Update: Smith and Wesson Customer Service and Quality Control (Extremely Negative)

[Rodfac]

I sent a M-63 back for a forcing cone/cylinder gap problem (0.010" on the left side & 0.004" on the right) resulting in a lot of lead spitting back in my face. Smith fixed all that with a new bbl., cylinder, & hand....and did a trigger job on the gun as well....all on their dime...in ~6 weeks. Granted, it shouldn't have left the factory like that...but they fixed it in good time, considering the Covid/supply chain problems last year.

Personally, in 51 years of owning and shooting S&W revolvers, I've had to send 2 guns back for work...(one was 22 years old at the time) and they fixed them, free, both of them. I've got no gripes with their customer service dept... but do think that their final revolver quality control checks have deteriorated over the years.

As to numbers: I have bought a two M-69's, a M-60, a M-629, a M-637, a M-63, plus a Bodyguard 380 & a Shield in the last 5-6 years....all but the M-63 were good to go for reliability, accuracy, fit and finish; right out of the box. Currently there are 18 Smith's in my safe, and I've given another 4 away to friends and family in the last decade...none had any problems aside from the two mentioned above...a sterling record I'd submit.

Currently, I think S&W is innovative in a competitive industry that's constantly under attack by tort lawyers and misguided governmental bureaucrats with a ban-all-guns agenda. And while I dislike the internal lock fiasco, and bemoan its continuous use, and also question the necessity for two piece barrels, I can't say that the first has tied up the gun, and I suspect the 2nd results in better accuracy and a stouter revolver.

I agree that their are some problems as delineated above with S&W's business plan, but damning the entire company for a QC problem with a single product is over the top IMHO. YMMv Rod

 

[OKCWildcat800]

Well, it's back. They didn't do anything that I can see. The thumb safety still engages about 1mm of the trigger bar. Any pressure on the trigger or thumb safety allows the gun to be fired with the safety in the full on position.

The safety doesn’t work by engaging the trigger bar at all. The thumb safety lever in the up position holds the safety in place on the side of the sear housing block opposite the trigger bar. The safety prevents the movement of the sear.

 

[LVSteve]

Now there's a twist I didn't see coming. I wonder if the OP has always owned guns where engaging the safety locked the trigger. Not all guns with safeties operate that way. I've not done a search, but I don't recall reading that the OP heard the striker go with the safety on.

 

[BC38]

Sent my 9mm EZEE back, shoots way low. Nothing they can do. I'll have to file down the front sight. Wouldn't be so bad if it didn't have the infernal white dot. Gonna look like **** even when I paint it. Got a new 629 that the trigger hangs in the forward position, can't shoot it double action. Haven't sent it back. Don't know if they'd fix it or not.

Can't you replace the rear sight with a taller one? That sure seems like a better way to deal with it.

 

[Rev 19:11]

Well, it's back. They didn't do anything that I can see. The thumb safety still engages about 1mm of the trigger bar. Any pressure on the trigger or thumb safety allows the gun to be fired with the safety in the full on position.

Take a video and post it to their Fakebook page. Their current CS reports are something you would expect from Taurus. As commented above probably pissed off mAzzholes not happy about the move.

 

[stansdds]

Take a video and post it to their Fakebook page. Their current CS reports are something you would expect from Taurus. As commented above probably pissed off mAzzholes not happy about the move.

Actually, I've heard that Taurus now has really good customer service.

 

[oldiegoldie]

my one experience with S&W customer service was good. when they changed from Insight lasers to Crimson Trace i asked them if they would send me the new Crimson Trace. i had to send the Insight to them and they sent the CT. no questions asked. so my one experience was good.

to me Ruger is the gold standard in customer service. and my one experience with Taurus CS was very good.

 

[GaCop]

Actually, I've heard that Taurus now has really good customer service.

Don't bet on it. I bought a G2C 3-3-22 and the rear sight went belly up after 70 rounds. I've been waiting for a replacement from them. It's now the 25th and still no sight. Got an e-mail yesterday that said "got your sight shipped, will take 7 to 10 day to leave our facility". Bainbridge Ga is just 159 miles down the road from me but it's gonna take them 7 to 10 days to put a sight in a little envelope and drop it in the mail.

