1969Colt1911
New member
Good luck no gun is perfect, I've never owned a Smith & Wesson but hope its fixed up on return.
I failed at the "Revolver Check Out"
- Thread starter CommandoX
- Start date
This, IMO, is a weak excuse. I buy and support my local dealer rather than depending on "low overhead" services like Buds Gun Shop partially for the expertise they provide. Part of this expertise is an ability to inspect a gun for mechanical failures more effectively then I can. Another reason is service. If there is an issue I expect them to be able to help me resolve it.
This whole "not my problem once I sold it" attitude is likely to be the downfall of local stores.
g.willikers
New member
^^^
Yeah, even car dealers and appliance stores get involved with customer complaints.
Need warranty work on your purchase, does it go to the local dealer or the factory?
If a gun dealer wants to just sell and profit without offering after sale service, why would they expect return business?
Yeah, even car dealers and appliance stores get involved with customer complaints.
Need warranty work on your purchase, does it go to the local dealer or the factory?
If a gun dealer wants to just sell and profit without offering after sale service, why would they expect return business?
Driftwood Johnson
New member
Howdy Again
Let me clarify my answer about dry firing a rimfire revolver, particularly a Smith and Wesson.
I did not mean that one should make a practice of repeated dry firing. In fact I am a big proponent of not dry firing centerfire firearms without a snap cap in place.
But dry firing a S&W rimfire revolver a few times, just to get a feel of the trigger, is not going to hurt anything, despite the disclaimer from S&W.
At last count I have S&W K-22 revolvers dating from 1932, 1935, 1950, and 1953, in addition to my Model 17-3 that I bought in 1975 and the 617 that I bought used a few years ago. I have a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target made in 1923 before S&W was rebating chambers, and a Bekeart made in 1940. All of these revolvers function perfectly. Do you honestly think that in all that time nobody ever dry fired all those old revolvers? I don't.
I do not make a practice of dry firing any firearm, I have suffered a few broken firing pins over time. But dry firing a S&W revolver a few times is not going to hurt anything.
Here are a few photos that may prove interesting.
This is a K-22 that shipped in 1932. A few interesting things to note:
The cylinder is peppered with firing pin marks all over the place. But if you look closely you will see that none of them are strikes made when the cylinder was locked in battery. All of those strikes are the result of careless handling over the years, the result of dropping the hammer when the cylinder was not properly locked up. Even the strike marks on the edges of the chambers happened when the hammer was dropped and the cylinder was not properly locked up. No, I did not do it, I bought the revolver about five years ago, all those strike marks were already there.
You can see by the fired case in the cylinder where the firing pin actually strikes. Notice that the mark left by the firing pin does not contact the cylinder at all, it falls completely within the recessed area of the chamber. Despite the abuse, this revolver functions perfectly, it never misfires, and it is the most accurate of all my 22 caliber revolvers.
This K-22 shipped in 1950. What is the first thing we notice? The recesses around the case head are a much larger diameter than on the older K-22. Notice that the firing pin mark on the fired case is in the same relative position to the chamber as the older gun, but there is even more clearance between the firing pin and the cylinder.
This is my Model 17-3 that I bought new in 1975. Pretty much identical to the 1950 K-22 with the same large diameter chamber recesses and clearance between the firing pin and the body of the cylinder. Looks like I have done a pretty good job over the years of not dropping the hammer with the gun out of battery.
Here is the 617 I bought used a few years ago. Again, the large diameter chamber recesses leaving plenty of clearance around the firing pin.
What about the firing pin striking the bottom of the chamber recess you may ask. I just dry fired each of these Smiths with nothing in the chambers, and I could see no evidence of the firing pins bottoming out on the chamber recesses.
Just for fun, here is the cylinder out of an old Three Screw Ruger Single Six. I checked the Ruger web site, and they say:
"All Ruger revolvers can be dry fired without damage, and dry firing can be useful to familiarize the owner with the firearm. However, be sure any firearm is completely unloaded before dry firing!"
