maybe S&W had better QC decades ago.