Grayfox
US Veteran
I've been accumulating S&Ws for 40+ years. I don't own any that were made during the current century. No plans to either.
Newer smiths - Better In Some Ways?
- Thread starter b737lvr
- Start date
I do have a S&W M&P 9mm that I carry on occasion, but that is the only post 1970s Smith that I have.
For me, there is no comparison between the quality of the older Smiths verse the new stuff. Same with Colts and other gun manufacturers.
The fit, finish and overall quality has declined as time goes on.
For me, there is no comparison between the quality of the older Smiths verse the new stuff. Same with Colts and other gun manufacturers.
The fit, finish and overall quality has declined as time goes on.
My 642UC came to me with a dead night sight an out of spec (though not terribly so) yoke. S&W replaced both under warranty.
My father has a Model 60 no dash with obvious fitting marks on the frame from when the yoke was originally installed. Sure, they caught the out-of-spec frame or yoke at the factory, but they sure didn't make it look pretty, probably because you'd only see it when opening the cylinder. It's also got a terrible DA pull. Those two things would've probably had people lamenting the Bangor Punta buyout.
Modern .44 Magnums are more durable than the pre-1987 guns. For all the lamenting of 2-piece barrels, the modern Model 66-8 and 19 Classic lack the forcing cone flat cut/weak spot, and probably have better metallurgy as well. From what I can gather, it's true that the old K-frame Magnum forcing comes mostly broke with lighter loads. Mostly.
Talk to enough guys, and you'll find some that say that they broke almost exclusively shooting 158 gr. Heck, some of cops from the 1980s (like Steve Shields of High Desert Cartridge Company) will tell you about sending their L-frames back to S&W for repair when run hard with a steady diet of .357 Magnum loads.
OP
b737lvr
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Im not sure where they got that from but the warranty information in the manual very clearly states ANY Smith & Wesson revolver is covered by the limited lifetime repair warranty.
Oldsalt66
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For legal reasons, Smith and Wesson provides only a 1 year limited warranty which is followed by their "lifetime service policy" under which they back their pistols for lifetime service.
For legal reasons, Ruger has no warranty at all, but stands behind their products as if they did have one.
For legal reasons, Ruger has no warranty at all, but stands behind their products as if they did have one.
My NIB 617-6 came with messed up rachets and a loose rear side that had to be jacked to the far left to zero. It's currently at S&W getting worked on. This is the first S&W I have purchased since 1987, so I would have to say my experience has been sub par so far.
What I will say is modern CNC equipment offers a more repeatable and more consistent part then an older machine shop, but still requires a level of QC to ensure the parts are just that.
What I will say is modern CNC equipment offers a more repeatable and more consistent part then an older machine shop, but still requires a level of QC to ensure the parts are just that.
You can add Walther to the list of companies going above and beyond their warranty (limited lifetime, in this case).
My father bought a P22, shot it enough wear it out, and Walther replaced it with another. He shot that one enough to wear it out, and they replaced it with another pistol. They could've denied it under the "wear and tear associated with normal use" provision, but didn't.
I have only two lock Smiths. A 617-6 and a 637-2. Both are well made, and the 617-6 outshoots most of my 22 rifles. The rest of my Smiths are "antiques". Early j-frames, M&P's, Hand Ejectors. And a couple of early gen 9mm's - a 3913 and a 6906, both equal to or better than any of the "modern" 9's. I agree with what b737lvr is saying, but whether or not older Smiths are tight and require cleaning stoppages, I don't find that with mine. My 1947 K-22 Target can run dirtier than my 617 can, with the same ammo.
It's in one of my owner's manuals as well.
While the dash models are rated for +P, apparently some owners were just shooting them to death & sending them in for warranty repair. That was non-sustainable for Smith.
No clue about the semi models.
No, it doesn't. It specifically says the J-frames have a one year warranty.
There have been older threads from owners whom were denied warranty work after that one year period.
If your owner's manual states that, it is an older manual that is no longer accurate.
Tinkertech
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Ruger has the best warranty I have seen.
I inherited a Ruger Mk1 .22 from my father in 1985, pistol was manufactured in 1964 according to Ruger. This pistol was purchased a few years before my father passed and was in HORRIBLE condition. Pitts, rust you name it.
It was so bad I didn't even consider putting it in my safe but only to end up as a wall hanger. I could not stop the ugly rusting so I sent it in to Ruger for a 'cheap as possible' rebluing with a letter explaining that this was my fathers favorite gun because it reminded him of the Lugers he carried durning the war, they were easily found everywhere laying on the ground.