Again, I am not advocating willy-nilly dry firing any firearm. But with a quality rimfire revolver, particularly a Smith and Wesson, dry firing it a little bit is not going to hurt anything.
Let me clarify my answer about dry firing a rimfire revolver, particularly a Smith and Wesson.
I did not mean that one should make a practice of repeated dry firing. In fact I am a big proponent of not dry firing centerfire firearms without a snap cap in place.
But dry firing a S&W rimfire revolver a few times, just to get a feel of the trigger, is not going to hurt anything, despite the disclaimer from S&W.
At last count I have S&W K-22 revolvers dating from 1932, 1935, 1950, and 1953, in addition to my Model 17-3 that I bought in 1975 and the 617 that I bought used a few years ago. I have a 22/32 Heavy Frame Target made in 1923 before S&W was rebating chambers, and a Bekeart made in 1940. All of these revolvers function perfectly. Do you honestly think that in all that time nobody ever dry fired all those old revolvers? I don't.
I do not make a practice of dry firing any firearm, I have suffered a few broken firing pins over time. But dry firing a S&W revolver a few times is not going to hurt anything.
Here are a few photos that may prove interesting.
This is a K-22 that shipped in 1932. A few interesting things to note:
The cylinder is peppered with firing pin marks all over the place. But if you look closely you will see that none of them are strikes made when the cylinder was locked in battery. All of those strikes are the result of careless handling over the years, the result of dropping the hammer when the cylinder was not properly locked up. Even the strike marks on the edges of the chambers happened when the hammer was dropped and the cylinder was not properly locked up. No, I did not do it, I bought the revolver about five years ago, all those strike marks were already there.
You can see by the fired case in the cylinder where the firing pin actually strikes. Notice that the mark left by the firing pin does not contact the cylinder at all, it falls completely within the recessed area of the chamber. Despite the abuse, this revolver functions perfectly, it never misfires, and it is the most accurate of all my 22 caliber revolvers.
This K-22 shipped in 1950. What is the first thing we notice? The recesses around the case head are a much larger diameter than on the older K-22. Notice that the firing pin mark on the fired case is in the same relative position to the chamber as the older gun, but there is even more clearance between the firing pin and the cylinder.
This is my Model 17-3 that I bought new in 1975. Pretty much identical to the 1950 K-22 with the same large diameter chamber recesses and clearance between the firing pin and the body of the cylinder. Looks like I have done a pretty good job over the years of not dropping the hammer with the gun out of battery.
Here is the 617 I bought used a few years ago. Again, the large diameter chamber recesses leaving plenty of clearance around the firing pin.
What about the firing pin striking the bottom of the chamber recess you may ask. I just dry fired each of these Smiths with nothing in the chambers, and I could see no evidence of the firing pins bottoming out on the chamber recesses.
Just for fun, here is the cylinder out of an old Three Screw Ruger Single Six. I checked the Ruger web site, and they say:
"All Ruger revolvers can be dry fired without damage, and dry firing can be useful to familiarize the owner with the firearm. However, be sure any firearm is completely unloaded before dry firing!"
Again, I am not advocating willy-nilly dry firing any firearm. But with a quality rimfire revolver, particularly a Smith and Wesson, dry firing it a little bit is not going to hurt anything.
Stuff Happens!
Been a few years but I have my own little example of failed or I should have caught that. I went to a gun shop belonging to a friend of mine and he and I go back over 20 plus years to when I owed my shop. Looking through the cases a sweet looking S&W 586 caught my eye and I asked to see it. Kid who works there handed me the revolver to inspect. I looked at the line on the cylinder, looked for any holster wear, looked at the sights and let the hammer fall on my finger a few times checking the trigger. The gun was for all purposes absolutely clean and a sweet revolver. I buy quite a bit there and always the better guns. They made me a real nice offer and I forget what it was as several years have passed.