 

[jake1945]

My S&W M&P 45acp has the manual safety but there is no positive retention holding it in 'safe' or 'fire' position.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

S&W Customer Service took care of me very well recently. I bought a Shield Plus and wanted new sights on it. I took it to the gunsmith with my new sights for install. When the gunsmith removed the rear sight, he noticed the spring for the safety plunger was bent, and the plastic cap on the end of it was broken in half. I called S&W and told them what my gunsmith observed when he removed the factory rear sight. The CS rep put me on hold for 2 minutes then asked for my address and sent me the parts I needed for free.

 

[Babysitr]

I've used c/s twice and both times with good results..they sent me a shorter front sight for my shield 1.0..(I installed) and sent pics of my 637 forcing cone, they had me send it back for a new barrel, done correctly! both just before Covid.....go figure? what's up?

 

[rosewood]

Took off the factory grip on my 4013TSW to clean it, and the grip broke, so I installed a Hogue I had. Finally got around to reaching out to S&W last week. I sent a picture of the broken grip and the model/serial number of the gun. Got email saying they had me one in the mail. Will see how long it takes to get here.

Rosewood

 

[kbm6893]

It's gone. Replaced by a Glock. They had more than enough opportunity to make it right.

I carried a Gen 2 Glock 19 as a duty gun and I bought another recently from nostalgia. Anybody who I have let handle both my M&P and the Glock chose the M&P every time. For such an easy fix as getting rid of the safety, that must not be that important since it was replaced by a Glock with no safety, I would have removed the safety and kept the M&P.

 

[rosewood]

Don't bet on it. I bought a G2C 3-3-22 and the rear sight went belly up after 70 rounds. I've been waiting for a replacement from them. It's now the 25th and still no sight. Got an e-mail yesterday that said "got your sight shipped, will take 7 to 10 day to leave our facility". Bainbridge Ga is just 159 miles down the road from me but it's gonna take them 7 to 10 days to put a sight in a little envelope and drop it in the mail.

Probably the same problem everyone is having these days, can't get no help. No one wants to work. When a business has more work than people that are willing to work, you get delays. It may be they are too cheap to hire, but until the workforce gets back to normal, I am hesitant to make that judgment.

Sure dropping in the mail is simple, but if there are 500 other orders in front of yours, many times they go in order. Just speculating here.

Rosewood

 

[Carl Bill]

I've had good and bad deals with their CS department. My SD40VE had feeding issues and was fixed and back inside 1 month. My M&P AR 15/22 spent 6 of the first 9 months in the repair shop for the same problem. I would send it in for a failure to lock open on the last round and they would look at everything but that problem. After a very loud chat with the supervisor of the repair department they finally replaced it with a new one. Thankfully my M&P2.0 9mm with the 5" barrel runs like a champ. 3 years and 5,000+ rounds later zero problems.

 

[pistolpete10]

Ruger has outstanding customer service. They fix any problems quickly and don't give you any ****. I tell everyone about their great customer service. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Smith. What reason did you give for sending in your Glock and Ruger.

My experience with Ruger's customer service is about like S&W, CRAPPY.

 

[song dog]

I've owned M & P 1.0 Shield, M&P 4 1/4 and M&P Pro all 9's, shot well with the 1.0 triggers. I sold them and replaced them with 2.0 Shield and 2.0 M&P 4 1/4 both 9's, all of them were find no issues to return them for warranty repair. I consider my self lucky if I had issues would have sought a return label and if not repaired to my satisfaction then down the road it goes. Some of my fellow shooters love SIG's but their customer service as bad as S&W and their handguns over rated anyway.

The M & P line has been popular with the new gun buyer since COVID as you read on this forum the last 2 years. I hope the President does read this forum time to time as the customer service and warranty sub bar in reality. Like others I'm so done with Smith & Wesson won't invest a dime in their line if they can't back up what they sell. I'll stick with my Dan Wesson 1911's.