My S&W 686+ Experience - Crooked Barrel

[92G]

Had an interesting experience with S&W. Thought I would share:

-Early Feb 2014: I purchased a new 686+ from FS. Nice and shiny. Went home happy with the usual "new gun boner". Fired the 686+ at the range (25 ft) and it shot fine albeit this is short distance...more boner was had.

-Late Feb 2014: while cleaning the 686+, i notice the barrel looks wicked crooked. It appeared canted to the right and also drifted to the right, particularly noticeable when viewed from above. My woman agreed. So I took it to my gunsmith who also agreed it didn't look healthy. He dropped a straight-edge on it just to confirm. Sure enough a few mm of open space on the left suggesting barrel indeed leaning to the right.

-3/3/14: I email S&W regarding my concern. No response for >7 days.

-3/12/14: I call S&W, wait on hold for >30 min. When fellow answers, I describe my concern and he states that there is no need to send the gun back to S&W and that it is perfectly fine and I should just keep shooting it. Given that I spent a good deal of $$ on this gun, I wasn't in agreement with his plan. Kindly I asked to have S&W simply examine this gun and if they find it's fine, so be it I will keep it no more complaints. He literally told me that "if the gun is sent back, there is a 99% chance nothing will be done to it." So I said "OK that's fine....just want you guys to look at it." Shipping label provided.

-3/14/14: 686+ shipped to S&W.

-4/1/14: Fedex delivers the 686+ back to me. Looking at the gun it indeed looks much straighter now...however I am a bit "mental" so I ignored my own assessment for the time being. The paperwork was hard to interpret so I called S&W to determine what (if anything) was done. Turns out the barrel was indeed re-aligned and "repaired"...not sure what that meant exactly. The tech on the phone stated that indeed the barrel was "not right" and needed to be re-set. I have not yet shot it.

So overall, this was an weird experience for me...

Negatives:
-S&W apparently ships crooked 686's to the shelves for sale (this isn't a new issue apparently after searching google/youtube)
-S&W CS essentially dodged my emails for a week
-S&W CS wasn't interested in servicing my gun and I essentially had to insist on it by phone
-Paperwork from the service center was not even remotely clear as to the nature of servicing

Positives:
-S&W paid for shipping (we often take for granted)
-They appear to have fixed it
-The 686+ still gives me a boner

Anyway just thought I would share. If you guys want pictures I can post them.
Have you had similar experiences? Is this normal? Or is S&W being lame?
Honestly I am hesitant to purchase any more S&W revolvers given this experience.

-Squib308

 

[pupchow]

Revolvers are hand fitted. And sometimes they need a whack or two, or three... It's not out of the ordinary for one not to be "true."

 

[mike01824]

S&W CS by email is shit. Call and dont take no for an answer. It'll eventually escalte high enough for satisfaction, but its not simple.

 

[chinalfr]

The 686+ still gives me a boner -Squib308

This is all matter. If not, just take a cialis or blue pill, the problem will resolved.

Sent from my Tinfoil hat

 

[Youradolt]

S&w quilty control is in dumps as of
Lately

 

[Boghog1]

post pics, your definition of crooked could be out of whack

 

[wahsben]

It's a shame. S&W used to get high praise for their CS. It does not seem to be the case anymore.

 

[Sweeney]

S&W has had the inability to properly clock a barrel for quite some time. I bought an older 629 at a decent discount because it had an under clocked barrel. I noticed it at the store because the rear sight was way over to the right. I took it home, clamped it up and clocked it.

 

[ntomsw]

Next time, buy a Ruger revolver. It will outlast a S&W, and you can shoot the hottest loads out of them.

 

[Gammon]

S&W has had the inability to properly clock a barrel for quite some time. I bought an older 629 at a decent discount because it had an under clocked barrel. I noticed it at the store because the rear sight was way over to the right. I took it home, clamped it up and clocked it.

Isn't there a pin that locks the barrel in place?

 

[Gammon]

Had an interesting experience with S&W. Thought I would share:

-Early Feb 2014: I purchased a new 686+ from FS. Nice and shiny. Went home happy with the usual "new gun boner". Fired the 686+ at the range (25 ft) and it shot fine albeit this is short distance...more boner was had.

-Late Feb 2014: while cleaning the 686+, i notice the barrel looks wicked crooked. It appeared canted to the right and also drifted to the right, particularly noticeable when viewed from above. My woman agreed. So I took it to my gunsmith who also agreed it didn't look healthy. He dropped a straight-edge on it just to confirm. Sure enough a few mm of open space on the left suggesting barrel indeed leaning to the right.

-3/3/14: I email S&W regarding my concern. No response for >7 days.

-3/12/14: I call S&W, wait on hold for >30 min. When fellow answers, I describe my concern and he states that there is no need to send the gun back to S&W and that it is perfectly fine and I should just keep shooting it. Given that I spent a good deal of $$ on this gun, I wasn't in agreement with his plan. Kindly I asked to have S&W simply examine this gun and if they find it's fine, so be it I will keep it no more complaints. He literally told me that "if the gun is sent back, there is a 99% chance nothing will be done to it." So I said "OK that's fine....just want you guys to look at it." Shipping label provided.

