I, entirely through my own fault and carelessness, damaged my older 586. It was ratty enough, having been an Elgin, IL Police Department gun that had been retired, probably as an act of mercy.
Still, I messed it up with an overcharge that I had made one morning right after a surgery. Apparently totals last longer than I realized.
So the large dealer we instruct at kindly sent it to Smith as a professional courtesy.
3 3/4 months later, they acknowledged receiving it.
At 4 1/2 months they came back with an estimate, for a new cylinder and turning the barrel back and some other items, for $330. Bad, but I deserved it.
Now it's easing towards six months. Nothing doing.
Sending a gun back? Patience is a virtue.
But that's nothing compared to the Federal bureaucracy: 18 months ago my '51 .38 Commander was stolen out of my van at another range while we were inside instructing. It was a remarkable gem of a well-made gun, accurate and perfectly reliable- it never ever stopped running, no matter what kind of junk I put in it. Even lead-bullet 9x19 ran fine.
The three thieves were caught fairly quickly due to excellent work by the suburban police department but the Commander's serial was scratched off.
Even while the gun was being used in the trials, I began trying to get an ATF reserial memo. Now, a year and a half later, all of the court cases are done. Most of the sentences have been served out. My other recovered items, including my little Agent, have long been returned.
The case is now in the hands of the sixth ATF Special Agent.
If I reprinted the e-mails the local PD has received from the SA, you all would injure yourselves laughing.
The Special Agent In Charge is "on special assignment for four months, and when he gets back , he'll start working on this."
Colt's in-house general counsel tried getting involved and apologized to me that he'd been blown off so hard he gave up.
One other Special Agent told the local PD's Chief to simply give me the gun to take to a manufacturer FFL for reserialing.
The Chief very loudly asserted his Department would do no such thing, send a civilian down the road with an unserialed gun.
A year and a half- the property manager at the PD and I are getting to be friends on a first-name basis as they try to give me my gun back.
I guess seven or eight months for a new cylinder isn't so bad.
If it comes back by then.
Still, I messed it up with an overcharge that I had made one morning right after a surgery. Apparently totals last longer than I realized.
So the large dealer we instruct at kindly sent it to Smith as a professional courtesy.
3 3/4 months later, they acknowledged receiving it.
At 4 1/2 months they came back with an estimate, for a new cylinder and turning the barrel back and some other items, for $330. Bad, but I deserved it.
Now it's easing towards six months. Nothing doing.
Sending a gun back? Patience is a virtue.
But that's nothing compared to the Federal bureaucracy: 18 months ago my '51 .38 Commander was stolen out of my van at another range while we were inside instructing. It was a remarkable gem of a well-made gun, accurate and perfectly reliable- it never ever stopped running, no matter what kind of junk I put in it. Even lead-bullet 9x19 ran fine.
The three thieves were caught fairly quickly due to excellent work by the suburban police department but the Commander's serial was scratched off.
Even while the gun was being used in the trials, I began trying to get an ATF reserial memo. Now, a year and a half later, all of the court cases are done. Most of the sentences have been served out. My other recovered items, including my little Agent, have long been returned.
The case is now in the hands of the sixth ATF Special Agent.
If I reprinted the e-mails the local PD has received from the SA, you all would injure yourselves laughing.
The Special Agent In Charge is "on special assignment for four months, and when he gets back , he'll start working on this."
Colt's in-house general counsel tried getting involved and apologized to me that he'd been blown off so hard he gave up.
One other Special Agent told the local PD's Chief to simply give me the gun to take to a manufacturer FFL for reserialing.
The Chief very loudly asserted his Department would do no such thing, send a civilian down the road with an unserialed gun.
A year and a half- the property manager at the PD and I are getting to be friends on a first-name basis as they try to give me my gun back.
I guess seven or eight months for a new cylinder isn't so bad.
If it comes back by then.
