I'm sorry for your troubles and completely sympathize with you plight. I just can't understand the lack of pride in their work.
Maybe someone else here can account for it.
Maybe someone else here can account for it.
Unbelievable quality control fail - 3 for 3
- Thread starter Muffin Man
- Start date
Yes, I would really appreciate reading about his experience and impressions. Please consider sharing his thoughts.
Smith & Wesson has been manufacturing firearms since 1852, making it one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in the United States.
It is really difficult to understand why they have fallen so down on their products and past historical legendary reputation??
The newest S&W I own is a 638-3 .38 Airweight from 2014. It's a quality made revolver, even with the internal lock. The rest of my small collection is 1962-1983 manufacture which includes a 28-2, 10-5, 15-4, 31-1 and a 24-3. They are all excellent revolvers in great condition. Don't think I am in the market for a new S&W of any type. I keep reading about bad experiences with them and the company on this forum.
It sounds like Taurus has had a good improvement in service and quality control. It also sounds like Smith & Wesson has gone down hill. I definitely am not buying anything new from them. They my stand behind their product but I don’t want that hassle.
I've only bought one new Smith in the last several years and it's been fine. Most of my purchases have been 40 years or more old.
Yendor357
Member
Your wife is correct.
There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule. I can’t understand buying the first one. It’s mind boggling why you bought 2 more.
The new Colts compared to the new Smiths, the Colts work. They’re prettier. Across the board on average, the Colt will be more accurate. Since the redesign, the lock work of the new Colts are no more complex than a Smith.
I still love the old Smiths. The 27 is still fairly new to me. I got it from Gunbroker 3 months ago. Beautiful, perfect. Probably30 years old, or more.
For a little more money than you spent, you could have had these 3 equivalent revolvers, and been delighted with each.
There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule. I can’t understand buying the first one. It’s mind boggling why you bought 2 more.
The new Colts compared to the new Smiths, the Colts work. They’re prettier. Across the board on average, the Colt will be more accurate. Since the redesign, the lock work of the new Colts are no more complex than a Smith.
I still love the old Smiths. The 27 is still fairly new to me. I got it from Gunbroker 3 months ago. Beautiful, perfect. Probably30 years old, or more.
For a little more money than you spent, you could have had these 3 equivalent revolvers, and been delighted with each.
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Joefan1968
Member
The 629 Competitor is a nice looking gun, sorry you're having issues with it...I bought a 686 Performance Center about a year or so ago...Haven't shot it much yet, so hopefully there are no issues
There seems to be a lot of hen-pecked husbands on the forum these days.
swagmeister
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Seems to be a pattern of a lack of quality control and pride of workmanship concerning a lot of new S&W revolvers. Have never owned a new Smith revolver with MIM parts and the lock and I don't plan to.
To spend several hundred hard earned dollars and have results as the OP described, is too much of a gamble for me. To those who have one and have had no problems, I'm sure there are good ones out there. But, I'll stick with the vintage ones. Just my opinion which might be worth 2 or 3 cents on a good day! Good luck.
To spend several hundred hard earned dollars and have results as the OP described, is too much of a gamble for me. To those who have one and have had no problems, I'm sure there are good ones out there. But, I'll stick with the vintage ones. Just my opinion which might be worth 2 or 3 cents on a good day! Good luck.
357 shooter
Member
Its when they stop standing behind their product when they lost me as a buyer for good. I definitely will NOT be buying anything new from Smith & Wesson as well.
While the collection is full of vintage iron presently, I have owned at least a dozen new Smiths in the last ten years.
Every one of them shot and functioned perfectly.
I am in no way discounting the experience of Muffin Man and his issues, they exist and are unfortunate.
I will be purchasing one of the new no-lock guns, and I expect S&W to stand behind those as they have stood behind all the rest of the guns with their name on them.
This past fall I purchased a 627 from the performance center and it has been flawless. The last new Ruger I bought was so bad that, after I sent it in, the manager of the service department called to ask where I got it from He said that revolver never should have left the plant.
I am not trying to say you are wrong or discredit your issues, only to tell you that there are good guns out there so the only think I can figure out is that Smith & Wesson just doesn’t like you
(kidding)
Give them a chance to make it right, they recently moved production to TN and I’m sure they are going through some issues getting the factory back to up speed.
That said, they need to be ware of issues that need to resolved, keep the pressure on them and keep the emails flowing.
I am not trying to say you are wrong or discredit your issues, only to tell you that there are good guns out there so the only think I can figure out is that Smith & Wesson just doesn’t like you
(kidding)Give them a chance to make it right, they recently moved production to TN and I’m sure they are going through some issues getting the factory back to up speed.
That said, they need to be ware of issues that need to resolved, keep the pressure on them and keep the emails flowing.
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luvsmiths
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SGT ROCK 11B
Member
The bottom-line in the Corporate World is making quotas, maintaining Stock value and those bonuses. CEOs is totally different from their predecessors. At S&W I doubt the CEO is a shooter. Actually you likely will have to go thru several layers of Directors and Managers before you find a gun guy/gal.
smoothshooter
Member
I suspect that part of the quality control issue at S&W may not be a lack of skill as much as a lack of time available to assemble a revolver. Supervisors tend to keep goosing up production rates to save money short term. Warranty money comes out of a different “bucket” as they say.
Wow, D.B. Wesson is turning over in his grave!
Larry
Larry
Doriangray6
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I bought a NIB model 586-8 from a guy in Laramie and was experiencing light primer strikes.
Thought I might have gotten one with a too short firing pin but couldn't find a spec for the firing pin length so bought and installed a longer pin from TK Customs.
The frequency of light strikes lessened but it was still happening. But when I took the TK pin out to inspect it I saw where the top of the tip of the pin had rubbed against the small hole in the firing pin bushing which told me it was out of alignment.
Rather than send it back to S&W and wait a couple months I took a stainless steel drill bit that was .010" larger than the firing pin tip and with a tap holder instead of a drill gently ran it through and enlarged the small hole in the bushing and afterward had no more light strike problems.
Thought I might have gotten one with a too short firing pin but couldn't find a spec for the firing pin length so bought and installed a longer pin from TK Customs.
The frequency of light strikes lessened but it was still happening. But when I took the TK pin out to inspect it I saw where the top of the tip of the pin had rubbed against the small hole in the firing pin bushing which told me it was out of alignment.
Rather than send it back to S&W and wait a couple months I took a stainless steel drill bit that was .010" larger than the firing pin tip and with a tap holder instead of a drill gently ran it through and enlarged the small hole in the bushing and afterward had no more light strike problems.
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UncleEd
Member
It's not a matter of the number of parts, it's that the revolver requires more precision fitting. Just the cylinder alone, getting it fitted to align with the barrel is a miracle of design. And the chambers all need precision drilling. Next the engagement of parts to get those chambers into place. Fitting a barrel can also be a challenge. And the crane/yoke fitting, again no small task.
I think of all the articles that have been devoted to just keeping a revolver in time even when properly fitted at the factory. Autos simply stand up to more stress and abuse when properly fitted.
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