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S&W Quality (Revolvers)

saltydude

saltydude

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All of my revolvers are S&W. I prefer them because their attributes cater to my type of shooting. I have'nt bought a new one in many years. Some are pre lock, some post but all are solid, well made quality pieces.
I've been speaking with people here and there that are saying S&W quality lately overall but especially revos is suffering. After checking out a few new ones recently I might have to agree with them.

Any opinions?
 
The revolvers have always been hand fitted by hard working knowledgable folks, that process is currently being altered to more of an assembly line type process and I've been told that the quality will greatly suffer. [sad2]
This is what happens when you make managers of people who don't know squat. Now they can pay cheaper wages to folks who aren't as skilled as the fitters and have flushed the quality down the toilet.

I'm a pre lock guy anyway, get a nice used piece.
 
Their semi's aren't anything to write home about imo either. I have a 1960 something model 36 and I'm always impressed by it's workmanship when I pick it up. It's sad to know they aren't producing that kind of quality anymore. I wouldn't buy a key version anyway.
 
I hadn't bought a new one in over a decade, but I grabbed a no-lock 642 last year, and the quality and reliability are as good as the old ones. The trigger is as good as the earlier j-frames, and the accuracy is, too. It's the one I carry when I can't carry anything larger, and it is just light enough for pocket carry. I've looked at a few others at the S&W store, and I think the quality is better than a couple I have owned over the years when Bangor-Punta and Tompkins owned the firm. Now if they would just drop that stupid lock. And maybe the sleeved barrels, too.
 
I have a pre-lock Model 10 and post-lock Models 520 and 638. None of them have had any issues. I would have no qualms relying on any of them for defensive purposes.
 
All of mine are pre-lock. I'm less impressed with my J-frames than my K-frames. I also like my 625. The action on my 629 V-comp is pretty good, but should be better given the price.

I won't buy one with a lock.
 
I've got a few models with the lock - the only one I've had any QC issues with is a 686P. The cylinder was machined wrong initially - after about 3-4 cylinders full of .357 ammo, extraction would become very difficult. Like pound on the extractor with something heavy difficult. Sent it back to S&W and they claimed they reamed the chambers... but didn't cure the problem. Sent it back again and they replaced the cylinder... which did fix the problem. It's a nice-shootin' revo now. Shame they had to fix it twice, though.
 
I recently went to the Factory store in Spfld. to purchase a new 686 4". The first one the guy handed me i noticed still had chips from being machined, looking further at it I noticed huge burrs around the o.d of the barrel where the round enters from the cylinder. So he hands me a second one, ok this one looks good and then I look through the sights... Rear sight is cocked vertically almost 1/8 of an inch so he says both guns need to be returned to the factory and those were the only two they had in stock. Is there no QC dept. there or what? How many people held those before they left the factory.
 
glockstar said:
I recently went to the Factory store in Spfld. to purchase a new 686 4". The first one the guy handed me i noticed still had chips from being machined, looking further at it I noticed huge burrs around the o.d of the barrel where the round enters from the cylinder. So he hands me a second one, ok this one looks good and then I look through the sights... Rear sight is cocked vertically almost 1/8 of an inch so he says both guns need to be returned to the factory and those were the only two they had in stock. Is there no QC dept. there or what? How many people held those before they left the factory.
Click to expand...
That's completely unacceptable.
 
I have 2 S&W revolvers - a 617 and a 629. They are post ( I think - bought new in the last 2-3 years).

These two pistols are if not my most favorite to shoot, are among them. That 617 is accurate as heck, and the sights are perfect IMHO
 
I love my model 60, pre-lock. Its a regular nail driver, accurate, compact and I love the stainless finish. Fingers crossed that my renewed license is approved for all lawful purposes, because this is likely what I'll carry....unless I can make concealing a 1911 comfortable!

I guess its about taking care of the gun - the older ones are probably worth more than the newer ones on craftsmanship alone. My grandfather carried the same weapon when he was a boston police detective - if he trusted it, I trust it.
 
dwarven1 said:
I've got a few models with the lock - the only one I've had any QC issues with is a 686P.
Click to expand...

To expand on this - I've also got a 629PP, a 637 and a 617 - all "lock" models. I have ZERO issues with any of these guns. In fact, the 637 is a daily carry, the 617 is a standard in my range bag when bringing a new shooter to the range, and the 629 is what I murder bowling pins with - all of them shoot flawlessly. Glock has it's fanbois, S&W has me: 6 S&W revolvers, 1 SW 1911. Love 'em all.
 
I've got a Model 66 4" made in the '80's and a Model 60 made in the '80's. I enjoy both of them.

Back in the mid '70's I took a tour of the S&W factory and was amazed that each pistol was assembled by one person. The person who led us on the tour informed us that if a S&W revolver has a problem during final inspection or test firing before it's ships out, the gun goes back to the guy that made it to be fixed, on his OWN time.
 
