Smith & Wesson Quality Control

[ifindppl]

A friend of mine purchased a S&W M&P Shield Ez (9mm) w/built in laser. His first trip to the range resulted in the battery cover flying open and off the gun, along with the battery. He could not locate the battery cover and had to send it back to S&W. He gets it back, heads to the range and the battery-cover comes flying off, again. He finds it and the battery, puts it back together and it will not function. He heads over to Atlantic guns and they look at the laser/battery area and there are 4 tiny hex screws holding it together. Every one of those screws was very loose. He tightened it and put the battery back in, closed the door and it fit, tight. It still did not work, but the battery cover survived 50 rds and remained in place, but how did S&W let that gun go out the door, twice, in this condition. Fast forward and I just picked up a S&W Shield EZ, Performance Center (9mm). It is a hammer fired Shield with an upgraded, skeletal trigger. I get it home, clean it, and rack the slide, pull trigger, hold it, rack the slide again and slowly release the trigger. No click, no reset. Hmmm. I get it to the range and it shoots flawlessly. But no audible reset and no click. Just over travel before it fires. I call S&W and I describe the problem and put on hold for a few minutes. The guy comes back and asks if the gun otherwise performs as advertised. It does not affect the ability to fire and he says, “if it doesn’t bother you, you could leave it that way”. Really? Just keep the brand new defective gun? Who wouldn’t do that? I also tell him that the grip safety is extremely uncomfortable (it does not sit flush w/the grip and is beveled w/sharp edges). He said I can send it back and they will swap out a new grip safety from the standard Shield EZ, and since I am sending it back, they will fix the trigger. How did they let this gun leave the factory without checking the action and reset? We will see if they repair it properly unlike my friend’s Shield. I am skeptical that they will fix it properly. What a PITA. It’s hard to find good help everywhere.

 

[slsc98]

Im gonna go with above that bbl is not threaded flat … OP, you may even be able to see the front sight is either / or \ with your naked eye … I know I could on the lemon 586 6” I got decades ago (S&W customer service was the pits during that time period also; hopefully better now)

I’m not sure precisely when but, within the last half decade, S&W revolver QC has gone quite to sh*t … particularly snubbies …

I am surprised this is the first, recent MDS thread (I’m aware of) as other boards have sometimes multiple threads going about serious issues with later model S&W’s …

This happened once before (I wanna say the mid-80’s to early 90’s; I know because I got a 586 6” that turned out to be a real lemon)

It’s bad enough 2023 that renowned trainers are regrettably publishing they can not at present recommend S&W revolvers …

To wit, G. Ellifritz, on August 18, 2023:

”I really like the 43C…so long as your particular model works. The last three new J-frames I’ve purchased have come broken from the factory and had to go back after firing the first cylinder. As much as I love Smith and Wessons, I can’t recommend their new revolvers anymore. I think most shooters are better off with a Ruger LCR.”

when he posted up a copy of this July, ‘23 review article: https://www.guns.com/news/review/3067108-2

 

[Navy Veteran]

I guess I got lucky. I purchased a S&W 15-22 Performance Center for my wife. Shoots flawlessly. I liked it so much I purchased one for myself! We have had them for over a year with several thousand rounds thru them. We go to the range weekly.

 

[4g64loser]

I have smith's from the 50s and smith's produced in the last ten years. Revolvers of relatively comparable models. There is NO comparison. The newest one I own is a performance center gun and the action is garbage compared to my 50s vintage, straight off normal production line, gun.

This issue is not unique to Smith and Wesson.

 

[Fushigi Ojisan]

What was the .22 from the early 70s that was awful?

Sent from my SM-T733 using Tapatalk

 

[dgapilot]

All my Smiths are 40s to 70s. All function well. A pre model 15 Combat Masterpiece, a pre model 14 Masterpiece, a model 17 masterpiece and a Model 10-6 nickel plated. Not really interested in new stuff, quality on the old stuff was much better.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

I had two defective S&Ws...one from the '70s (Bangor Punta era) and one from the '80s (Lear Siegler era). Both were repaired under warranty. When a LEO we received a shipment of new Model 64 revolvers...when another instructor and I took them to the range to test we discovered one was a smooth bore...no rifling in the barrel of any kind.

Quality control issues are simply a fact of manufacturing...but corporate ownership makes a difference in whether quality control is a truly important factor or simply an advertising slogan.

S&W just moved to TN so possibly there are some issues due to the move...new employees and whether they learned their jobs correctly with effective oversight.

On the S&W Forum there is constant harping about Smith's quality control...usually revolvers but not always. Then there's the internet factor...that might tend to blow it all up into worse than it actually is.

 

[dist1646]

I had two defective S&Ws...one from the '70s (Bangor Punta era) and one from the '80s (Lear Siegler era). Both were repaired under warranty. When a LEO we received a shipment of new Model 64 revolvers...when another instructor and I took them to the range to test we discovered one was a smooth bore...no rifling in the barrel of any kind.

Quality control issues are simply a fact of manufacturing...but corporate ownership makes a difference in whether quality control is a truly important factor or simply an advertising slogan.

S&W just moved to TN so possibly there are some issues due to the move...new employees and whether they learned their jobs correctly with effective oversight.

On the S&W Forum there is constant harping about Smith's quality control...usually revolvers but not always. Then there's the internet factor...that might tend to blow it all up into worse than it actually is.

Did the smoothbore shoot better in the hands of LEO? Busting chops because all the dogs are asleep next to the wood stove, a rare moment!

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

Did the smoothbore shoot better in the hands of LEO? Busting chops because all the dogs are asleep next to the wood stove, a rare moment!

We discovered the bore was smooth by no holes in the target at something like seven yards. My partner was shooting it and it finally keyholed off to one side of the paper. That’s when he looked down the barrel.

When we returned to the office I called S&W about it. The rep said they wanted the revolver back…he wanted to show it to people there. He said it had to pass through at least a dozen people’s hands without it getting caught. He didn’t say it but it was also contraband…a short barreled shotgun…which gave them liability beyond the quality control aspect.

We sent the revolver back and within a week it was returned with a proper barrel.

 

[dist1646]

We discovered the bore was smooth by no holes in the target at something like seven yards. My partner was shooting it and it finally keyholed off to one side of the paper. That’s when he looked down the barrel.

When we returned to the office I called S&W about it. The rep said they wanted the revolver back…he wanted to show it to people there. He said it had to pass through at least a dozen people’s hands without it getting caught. He didn’t say it but it was also contraband…a short barreled shotgun…which gave them liability beyond the quality control aspect.

We sent the revolver back and within a week it was returned with a proper barrel.

I thought it was so that they could break those old glass balls like the ones used in wild west shows back in the day. Lol!