What has happened to QC at Smith and Wesson?

[dben002]

Understood ! 12/24 I bought a 460 S&W mag revolver 8 3/8 bbl… the rear sight didn’t work at all… they sent a replacement… I still haven’t shot it but use those snap caps to absorb the hammer strikes… on double action after 4-5 pulls it LOCKED UP, sometimes the hammer would not move… about 3 weeks ago I call S&W customer service and get some gal that told me just to go shoot it and see if that works ! WTF are you kidding me ! If for some reason the timing is slightly off my fingers are eating lead ! I just hung up on her… about 15 minutes later I call back and get some guy who knows his stuff and I told him what happened with the gal… he said it needs to get back to us for service, I is possibly dangerous to shoot and he was glad I did not shoot it… sent me a 2 day FedX label and sent it on, and in two days S&W advised me they have it… haven’t heard a thing since. So this spring I get a 8 shot 627 from the performance center, open the case at the gun shop, and the front site is dislodged from the firearm… again, WTF, these were very expensive revolvers and I’ve never had an issue with any cult or Smith & Wesson revolver like this in my life I’m 71 and I’ve had gun since I’ve been 16. The site was an easy tap and fit back in and it seems secure. If not, I’ll loctite it in at another time. Makes me wonder about quality control.

Any simblance of QC at S&W in and of itself would truly be a WONDER

 

[Tabby Lynn]

Unfortunately, employees see making guns a job. Very few of them have the pride that used to come with it.

Unfortunately, as the workforce gets older, the true craftspeople are retiring and being replaced by the newer get kids that have absolutely no pride in anything, are lazy as all get out and couldn't care less that the quality of the product they are producing is crap. After all, turning that screw another 1/8 turn to secure it properly is too much work. Used to be that Friday afternoon and Monday morning products sometimes had issues, now it's a daily occurrence. I am pressing 80, still work part time to fund my shooting hobby and see this every day at work. Put in my time, do as little as possible, collect the paycheck and get out the door before anybody can ask me to do something more. Don't overlook the fact that there is more than a good chance that some of these employees are anti gun.

 

[Petrov]

Unfortunately, as the workforce gets older, the true craftspeople are retiring and being replaced by the newer get kids that have absolutely no pride in anything, are lazy as all get out and couldn't care less that the quality of the product they are producing is crap. After all, turning that screw another 1/8 turn to secure it properly is too much work. Used to be that Friday afternoon and Monday morning products sometimes had issues, now it's a daily occurrence. I am pressing 80, still work part time to fund my shooting hobby and see this every day at work. Put in my time, do as little as possible, collect the paycheck and get out the door before anybody can ask me to do something more. Don't overlook the fact that there is more than a good chance that some of these employees are anti gun.

I would not blame the younger generation. I know plenty of 20 something year olds who take pride in their work and they get paid well.
Old school guys? They had a house kids and a CAREER.
Today? There is some kids who according to glass door and indeed make 17-19 bucks to put together guns. 19 bucks in 2025? That gets you maybe 2 roommates and if you are lucky a used car with a lengthy loan. It is not a job or a career for them, it is a gig. If they don't like it they can go drive for uber, work at a parts counter, and a bunch of other things.

I feel like there is a massive disconnect in PERCEPTION of economic reality today for young adults.
But I can guarantee you that if we got an accountant and an MBA out here they would break it down for us mathematically why it has to be this way and they will be right whether we like it or not.

 

[65-2x2]

I only have one S&W, a revolver, made since the 1990s, I have at least a dozen earlier pieces and have not had a moment's problem with any of them. The gun business, like any other business has a single goal. The goal is not to make the best possible handgun for the money, it is to make the most money possible, for the investors, from the handgun. Customer service does not make money, it cost money. Silly little stuff like unhappy customers does not impress them until sales fall off. That is business.

 

[Petrov]

Correct, they file a 10-K they are publicly traded and have a duty to stock owners to make money. Some people still have a hard time with that. You want a true gun company who cares about their product? No, no you dont. We all say that but we dont want our our wallets to write the checks our mouths wrote.
That means paying 4-5 thousand dollars to custom 1911 smith, that means dropping a grand or two on a custom rimfire.

 

[Claims Rep.]

That's why I buy OLDER S&Ws, preferably late 90s at the newest.

EXACTLY!!! I’ve had a lot of success with -3 and -4 686’s and 629’s. I won’t own one with an internal lock (my choice…. S&W caved to the Clinton’s, and I won’t support that choice). It’s taken a lot of patience on my part, but I’ve managed to acquire several -3 and -4 variants that are as good as anything S&W ever produced. And as someone else said earlier in this thread, once you get your hands on one of the quality, older S&W revolvers you hold on to them and never sell them.