I own several smiths including a 1911 and Mod.27 classic, had many through the years and never had any issues at all but recently it just seems like the product is suffering for some reason or another. Still love smiths and imo probably the best revolvers going just have to becareful on the new ones that's all.
 
I only have the best to say about their quality and customer service departments. You have a problem, you send it back and they replace it free of charge. If it's true that they are progressing over to the assembly line that's too bad but all it means is to buy up as many as you can right now.
 
Back in the mid '70's I took a tour of the S&W factory and was amazed that each pistol was assembled by one person.
Click to expand...

Do you remember all that stuff from school about Eli Whitney and interchangeable parts? It's never been quite the way your teacher said it was.
 
I have never owned a pre-lock S&W Revolver, but do own two new S&W Airweight J-Frames purchased within the last year. Both have performed perfectly, no issues whatsoever.... accurate, reliable, very well made. Nothing but praise for their revolvers....
 
SheepDog_B said:
The revolvers have always been hand fitted by hard working knowledgable folks, that process is currently being altered to more of an assembly line type process and I've been told that the quality will greatly suffer. [sad2]
This is what happens when you make managers of people who don't know squat. Now they can pay cheaper wages to folks who aren't as skilled as the fitters and have flushed the quality down the toilet.

I'm a pre lock guy anyway, get a nice used piece.
Click to expand...

Damn dude, you hit the nail on the head with this one +1
 
It'll be a long time before S&W will make guns that can match the quality of guns like these:

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29nleft%20600x341.jpg

leftdiamond%20600x395.jpg
 
Mike1911 said:
I've got a Model 66 4" made in the '80's and a Model 60 made in the '80's. I enjoy both of them.

Back in the mid '70's I took a tour of the S&W factory and was amazed that each pistol was assembled by one person. The person who led us on the tour informed us that if a S&W revolver has a problem during final inspection or test firing before it's ships out, the gun goes back to the guy that made it to be fixed, on his OWN time.
Click to expand...

I remember that from a tour I took about that time. The lady who escorted us had been working there for 30+ years. She was clearly proud of the work that she did.

She told us that on her first day there she was handed a block with a bunch of wooden dowels mounted in it. On each dowel was a barrel for a revolver. Her boss told her, "Pick out the pregnant barrel by looking." (One of the barrels had a very slight bulge and should have been spotted and scrapped.) She couldn't do it. The boss told her when she had worked there long enough she would be able to do so, and with ease. She said that he was correct, and eventually she could do it. He told her that it wasn't good enough to just produce a gun that functioned, it should be made correctly. That became her definition of quality.

I still admire her attitude. And I still like all my Smiths. [grin]
 
They almost sold to the british....and are half the reason the AG picked 10 rounds to be the magic number and contributed to the awb of 94....f*** them.

They can pay me.
 
Yup you guy's just confirmed what I suspected. It's really a bummer because S&W is really the only show in town if you want to be competitive.
More stuff is made for smiths than any other. Their timing & indexing is quicker. trigger pull is shorter. easy to modify and work on. Adjust the trigger etc. You can get them in 7 & 8 shot versions. I know Taurus makes a few but no thanks. Many models like 625 & 627 utilize moon clips from the factory.
Rugers are solid guns but they have that god awful long trigger pull and indexing. Colts are nice but hard to open the cylinder, over priced & not common.
I have no plans now of buying a new revolver now however I still have one on my hit list. A model 610 10mm. Preferably pre lock.
It's just a shame what's happened to smiths over the last 6 years or so. I'd like to think if I wanted to buy a new revo I could depend on my preferred brand.
O-well hopefully Smith will read threads like this and change their act. Their reputation & future depends on it.
 
Mike1911 said:
I've got a Model 66 4" made in the '80's and a Model 60 made in the '80's. I enjoy both of them.

Back in the mid '70's I took a tour of the S&W factory and was amazed that each pistol was assembled by one person. The person who led us on the tour informed us that if a S&W revolver has a problem during final inspection or test firing before it's ships out, the gun goes back to the guy that made it to be fixed, on his OWN time.
Click to expand...


That's what I call accoutablity.

To bad they don't do to much of that any more.
 
i have a 625 that i bought roughly 3 years ago, so far its been good.

i have 2 older ones, 686 and 60 no issues at all.

i have toured the S&W plant along with 30+ other members here,

they have definitely eliminated manual labor from the process. Inspection

is done by computer. One would think that this would eliminate human

error, you be the judge.
 
Mike1911 said:
I've got a Model 66 4" made in the '80's and a Model 60 made in the '80's. I enjoy both of them.

Back in the mid '70's I took a tour of the S&W factory and was amazed that each pistol was assembled by one person. The person who led us on the tour informed us that if a S&W revolver has a problem during final inspection or test firing before it's ships out, the gun goes back to the guy that made it to be fixed, on his OWN time.
Click to expand...

Regarding the bolded part: Someone was pulling your leg; it wasn't true then (or ever).
 

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