s&w warranty isn't bullet proof

[M29since14]

That's quite a tale. Like most incidents such as this one, it is going to be hard to pin down the ammunition maker if they want to be belligerent and doubt your details of the story.

I can't say I blame S&W for not taking up your case with Federal. If they have satisfied themselves that their product did not cause the mishap, in their mind they have no standing in the matter. It's up to you to make your appeal to Federal and hope they agree with S&W's findings.

As to whether S&W's offer was "sufficiently generous," given what happened to you, that is a tough one. It would be nice if they had been more generous, but one never knows how that act of generosity might come back to haunt them ("No good deed ever goes unpunished," and all that) - and how often they have to deal with this sort of incident, among a dozen other things that may influence their decision.

In any case, I'm interested to know how this works out so I hope you share that with us. Seeing the photo of the cracked frame, I am certainly glad you weren't injured. A man's hand is a pretty precious thing. Good luck.

 

[beachin99]

I find it rather interesting the number of people quick to back S&W and assume they are correct in their analysis of failure. While I am not saying they are right or wrong I suggest the OP do what Steamloco76 suggested and get the gun with all supporting material from S&W. It's got to be frustrating to own a new product and be told you have to coordinate repairs.

As an aside, I do not have the undying faith many of you have for S&W products. My Shield 40 is my first experience with a S&W product. It's back at S&W for a 2nd repair (same failure) and has now been there since 2/6 with no updates, no communication, and no gun. This is probably the last S&W I'll buy since I have no faith in their build quality, much less their repair process !

I'm sure I will get ton's of negative comments for bashing S&W. It's ok, this is America and we don't have to agree.

All manufacturers have issues, but it's how they handle the issue that shows their worth. Given the $ all of them are making right now with the high demand for guns I suspect they really don't give a darn about anyone but the press, their executives, and the shareholders.

 

[Rastoff]

I find it rather interesting the number of people quick to back S&W...

My Shield 40 is my first experience with a S&W product. ... This is probably the last S&W I'll buy since I have no faith in their build quality, much less their repair process !...

I find it interesting that after only one experience you're stating that their products are junk and you'll never buy another.

I'm sorry for your experience. I'm sure the recent climate has something to do with it. However, your statement makes no sense. S&W has been in continuous business since 1852. That's 161 years. They must be doing something right and must be building products that work. It stands to reason that your experience is the anomaly rather than the norm.

Besides, you haven't stated what your problem is. There are hundreds of reasons for guns to fail. It may take a couple tries to get it right. Further, your gun has only been at S&W for a week or so, don't forget shipping time. Have you called?

I'm not "bashing" you. I just don't want to see anyone give up so quickly.

 

[rsrocket1]

beachin99,
When you get your Shield back, you ought to sell it. I'll bet you could get more than what you paid for it and get something else. Quite honestly, if I had 2 consecutive problems where I knew it was the mfr's fault in the current market, I would cut my losses immediately and in your case it might end up in a profit.

I have no horse in this race and have no loyalty to any brand so long as it delivers what I feel is a reasonable job for what I paid.

Unfortunately for the OP, I think you could eventually get to the bottom of this with a replacement gun, but with FFL costs, you might end up paying more than what a new "at cost" Shield would cost you. I feel sorry for you.

 

[Jyezahn]

I find it rather interesting the number of people quick to back S&W and assume they are correct in their analysis of failure. While I am not saying they are right or wrong I suggest the OP do what Steamloco76 suggested and get the gun with all supporting material from S&W. It's got to be frustrating to own a new product and be told you have to coordinate repairs.

As an aside, I do not have the undying faith many of you have for S&W products. My Shield 40 is my first experience with a S&W product. It's back at S&W for a 2nd repair (same failure) and has now been there since 2/6 with no updates, no communication, and no gun. This is probably the last S&W I'll buy since I have no faith in their build quality, much less their repair process !

I'm sure I will get ton's of negative comments for bashing S&W. It's ok, this is America and we don't have to agree.

All manufacturers have issues, but it's how they handle the issue that shows their worth. Given the $ all of them are making right now with the high demand for guns I suspect they really don't give a darn about anyone but the press, their executives, and the shareholders.

I don't see anybody here with "undying faith" toward S&W. We're not a bunch of fanboys. Just as you've expressed as a brand new S&W pistol owner, your displeasure with your first and only experience with their products, we are voicing our opinions based upon our own experiences. (A lot of which have had more than one experience with them.) Don't be so quick to blame and demand immediate satisfaction for something that happened due to what amounts to a controlled explosion in your hand. There're bound to be some that fail. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed to work perfectly all the time.

