I've been bitten by thew S&W revolver bug, and I'm close to buying something (either a 3" 686+, or the 586 L-Comp), but prices locally are about $150 more than I can find online, even after factoring in shipping and transfer fee. The more I read on this forum, the more I hear about problems with SW QA, and I'm worried that I'd get something that would have to be sent immediately back to the factory. So, would it be worth it to you to spend the extra money to buy locally and inspect the firearm first, or roll the dice and see what an online vendor sends you?
Would you buy a new-production S&W revolver online (sight unseen)?
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Would and have. Next question? 
3rdgeargrndrr
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The vast majority owners with perfectly good guns are out shooting them and enjoying their lives. Not sitting on a forum with cruddy luddites
1sailor
Member
I have purchased a few new pistols online. A reliable company will accept returns as long as you haven't legally taken possession. Inspect the pistol carefully before completing the transfer. Once the pistols been transferred it's technically "used" and can't be returned except to S&W for warranty repair.
Welcome to the Forum
Absolutely I would have a current firearm shipped in for me
Smith and Wesson manufactures about 1.5 million firearms each year, that is over 4,000 per work day.
I do not think that we hear stories about even 100 problem Smith and Wessons per year here on the Forums.
The odds of geting a good gun are WAY in your favor
You still have inspection privileges before you sign that 4473 and take it home.
And remember that those 100 or so problems were all covered by S&Ws lifetime warranty
Nobody comes on the Internet yelling to the world that they got a good gun, but folks that think they have been wronged by getting a problem gun want EVERYONE to know about it on every Forum they participate in
I have even seen one guy that pops into every thread about his model to talk about the bad firearm that he got 6-8 years ago
Absolutely I would have a current firearm shipped in for me
Smith and Wesson manufactures about 1.5 million firearms each year, that is over 4,000 per work day.
I do not think that we hear stories about even 100 problem Smith and Wessons per year here on the Forums.
The odds of geting a good gun are WAY in your favor
You still have inspection privileges before you sign that 4473 and take it home.
And remember that those 100 or so problems were all covered by S&Ws lifetime warranty
Nobody comes on the Internet yelling to the world that they got a good gun, but folks that think they have been wronged by getting a problem gun want EVERYONE to know about it on every Forum they participate in
I have even seen one guy that pops into every thread about his model to talk about the bad firearm that he got 6-8 years ago
I would. Fortunately, I think LGS prices around here are still competitive when adding in shipping, transfer, and hassle . . .
I have bought many new and used S&W revolvers online. I am talking probably 30 to 40 over the past several years. Only issue I have had was a 629 5" classic I bought from Buds that came with a timing issue. I sent it back prior to transfer and Buds replaced it in less than a week. Except for that, the rest have all come in perfect shape. No canted barrels or any of the other issues you read about on this forum. I think the vast majority of new S&W revolvers come without issues and I would not hesitate to buy online for a better price.
My most recent purchase was a NIB 19 classic that I bought from GB last month. It came in perfect shape with no issues at all.
Go for it!
My most recent purchase was a NIB 19 classic that I bought from GB last month. It came in perfect shape with no issues at all.
Go for it!
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Are you a perfectionist?
Yes -- buy it at LGS because you probably won't be satisfied and can easily say 'No' before you spend a dime.
No -- buy it off the internet if it is a better price, $$$ are king. If there is a problem use the S&W lifetime warranty to solve your problems.
There ain't no perfection, but there is lots of satisfaction -- 98 and counting!
Yes -- buy it at LGS because you probably won't be satisfied and can easily say 'No' before you spend a dime.
No -- buy it off the internet if it is a better price, $$$ are king. If there is a problem use the S&W lifetime warranty to solve your problems.
There ain't no perfection, but there is lots of satisfaction -- 98 and counting!
Agreed by the time you pay to have it shipped to your FFL for transfer you may have easily found it locally for the same money, for older out of production guns it's a different story.
Yes. Bought new revolver and happy with it
Collo Rosso
Member
Bought a new 627 pro and a 69 snub on line. The price shipped plus transfer was much lower than LGS.
Trooper224
Member
No.