When I received the pistol back I was sure they made a mistake and sent me some ones else gun but upon inspection the S/N matched.
Ruger has replaced EVERY part in this pistol with new parts, except the S/N'd frame, grips and magazine due to it being a Mk1 and they no longer carried these parts. They had polished all the parts in the pistol to such a degree it looked way better than a new one. All the lines and engraving was still retained.
EVERY PART WAS REPLACED WITH NEW PARTS.
You should see the work order sheet, every box was checked for a new part or re-polish and bluing.
This pistol now resides in my gun safe never to be fired.
Oh, did I mention the cost for all this work?
$0.00, Nada, they even paid for return shipping. And they did all this work in just a couple of weeks. This was on a over 20 year old pistol.
In your face, all you other gun manufactures!
I inherited a Ruger Mk1 .22 from my father in 1985, pistol was manufactured in 1964 according to Ruger. This pistol was purchased a few years before my father passed and was in HORRIBLE condition. Pitts, rust you name it.
It was so bad I didn't even consider putting it in my safe but only to end up as a wall hanger. I could not stop the ugly rusting so I sent it in to Ruger for a 'cheap as possible' rebluing with a letter explaining that this was my fathers favorite gun because it reminded him of the Lugers he carried durning the war, they were easily found everywhere laying on the ground.
When I received the pistol back I was sure they made a mistake and sent me some ones else gun but upon inspection the S/N matched.
Ruger has replaced EVERY part in this pistol with new parts, except the S/N'd frame, grips and magazine due to it being a Mk1 and they no longer carried these parts. They had polished all the parts in the pistol to such a degree it looked way better than a new one. All the lines and engraving was still retained.
EVERY PART WAS REPLACED WITH NEW PARTS.
You should see the work order sheet, every box was checked for a new part or re-polish and bluing.
This pistol now resides in my gun safe never to be fired.
Oh, did I mention the cost for all this work?
$0.00, Nada, they even paid for return shipping. And they did all this work in just a couple of weeks. This was on a over 20 year old pistol.
In your face, all you other gun manufactures!
oink
Member
When I called Ruger several years ago on my Mini-14 I was told they would no longer service it as it was an obsolete model.
While my exposure to Ruger is related to a 10/22 I have seen others have excellent service from them. many years ago, a buddy bought a Single action Ruger in 41 magnum. I was shooting it and after then 3rd shot, the revolver dropped out of my hand. I looked and I still had the pistol grip and that portion of the frame.
The rest of the gun snapped off and hit the decl. We were shocked. turns out the guy he bought it from was bragging on all the "Hot reloads" he had shot thru the gun. I told him to call Ruger and sure enough, they took back a gun from someone not the original owner and replaced the frame and sent him back a like new Pistols.
Thats the kind of customer service you want, 25 years later and I still remember Ruger for that. You cannot put a price tag on that kind of a reputation.
The rest of the gun snapped off and hit the decl. We were shocked. turns out the guy he bought it from was bragging on all the "Hot reloads" he had shot thru the gun. I told him to call Ruger and sure enough, they took back a gun from someone not the original owner and replaced the frame and sent him back a like new Pistols.
Thats the kind of customer service you want, 25 years later and I still remember Ruger for that. You cannot put a price tag on that kind of a reputation.
raygixxer89
Member
I will NEVER owned a newer S&W revolver.
Well, Tom will probably be talking to me about this post, but..... I will never buy a new S&W...........the quality, and craftsmanship is no longer there.........poor fitment, poor machining, poor finishes...........it isn't about making a quality product any more..........it's all about how many you can put out the door.
You need to read the entire piece of paper. All S&W products state they have a one year warranty. >>BUT<< if you keep on reading, you will find it also says they will fix or replace any defective part for the lifetime of the firearm:
Note, it is NOT a Lifetime Warranty, it is a Lifetime Service Contract and is good only for the original purchaser, though there have been cases where S&W has covered 2nd/3rd owners.
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For what it's worth, I found a nice pre-owned Ladysmith .38 at Bass Pro, good blueing, and as nice a set of grips that I've seen in a while. The price was sure tempting! Unfortunately, it had that blankety-blank hole in the frame and I passed it by. I'll stay with my elderly Model 37 as a pocket gun (loaded with target wadcutters) till it either falls apart or I do. Personally, I bet on the revolver lasting longer than me.
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