The gun looked really nice.
A few days later I was admiring my new S&W 586 and low and behold:
I never caught that and I dragged the gun back merely to point the chip out. I was still pleased with the gun and price. I made that clear. Heck, the owner would not hear of it and insisted on handing me $100 with an apology. Heck, I inspected the gun and I bought the gun. There was no reason for the owner to feel I deserved a further reduction in price.
Anyway, stuff happens. When I inspected the gun I was well focused on what I was looking for and looking at. I totally missed that chip in the grips. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Ron
Been a few years but I have my own little example of failed or I should have caught that. I went to a gun shop belonging to a friend of mine and he and I go back over 20 plus years to when I owed my shop. Looking through the cases a sweet looking S&W 586 caught my eye and I asked to see it. Kid who works there handed me the revolver to inspect. I looked at the line on the cylinder, looked for any holster wear, looked at the sights and let the hammer fall on my finger a few times checking the trigger. The gun was for all purposes absolutely clean and a sweet revolver. I buy quite a bit there and always the better guns. They made me a real nice offer and I forget what it was as several years have passed.
The gun looked really nice.
A few days later I was admiring my new S&W 586 and low and behold:
I never caught that and I dragged the gun back merely to point the chip out. I was still pleased with the gun and price. I made that clear. Heck, the owner would not hear of it and insisted on handing me $100 with an apology. Heck, I inspected the gun and I bought the gun. There was no reason for the owner to feel I deserved a further reduction in price.
Anyway, stuff happens. When I inspected the gun I was well focused on what I was looking for and looking at. I totally missed that chip in the grips. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Ron
Great posts and info. here all. Thanks for that very much.
The pics by Driftwood Johnson and Reloadron are appreciated too! Always nice to see what is being talked about.
Thanks to Driftwood Johnson for the explanations, clarifications and up close pics. I"m a fan of .22s but I had no idea that Smith & Wesson made so many different ones over the course of time.
Reloadron, thanks for the story along with pics of that beautiful pistol chip and all! I have to ask, have you ever felt the chip when shooting the gun?
I dropped off the now "get there in one piece" packaged S&W at a trusted package and ship place in town that I've used several times before. I'll check tomorrow morning to see where it's at in it's travels and if there is interest I'll keep you kind folks appraised of the 617's story.
Thanks to all for contributing.
The pics by Driftwood Johnson and Reloadron are appreciated too! Always nice to see what is being talked about.
Thanks to Driftwood Johnson for the explanations, clarifications and up close pics. I"m a fan of .22s but I had no idea that Smith & Wesson made so many different ones over the course of time.
Reloadron, thanks for the story along with pics of that beautiful pistol chip and all! I have to ask, have you ever felt the chip when shooting the gun?
I dropped off the now "get there in one piece" packaged S&W at a trusted package and ship place in town that I've used several times before. I'll check tomorrow morning to see where it's at in it's travels and if there is interest I'll keep you kind folks appraised of the 617's story.
Thanks to all for contributing.
jackmoser65
New member
I would've had those grips dumped in my grip box before I even shot it but I guess some shooters actually like those old oversized wooden bricks.
Update or sorts....
Wow...I'm not sure what to think at the moment except my luck is waning.
Sent the gun out on the Monday July 25 and the gun was confirmed delivered on the 27th by FedEx. I received no notification from S&W as to them receiving the gun.
Monday the 1st I called to check on it and was told it was received but nothing had been done to it. It was noted as "in repair". The lady on the other end of the line said that I should call back in a few days to see it's progress.
On the 2nd I received an email to confirm it had actually been received by S&W.
On a whim I called again today to see if there had been any progress. The guy I talked to today informs me that the gun is still "in repair" and that it will stay there till next week because there is no one there. They are on a two week break while things in the facility are being repaired and retooled. He said this is done every year and the end of July and into the first week of August. When he asked if there was "Anything else I can do for you?" I said, "No.....goodbye."