To be fair, I rarely buy guns sight unseen anymore, from anyone. I've seen far too many defects across the industry to have blind faith in any company these days. Until recently, I ran a bullseye league and did so for a decade. In that time I saw new production S&W revolvers with defects so obvious that I'd expect to see them on a Taurus, not a S&W. I'm not talking about just a couple of guns either.
It's obvious no one at the factory gives any thought to QC anymore. It seems to be a matter of just put it together and don't worry about it. If there's an issue, the customer can send it back. There seems to be an overreliance on the precision of computers and a disregard for trained humans in the mix. Consequently, the humans are less trained than they used to be. Once again, that seems to be the attitude with modern manufacturing across the board, not just S&W.
I prefer to have the gun in-hand before I purchase it and am willing to pay a little more for the opportunity. I only order guns if there's no other choice.
gwpercle
Member
Buying a pig in a poke isn't wise.
When it comes to firearms it is best to eyeball and handle it prior to purchasing. Condition is paramount and the only way to really judge that is by hands on examination.
Gary
When it comes to firearms it is best to eyeball and handle it prior to purchasing. Condition is paramount and the only way to really judge that is by hands on examination.
Gary
1sailor
Member
Unfortunately LGS are not spread evenly across the country. If you live in an isolated rural community there can be an hours long drive to get to any gun shop. That doesn't necessarily mean that you will even find what you're looking for there. There are some advantages to living in a rural area but having an assortment of shops is not one of them. If I don't buy online I probably can't have it at all. Telling a rural resident he should only buy pistols that he can actually handle is like me telling a guy from NYC or Frisco that they should only buy their produce directly from the farmer. It's just not practical.
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Yup. Did it 3 times: 629-6, 351PD, 686+. Would do it again, too.
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nipperdog
Member
I've been Buying S&W Guns on Gunbroker for Years, and Never Got a Bad one. Sales tax alone on a $1000 Gun is $70 Here if bought over the Counter. I usually look for a New Gun with a Good Price and Free Shipping. (They are out there). I won't buy a Used in Production Gun Online as there may be a Reason that it is being Sold.
As long as you purchase from a reputable online retailer, and there are several, you can still inspect and return before you sign the 4473. I've bought several new Smiths in the last couple of years. If I can get it local for less than about $50-$75 difference total, I'll give the business to them. When the difference can be $200-$300, even with shipping and transfer, I can't justify to myself buying it locally.
Jeppo
Member
I had an experience that might be helpful. It involved an S&W Shield, not a revolver.
I was prepared to order one online and had identified the vendor. On the way home from visiting my FFL to arrange for him to email his license, I stopped into a gunsmith's shop I'd never visited before. He had the identical Shield on display, NIB.
I asked him how he could possibly hope to sell it at anywhere near his asking price, given the online pricing. He asked what prices I'd found. When I told him, he asked whether I had cash in my pocket. I walked out the door with my gun, having paid the online price. No waiting, no FFL, just bliss.
Of course, YMMV.
I was prepared to order one online and had identified the vendor. On the way home from visiting my FFL to arrange for him to email his license, I stopped into a gunsmith's shop I'd never visited before. He had the identical Shield on display, NIB.
I asked him how he could possibly hope to sell it at anywhere near his asking price, given the online pricing. He asked what prices I'd found. When I told him, he asked whether I had cash in my pocket. I walked out the door with my gun, having paid the online price. No waiting, no FFL, just bliss.
Of course, YMMV.
For Independence Day...Just now paid off my Buds Layaway for a S&W 640 Pro...my 4th of July Gun. Hopefully will get here around Wednesday. Never really had a problem buying online, and there aren't a lot of well stocked gun shops in this area to try out models.
Came today...
Came today...
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amazingflapjack
US Veteran
No-probably wouldn't buy a recent production gun of any kind. I would buy almost anything else from the net, although I am having multiple problems navigating gunbroker. I have filed a report, but we know how that goes. Anybody else?
bigggbbruce
Member
I was browsing one day and saw a used gun on GB I wanted at a very good BIN price.