 

[bearfoot]

glad you did not get injured!! i'm sure there are many persons have used the hydra shok's. i for one. now time to do research ammo recalls.

 

[Bugs Bunny]

over the years while slow I rate S&W as A+ along with Colt in customer service.

I think you had best pay the replacement cost & be done, it will cost you more having a lawyer send letters back & forth on your behalf.

Springfield Armory & Kimber are the ones that dodges warranty with games - I bad mouth them every chance I get - Big Ditto for crummy Kimber products, they sell imo junk and later expect the consumer to pick up the tab. Big -1 for both

Good Luck with the situation

 

[Maddmax]

People go on and on about how great S&W's lifetime warranty is.

All it takes is selling the company again to turn that into a non-lifetime thing, or a "you need the receipt" ala Kel-Tec thing.

That's why I have kept ALL my records on ALL my weapons over the many many many years.

And I don't think S&W is going to sell out any time soon.I've always had great service with anything needed from them.

 

[JNewell]

The reason that most people are guessing S&W is correct is that kBs are very rarely caused by a gun defect. They are almost always the result of either defective ammo and/or operator error.

I find it rather interesting the number of people quick to back S&W and assume they are correct in their analysis of failure. While I am not saying they are right or wrong I suggest the OP do what Steamloco76 suggested and get the gun with all supporting material from S&W. It's got to be frustrating to own a new product and be told you have to coordinate repairs.

As an aside, I do not have the undying faith many of you have for S&W products. My Shield 40 is my first experience with a S&W product. It's back at S&W for a 2nd repair (same failure) and has now been there since 2/6 with no updates, no communication, and no gun. This is probably the last S&W I'll buy since I have no faith in their build quality, much less their repair process !

I'm sure I will get ton's of negative comments for bashing S&W. It's ok, this is America and we don't have to agree.

All manufacturers have issues, but it's how they handle the issue that shows their worth. Given the $ all of them are making right now with the high demand for guns I suspect they really don't give a darn about anyone but the press, their executives, and the shareholders.

 

[HotRoderX]

The reason that most people are guessing S&W is correct is that kBs are very rarely caused by a gun defect. They are almost always the result of either defective ammo and/or operator error.

But most likely over 90% of kaboom type issue's happen using reloaded ammo. I would say maybe another 5-8% happen with re-manufactured ammo the other 5-2% happens with factory ammo.


Lets not forget about early Glock 40's the ones with unsupported chambers that kaboomed often. I said in another post I wonder if this is not a design flaw of some type. There is no such thing as a perfect company. All of them make a design mistake every now and then.

I am wondering if thats what where seeing now. A Special since 2 40 S&W Shields have gone Kaboom using factor ammo over the past 6 month's. The number's are just not there to support the ammo. I am not saying it ain't the ammo only that it looks highly unlikely with everything we know.

Also we have to take into consideration this is uncharted territory. As far as I know there has never been a gun the size of the shield in 40cal.

 

[remat457]

Also we have to take into consideration this is uncharted territory. As far as I know there has never been a gun the size of the shield in 40cal.

barrel = 3.1"
OAL = 6.1"
Height = 4.6"
Width = 0.95"

Just a few that come to mind...
Kahr PM40, Walther PPS, Taurus 740, Colt Defender (although no longer made in 40), Springfield EMP

Please don't sue me if they are not an exact match, I am too lazy to google the exact specs..

 

[Lost Lake]

But ... unless I return it to Smith, I cannot get another one from them at dealer cost. I agreed and gave them a cc #. She then told me that it might be a couple of weeks for a few months. She had no way to know and she could not just walk out there and get one off the line.

I don't know where you guys get the idea he's getting his gun back..... S&W isn't letting that one get away so fast.

He said he could only get a gun at reduced pricing if he gave up his exploded one.

I think S&W can easily tell if it's a gun problem, but I'm no gun expert. If the shell body is in the chamber and the bottom is blown away, what else could it be? They could check timing easily. They could check metal integrity.

Scary situation when multiple guns start showing up as KB'ed. All the same model and caliber.

 

[Jyezahn]

I don't know where you guys get the idea he's getting his gun back..... S&W isn't letting that one get away so fast.

