S&W sent a new replacement for my 686+ 3"

[*chris*]

Dear J-Joe:


You are buying a precision product, an expensive one, and the expectation it will be perfect is reasonable. I'd say being able to see the defect with normal vision is unreasonable as a QA standard for precision machined pieces of steel and assembled in today's modern mfg. world - heck for the last 60-70 years.

R

Revolvers really aren't precision products, the tolerances are pretty wide as far as I am concerned. What this series of videos, they basically install barrels with a monkey wrench, I am frankly surprised they are as well aligned as they are! In the performance center, they are chamfering cylinder holes freehand! Precision? Not hardly!

Naturally the lock works and cylinder gap are hand fitted and really precise where it matters, the rest of the gun is basically finished with an angle grinder and a flap disc

Note my post is a bit tongue in cheek!

Smith & Wesson Performance Center Part 1 - YouTube

Chris

 

[Badquaker]

I love the guys demanding "perfection" from production guns when custom builders taking 20 times longer and 5 times the cost can't do it. There are allowed tolerances for a reason.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

OMG!!

BLUEDOT37,
Thanks for your reply! My 686+ barrel is probably only off by
.015" but it still bugs me. People say it's just cosmetic but
isn't that part of the reason you buy S&W is perfection?
If I don't expect perfection I could have saved a bunch of money and bought a Taurus.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I am afraid if I send it back for repair it will come back worse!
Joe

I know what you mean, & now I've got that feeling too after taking my new 657-5 to the range, finally, today to shoot it for the first time. No matter what load I shot, light/moderate/full, the cases (from all chambers) bulged visibly! Guess it'll be going back to S&W for repair.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...-657-5-needs-warranty-work.html#post137371506

Sorry, not trying to hijack your thread.

 

[duppie]

I've been reading about these canted barrels for years now and find it amusing how charitable some S&W fans are when it comes to their favorite brand.Many...."Oh well, it's a Smith so get over it and just shoot","I'll take a crooked Smith over a straight Taurus any day", "Hey,they tried their best,and it only affects less that 2% of their output so it's not that bad".
But god forbid someone gets a Beretta with a scratched frame or had to send back a Glock with a faulty release....it's like the world ended.

 

[Jalopiejoe]

Update on "canted" 686 repair.

I sent my 3" 686 back to Smith & Wesson for repair.
They repaired a place on the frame and they aligned
the barrel to the frame using a crush ring.
They did a nice job!
I shipped the gun on August 24th and had it back by
September 4th!!!!!!!
Let's give a hand to Smith & Wesson!

 

[rwsmith]

I wonder......

If they have such a problem getting barrels on straight, I wonder why S&W doesn't scribe a teeny index mark under the barrel and on the frame under the barrel. I wonder if they could get those on straight?