I think I need to find a rabbit's foot or 4 leaf clover soon.
Wow...I'm not sure what to think at the moment except my luck is waning.
Sent the gun out on the Monday July 25 and the gun was confirmed delivered on the 27th by FedEx. I received no notification from S&W as to them receiving the gun.
Monday the 1st I called to check on it and was told it was received but nothing had been done to it. It was noted as "in repair". The lady on the other end of the line said that I should call back in a few days to see it's progress.
On the 2nd I received an email to confirm it had actually been received by S&W.
On a whim I called again today to see if there had been any progress. The guy I talked to today informs me that the gun is still "in repair" and that it will stay there till next week because there is no one there. They are on a two week break while things in the facility are being repaired and retooled. He said this is done every year and the end of July and into the first week of August. When he asked if there was "Anything else I can do for you?" I said, "No.....goodbye."
I think I need to find a rabbit's foot or 4 leaf clover soon.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
Three weeks doesn't seem so awful to me. They may be able to fix it in a week and get it back to you in five weeks total. I have had much faster warranty work and also work that took much longer.
So have I actually.
It took almost 3 months to get my XDS .45 back from Springfield when they had the voluntary recall. Unfortunately they ruined that gun for me when I got it back. Darn near a 9lb trigger... I traded that one off.
I had my CZ back in two weeks for a broken tab. Came back feeling like new.
Hopefully, what I get back will be what I'd expected upon the purchase. Patience.....I don't have enough.
It took almost 3 months to get my XDS .45 back from Springfield when they had the voluntary recall. Unfortunately they ruined that gun for me when I got it back. Darn near a 9lb trigger... I traded that one off.
I had my CZ back in two weeks for a broken tab. Came back feeling like new.
Hopefully, what I get back will be what I'd expected upon the purchase. Patience.....I don't have enough.
UPDATE
Called again last week on Friday and found out they'd "fixed the grip and changed the barrel." I was told to expect a return email by mid week.
Got an email Thursday morning that said it was coming back and would arrive by Monday. Low and behold, today I get another message and a phone call telling me it will be here today.
Fed Ex lady dropped it off in my hands before 11 am! Opened it up and checked it out. New barrel with my old front site that I had "white dotted". New grip that follows the contours of the frame with more exposed frame. The cylinder spins like a top now! The casting in the frame by the arm was still there but I don't see how it will affect the gun's use.
Took it to the range today and shot 5 different ammo types. 3 worked well and two were meh. The 617 is the way it should have been from the get go. To top it all off, it shoots the Winchester 333/555 pack bullets almost as well as CCI Minimags. For me that is good because all my other .22s do not like the Winchester. So, I have a really nice pistol capable of less than 2" groups at 10 yrds in my hands anyway, AND it eats cheap ammo that I have a good amount of!
Makes for a hellofa good Friday for me.
Called again last week on Friday and found out they'd "fixed the grip and changed the barrel." I was told to expect a return email by mid week.
Got an email Thursday morning that said it was coming back and would arrive by Monday. Low and behold, today I get another message and a phone call telling me it will be here today.
Fed Ex lady dropped it off in my hands before 11 am! Opened it up and checked it out. New barrel with my old front site that I had "white dotted". New grip that follows the contours of the frame with more exposed frame. The cylinder spins like a top now! The casting in the frame by the arm was still there but I don't see how it will affect the gun's use.
Took it to the range today and shot 5 different ammo types. 3 worked well and two were meh. The 617 is the way it should have been from the get go. To top it all off, it shoots the Winchester 333/555 pack bullets almost as well as CCI Minimags. For me that is good because all my other .22s do not like the Winchester. So, I have a really nice pistol capable of less than 2" groups at 10 yrds in my hands anyway, AND it eats cheap ammo that I have a good amount of!
Makes for a hellofa good Friday for me.