S&W Quality Control

R

Richard

New member
Sir William said: "That sounds like S&W alright. I don't think much of S&W QC lately." My experience has been the opposite. My new S&W M325 45acp revolver has great fit and finish. I am sure some are still upset over the built in trigger lock thing. I am not and I do use trigger locks when I have to leave a handgun in the car. Why do I leave a handgun in the car? Michigan's CCW law restricts carry in many places. Your comments are welcome. Regards, Richard:D
 
I realize that many do not like the little lock thingie; I have a newer one with the lock and doesn't bother me any... just leave it alone, don't fool with it at all and it will not lock-up or interfere with the rest of the mechanism... the quality of the Smiths is still great... my opinion.
 
Smith and Wesson's quality has been on the downslide since I started shooting many, many years ago. At least that has been the talk back then. Oh and Taurus is catching up with S&W in quality is another oft repeated line. Fast forward to 2004, Smith hasn't turned out guns made of compressed sand yet (maybe they just haven't figured it out) and Taurus still sucks.

I wonder how much howling there was when Smith went to numbered models and each time they took away a screw.
 
I have bought 5 S&W revolvers new this year. ALL five had to be returned for warranty repairs. They were non-functional out of the box. There is no possibility that a human inspected any of them before they were packed and shipped. If I count the 637 that I bought two years ago that peeled like a grape, I have had 6 different S&Ws that were poor quality right out of the box. I want to start a N frame collection. I looked a 325 over. I would rate it as "seconds" in the box at $785.00, new in the box. I recently picked up a 629 Classic 44 Magnum to check over. It did NOT pass the used gun checkout. The store was sending it back. I have also found one cracked frame J in the box from the factory. A second M60-15 I asked to see was poorly finished and scratched from the factory. I have had MIM firing pins crumble also. I could give allowance for a turkey every so often. I cannot suggest a S&W for ANYTHING. I find them to be poor in finish, almost THIRTEEN lbs DA triggers, poorly fit, rough actions, non-functional and excessive parts breakage. Face it, when S&W cannot produce functional M10s- SOMETHING IS WRONG! S&W needs to improve.
 
2 Purchases this year - great guns

My experience: I bought two new S&Ws this year (2004). A 686 and a 640. Both were of excellent quality.
 
I've bought an average of 3 S&W handguns every year for the last 5 years. Half new and half used. With the exception of 1 used gun bought over the internet, all the rest have been just fine.

The few times I've called Customer Service, I've always gotten the help/information/parts I was after with no delay.

They have earned my business with quality products and service.

Joe
 
Sir William - I think yours is very unusual situation; a streak of bad luck. Over the past 50 years or so I've bought (and sold) a large number of guns from S&W; only one had to go back for adjustments. All my dealings with S&W have been positive, in terms of product quality as well as service.... no complaints here.
 
Put me down as a Smith fan. They may have some troubles but nobody else is out there trying new things. If it wasn't for S&W the revolver selection in this world would be slim pickens. And then who would Taurus have to copy from?

Wonder why someone would buy that 5th S&W after they've done had trouble with the first 4? :confused:

Smitty :)
 
Why buy another? I figured S&W HAD to make some good revolvers, law of averages. One of my revolvers was a M10 that was frozen from the factory. Total lock. There was a replacement from S&W. The replacement has been a dependable +P revolver. I have not had a bad Llama, Taurus, H&R/NEF, Uberti or Ruger revolver. I have tried the 500 X frame. I don't need one. I like S&W vintage revolvers. I have just experienced, seen and heard too many bad from the factory S&W revolvers. I am also one of those who had a POJ M39. I still bought S&W revolvers after that experience. I experimented with S&W modern revolvers. I am unimpressed. I will continue to buy genuine American vintage S&Ws. I won't buy or suggest others buy current S&W offerings. Why the headspace changes? Why THIRTEEN lbs triggers in DA? Why are aftermarket suppliers offering MIM replacements for internals? Why does S&W put mismatched Ahrends wood grips on? Why is S&W dropping the 357 Magnum K frames really? Has everyone forgotten the agreement that is in force? Too many questions, including quality control. What is really performing the final quality assurance? Not humans.
 
In the meantime, I have eight 90s and up production, Smiths and all are trouble free and of good quality. I even use some for gun games :)

I've had one bad experience with Taurus. It made sense to me not to buy another one.
 
I've bought one new S&W, an m625. I checked it before purchase as thoroughly as I would have a used one. It functions, and looks, exactly as it should. In my hands, it performs better than a mint 15-2 I just acquired. Guess I was lucky. It will get a trigger job, though.
 
You're not lucky, that's just expected. Lots of things can be found on the internet. Most are worth exactly what you pay for them. $o.oo

Including my posts :)
 
S&W revolvers

I think S&W's QC has been awful poor for about 20 years. I pick up new smiths at gun shops and see noticable defects in maybe 10 percent of them. I have seen barrels screwed in tight but the shroud not meeting the frame. Burrs bad enough to cause problems on the star that the hand moves, miss aligned chambers, bent cranes (on a new gun!) etc.
 
Wat luck

I have had all kinds of Smiths of different vintages, but I will admit I have not boght a NIB specimen in a few years. Probably mid 90's is the newest for me.
I had a small problem, that was fixed, on a 586. That was my last L frame.
I had a used 10 snubbie police gun that had poor timing and could not get it right due to bad tolerances in the frame. Sold it for 40$. Otherwise I have three keepers right now and they are perfect. Guess you just have to pick and choose guns even when new. At least with a lemon gun you can find out alot quicker than a lemon car. And I have shied away from newer models with frame firing pins and little tricky twisty locks. Guess I will be buying used from now on.
 
I have fingered a lot of new SW's en route to buying and I would say over 90% of them were not in spec. They probably shoot (so the owner would not return them) but had:

1) Heavy, gritty triggers on some.

2) Barrel cylinder gaps too wide on MANY (more than .010")

3) Loose lockup on the cylinder. This is a real problem. Apparrently, a snug lockup fit is no longer the target for fitting a new gun, as the vast majority do not meet this (even many of the PC guns do not). It took a long time to find a new model 66 that locked up OK and was in spec.
 
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