He said he could only get a gun at reduced pricing if he gave up his exploded one.

Simple, if he didn't agree to take their offer of a replacement at reduced pricing, they'd have to return it to him, as it's his property (damaged or not). Then he'd be able to take it up with Federal if he chose. I don't see what's so hard to understand about that.

It's a moot point anyway since he's already agreed to purchase the replacement.

 

[JNewell]

But most likely over 90% of kaboom type issue's happen using reloaded ammo. I would say maybe another 5-8% happen with re-manufactured ammo the other 5-2% happens with factory ammo.


Lets not forget about early Glock 40's the ones with unsupported chambers that kaboomed often. I said in another post I wonder if this is not a design flaw of some type. There is no such thing as a perfect company. All of them make a design mistake every now and then.

I am wondering if thats what where seeing now. A Special since 2 40 S&W Shields have gone Kaboom using factor ammo over the past 6 month's. The number's are just not there to support the ammo. I am not saying it ain't the ammo only that it looks highly unlikely with everything we know.

Also we have to take into consideration this is uncharted territory. As far as I know there has never been a gun the size of the shield in 40cal.

The Glock 27 is in this category generally, though it's wider because of its double stack. I don't think anyone's ever done a statistical study (probably not reliably possible anyway), but my impression has been that the Glock .40 kBs are overwhelmingly the result of reloads, which is consistent with your point about ammo-related kBs being mostly reloads (which I agree with).

 

[Jaymo]

I just find it kind of funny. "We're not at fault, so we won't give you another, BUT we WILL be glad to SELL you another-at cost."
Not, funny-ha,ha. Funny, strange.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear Smith and Federal both pointing the finger at each other.
"Our gun's not ****, it's the ammo."
"Our ammo's not ****, it's the gun."

The only real way to know which party is at fault is to send the gun and ammo out for independent testing.

I don't trust anyone who wants to separate me from my money. Companies have shown, repeatedly that all they care about is the bottom line, and customer service is a pipe dream.

 

[HotRoderX]

The Glock 27 is in this category generally, though it's wider because of its double stack. I don't think anyone's ever done a statistical study (probably not reliably possible anyway), but my impression has been that the Glock .40 kBs are overwhelmingly the result of reloads, which is consistent with your point about ammo-related kBs being mostly reloads (which I agree with).

When I mentioned the Glock's I meant the early Glock 40's there first production guns. The chamber's where not fully supported and they found out fast that was not going to work.

 

[Lost Lake]

I just find it kind of funny. "We're not at fault, so we won't give you another, BUT we WILL be glad to SELL you another-at cost."
Not, funny-ha,ha. Funny, strange.

I don't trust anyone who wants to separate me from my money. Companies have shown, repeatedly that all they care about is the bottom line, and customer service is a pipe dream.

I see this much differently.

I see a company that paid for the return of the gun for review, found the gun is fine and has not charged for shipping and examination, and now is offering a new gun at a discount to help the customer out.

If your mechanic put Vodka in your engine instead of motor oil and your engine blew up, do you think Ford would offer you a new car at cost? Never.

I am impressed S&W offered a great deal for a new gun so the OP can go on with his world.

I bet if he didn't take the new gun at a discount, they would have shipped him the old one back on their dime.

I see the S&W warranty as one of the best in the world.

 

[grantem1]

think about it! What is S&W actually offering to do for him? there offering to sell him a gun at dealer cost (the same price gun dealers pay) not there cost! there making the same profit as they did on the gun that blew up! granted he is getting a discount over buying a new gun from a dealer so that is nice especially if the ammo was the problem.

 

[3hounds]

I have a similar issue. I purchased a set of 33" BJ-Badditch tires for my Ford Raptor and one of the darned things blew out on the highway causing my truck to roll over. Thankfully I was not hurt but my Ford was totaled. Do you think Ford owes me a new truck? NOT!

If S&W says that the gun was not at fault then it was the ammo by default. It's up to you to go after Federal not S&W. You can request the evidence back and a copy of any of their findings from S&W but don't expect S&W to fight your battle for you.

That's a stupid comparison.

3

 

[srgvaz]

This has been enlightening.

.

Live and learn, s*** happens, if you have to ask online you'll always get more bonehead responses than practical ones.

If more of these start doing what yours did. They would place a dash (-) after the model# or they would do a RECALL D).

I suppose nobody on this forum remembers how the S&W 15-22 started off?