It happened to be from a seller 80 miles away. I sent an email asking to pull the auction sell direct to me(AZ FTF is good) he agreed at even less than BIN, he also drove and met me in the middle saved over $100
I wouldn't but only because I don't want to buy online. I'm fortunate to have a dealer I've worked with for years and I'm quite satisfied with them. I would and did just buy a new S&W from them.
I have purchased Com-Bloc military surplus online when I had a C&R license. No problems.
I have purchased Com-Bloc military surplus online when I had a C&R license. No problems.
Rpg
Member
I wouldn't buy a new production Smith without being able to handle and inspect it.
Sure Smith has a good warranty, but who wants to send your gun in for a fix it needed out of the box? If I can inspect it before I buy it, I don't have to go through the hassle of getting a brand new gun fixed.
Additionally, Smith won't fix things it determines are within spec. That means they won't fix, for example, many clocked barrels because the barrel isn't terrible enough.
If I inspect before buying, I get to decide if I can live with a problem instead of having Smith decide I HAVE to live with it.
I'm much more comfortable buying a used gun sight unseen than I would be buying a new, current production Smith gun.
Sure Smith has a good warranty, but who wants to send your gun in for a fix it needed out of the box? If I can inspect it before I buy it, I don't have to go through the hassle of getting a brand new gun fixed.
Additionally, Smith won't fix things it determines are within spec. That means they won't fix, for example, many clocked barrels because the barrel isn't terrible enough.
If I inspect before buying, I get to decide if I can live with a problem instead of having Smith decide I HAVE to live with it.
I'm much more comfortable buying a used gun sight unseen than I would be buying a new, current production Smith gun.
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Absolutely!
Yes, I would, and I have.
Purchased four brand new, sight unseen, Smiths over the last nine years or so. From most recent to oldest: 640 pro (no-lock). 625 performance center 45. Model 18 "classic". 442 no-lock. No issues. None. Sold the 625 as my old hands can't take the pounding they used to. Ownership change on the others will happen after I'm gone.
I've eyed the "classic" 19 4" and the "classic" 27 6.5", but will settle for an old 27 or the new Ruger blued GP100 5". I'll not have a serious use revolver that comes with the IL.
Subtly
Purchased four brand new, sight unseen, Smiths over the last nine years or so. From most recent to oldest: 640 pro (no-lock). 625 performance center 45. Model 18 "classic". 442 no-lock. No issues. None. Sold the 625 as my old hands can't take the pounding they used to. Ownership change on the others will happen after I'm gone.
I've eyed the "classic" 19 4" and the "classic" 27 6.5", but will settle for an old 27 or the new Ruger blued GP100 5". I'll not have a serious use revolver that comes with the IL.
Subtly
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HamHands
Member
Would and have. Next question?
Same here... I bought a 629-6 and a 625-8 sight unseen. Both were NIB and from the same seller that had almost 2K thumbs up sales so I had no worries. And if something is jacked up with it when it reaches your FFL you don't have to accept it.
I picked up my M29 last week that was used. It had 2 previous owners I believe but she's in 90+% condition... Same deal, if something that wasn't shown in the pics was amiss I would have declined the transfer as it is my right to do if anything shady was going on. Buy with confidence especially if it's a NIB purchase!
ETA: The only major online vendor that I won't do business with is Buds... Long story short, they pulled a bait and switch on a Remmy 870. The shotty they sent wasn't the one in the pics provided, it didn't match the written description, hell, it didn't even hold the amount of shotshells/capacity that was provided in the description. That was the first. The second issue was with a Ruger Mark III with a severely canted Picatinny rail. That was the last straw with them.
I've had great experiences with JG Sales and GunBroker's various sellers.
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sdb321
Member
I don't buy firearms online. I am fortunate to have a local gun shop I deal with. He is honest and his prices are fair. I like spending my money at a small family owned shop. His dad started the shop 45 years ago. They must be doing something right!!! To each his own.
Smithbug
Member
I have and will continue to do so. I have a 29-10 on layaway at Buds right now and bought a 66-1 off of gunbroker. I've bought 2 other brand pistols from buds with no problems and about a half dozen rifles of various sorts off of gunbroker with no problems whatsoever.
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