Would you buy a S&W without seeing it first?

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Jerry_HN

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I'm thinking about buying another S&W performance center revolver but the one I want is never available for me to look at in shops. I like to inspect all my guns to make sure they are perfect before paying.

Seems like many S&W revolvers (even PC ones) come with minor flaws: dents/blemishes, sights uneven, misaligned barrels, loose cylinders.

Would you order a gun, risking receiving a flawed one?
 
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I dont think I will any more just sent a new 625JM back got last week had gouges in rifling, and 637 I got last year had blemishes but did not send it back, because it shoots good.
bought both off of gunbroker new in the box.
 
I have in the past mind you ordered a new gun, sight unseen and had both good and bad experiences. Fast forward to what we all know to be a quality control issue and no, I will not order any new guns sight unseen. That said I have bought several guns here from Forum members from all over and been very pleased with the entire process. I want to believe that means that the folks here are above board and fairly represent their wears. It is up to us to police our own and keep it as sweet as it is. How the manufactures can do this is still a QC issue and hiring folks that care about what they are doing... What used to be known as Pride. Just my thoughts and ideas on all of this. Thanks, Kyle
 
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I have bought almost all my S&W's from here on the forum. All of them were great and the forum member told me exactly what issues it had.
 
peyton said:
I have bought almost all my S&W's from here on the forum. All of them were great and the forum member told me exactly what issues it had.
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My same experience here on the forum on the older models. Some fantastic people here who take care of their fellow forum members Wouldn't buy a newer model from all of the problems I've read on them without looking it over and having my GS do the same.

Got burned one time on GB with a nickled 36. The seller made it right as I ended up paying $175.00 for it and its been a constant companion and shooter, but is butt ugly.
 
I would.

Not that I would prefer to buy one without holding it first, but sometimes the one you want isn't available anywhere "to" fingerprint it.

If it is one I just gotta have, I'll order it, and if it comes in not 100% I know S&W will take it in and make it right, and do it pretty quickly.

So instead of waiting for one to show up, you could be waiting for it to come back from S&W service dept.

Not exactly an optimistic way to look at it, but it has happened to me and it has turned out good in the end when the gun comes back.

Ss
 
I would. I purchased my 610 by having a dealer order it from Sports South and had it in my hot hands in less than a week. Gun has been flawless. One thing to keep in mind is that we are a rather picky bunch and any defect will get posted about, in the meantime there are probably thousands of perfect examples that never have a complaint posted. IMO the net can skew peoples impression of quality if you don't keep that in mind.
 
scooter123 said:
I would. I purchased my 610 by having a dealer order it from Sports South and had it in my hot hands in less than a week. Gun has been flawless. One thing to keep in mind is that we are a rather picky bunch and any defect will get posted about, in the meantime there are probably thousands of perfect examples that never have a complaint posted. IMO the net can skew peoples impression of quality if you don't keep that in mind.
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+1 on the quality isssue thing that scooter123 talks about. You would hardly hear of quality issues before the internet and forums like this because if you never bought something with a problem you unlikely never heard of the problem or issues. Now they are in every forum and and the people posting the problem are unhappy and in some cases venting and it often time paints a very negative picture and it could represent a very small percentage of a problem on just a few guns out of thouands.

As far as buying guns sight unseen I have bought many off of auctions sights and on this forum where only a few pictures with a discription have been given and I have yet to be disappointed. It can happen there also but I have been very lucky so far because as a photographer I know you can hide a lot with a picture based on angles and lighting.
 
Nope! I'm a visual guy, touch it, feel it. The only gun I ordered without doing so was my PC952. I'm not real sure I would have bought it had I handled it beforehand, due to the grip feel for me.
 
I would, because my guns are shooters and I know that if there is a major flaw S&W will make it right. From the way you describe yourself, you are very picky. You shouldn't buy a gun sight unseen.
 
In the past few months I have bought a new 627UDR from gunbroker, a 1911 E series from gunsamerica and a Ruger mkiii hunter from budsgunshop. All have been excellent.
 
Jerry_HN said:
I'm thinking about buying another S&W performance center revolver but the one I want is never available for me to look at in shops. I like to inspect all my guns to make sure they are perfect before paying.

Seems like many S&W revolvers (even PC ones) come with minor flaws: dents/blemishes, sights uneven, misaligned barrels, loose cylinders.

Would you order a gun, risking receiving a flawed one?
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have your dealer order it...when it comes in..inspect it..accept if it's ok,if not,ship it back
 
I do buy with out seeing from GB all the time. Only got burnt once and the seller refunded my money and my shipping. If you stick with folks who have good ratings, chances are they will treat you right!
 
I think if I had never handled the gun model in question - not the actual piece, but the same item - then I would be hesitant. I mean, you wouldn't know how it fits your grip, how it balances in your hand, etc. That would be cause of concern to me.

But if I knew how the gun felt, I would buy off an internet site. For instance, I like 1911 pistols & have a few so far. One of the guns I'll keep my eyes open for is a Colt Government in .38 Super; if I find the right gun at the right price when I have the funds I'll go for it. I would hope to see pictures though, & want to know there is return period of a few days in case it isn't what I thought it was.
 
Will never order a S & W again without seeing it. The quality control is an issue. I have a Model 629-6 back at S & W now and it took a month to get a shipping label from them?????
 
Done it several times, most recently with C&R pre-1961 Smiths. I have gotten a few that were in lesser condition than I expected, but haven't gotten one that wasn't fine mechanically yet.......knock on wood!
 
Hello all,
I just found my way to the S&W forum and joined. Just started reading posts/replies and came across this one. I have always been leery of buying a "pig in a poke" and I learned one lesson about sight unseen. I had a gun shop order me a PC 629. Checked out fine at the shop and got it home in its case without a scratch. Checking everything that came with it again, I noticed the scope rail was missing. Called the gun shop and was told I would have to contact S&W since it was a warranty issue. I called S&W's parts dept., told the guy I was talking to my tale of woe and he ask for my name, address, etc. and said he would put one in the mail to me that day at no charge. That was my first issue with Smith and they handled it beautifully. Didn't even ask for a serial number. That was my last dealings with that gun shop. At the time, I had 6 Smiths, bought new and used and had never had any problems with them.
 
I think I'm going to start buying my S&W's from the buy/sell section here. The local gun shops in my part of NY only have the usual, trashed, $350 Model 10's and the occasional $800 equally trashed Model 17's. Something cool like a Model 66 or a Model 19 is a rarity, and very expensive.
 
I know this is a revolver forum but wanted to add I bought my first S&W a few weeks ago. It was a used Police trade in from CDNN online. Came dirty as could be on outside. Inside looked new. Cleaned it up and now looks almost as good as it handles, which is absolutely terrific.

I was a little worried about purchasing without seeing it first. But the price was right and I had many good reviews of people who had bought the same model fro CDNN.

Very glad I did.
 
Bought my 686-4 from a local shop. My 586 came from a member of this forum. I bought it from him on another gun board, based on the pictures he posted and the questions he answered.

Not S&Ws, but I also bought my Ruger SP101 and a Springfield Loaded from other members of the same board where I saw the 586. I have always received firearms in the condition exactly as described by the seller. I have been satisfied with each transaction.
 
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