-3/14/14: 686+ shipped to S&W.

-4/1/14: Fedex delivers the 686+ back to me. Looking at the gun it indeed looks much straighter now...however I am a bit "mental" so I ignored my own assessment for the time being. The paperwork was hard to interpret so I called S&W to determine what (if anything) was done. Turns out the barrel was indeed re-aligned and "repaired"...not sure what that meant exactly. The tech on the phone stated that indeed the barrel was "not right" and needed to be re-set. I have not yet shot it.

So overall, this was an weird experience for me...

Negatives:
-S&W apparently ships crooked 686's to the shelves for sale (this isn't a new issue apparently after searching google/youtube)
-S&W CS essentially dodged my emails for a week
-S&W CS wasn't interested in servicing my gun and I essentially had to insist on it by phone
-Paperwork from the service center was not even remotely clear as to the nature of servicing

Positives:
-S&W paid for shipping (we often take for granted)
-They appear to have fixed it
-The 686+ still gives me a boner

Anyway just thought I would share. If you guys want pictures I can post them.
Have you had similar experiences? Is this normal? Or is S&W being lame?
Honestly I am hesitant to purchase any more S&W revolvers given this experience.

-Squib308

S&W does ship some garbage. A friend at S&W once told me that the custom shop once shipped a 44 Magnum revolver with no barrel. I once bought a 4516 45 ACP semi auto that actually grouped just over an inch for three shots at 50 yds. That's the good news; the bad news was that point of impact was 18 in below the aiming point at 50 yds. This was "The good old days", one call to S&W and they sent me a couple of front sights to solve the problem and would have fixed the gun if I had returned it. Unfortunately, times have changed.

 

[pupchow]

I'm also in contact with a former S&W fitter, who explained there're definitely some bad apples working there (they have ways to "cheat" during the fitting process), and some of their poor workmanship can make it to a shop. With the lackluster CS going on at S&W lately, it seems all the more prudent to bone up on the hows of examining a revolver's build quality prior to taking receipt of one.

My recent experience with S&W's CS smelled of a poorly managed department. In hindsight, I should've escalated my complaint. Their strong share prices don't seem to be helping their attitude towards CS.

 

[pistolzen]

Would it be possible to share some photos?

Do you have before and after?


Did it look like barrel was not straight or did it seem not screwed in to 12:00 position?

 

[92G]

Hey everyone.

People requested photos so here you go.
These aren't the best pics but it's all I got. In Person the revolver seemed more obviously crooked. My gunsmith made an interesting face when he inspected the gun in person (not the kind of face you want to see when a gunsmith holds your gun!)

I didn't take any photos from the muzzle to demonstrate the barrel canting...sorry.

Before servicing: barrel crooked right, canted right, hammer catching on something just before break (making it awful)






After serving: barrel less crooked, no longer canted, trigger much better and no "hammer snag" just before breaking




I couldn't figure out how to rotate the images to the right so the gun is facing north...maybe someone could explain or i'm perhaps retarded.

 

[exo]

My experience with S&W CS was for a revolver with a timing problem. I discovered the timing problem by pieces of jacket hitting me in the face. When I called, the rep asked if I was the original owner, which I was not - though I bought the gun NIB -. At that point the rep said I would be charged for service. I asked if it was S&W's position that they would not repair an obvious safety problem for free regardless of their warranty, and was told that it was.

After complaining about this to an FFL friend of mine, they suggested I use S&W's online form. I did, and it never asked me if I was the original owner. They sent me a shipping label, and eventually they replaced the entire frame - which they insisted had to go through a FFL.

This is my one and only experience with S&W CS, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[92G]

My experience with S&W CS was for a revolver with a timing problem. I discovered the timing problem by pieces of jacket hitting me in the face. When I called, the rep asked if I was the original owner, which I was not - though I bought the gun NIB -. At that point the rep said I would be charged for service. I asked if it was S&W's position that they would not repair an obvious safety problem for free regardless of their warranty, and was told that it was.

After complaining about this to an FFL friend of mine, they suggested I use S&W's online form. I did, and it never asked me if I was the original owner. They sent me a shipping label, and eventually they replaced the entire frame - which they insisted had to go through a FFL.

This is my one and only experience with S&W CS, so take that for what it's worth.

wow i didn't realize it could fire with the timing so off.
was it an old revolver?
i was under the impression the newer S&W designs are less likely to fire if timing is off.

 

[pistolzen]

Thanks for posting pictures.

The pics aren't a great help but I would say there is a good chance that your frame was tweeked during the barrel install.

If you bought the gun BNIB and it had this problem out of box id have a good smith check it out post repair.

The retweek (to square the frame back up could have weakened the frame, ) .

Maybe SW should give a replacement BNIB.

Cheers

 

[92G]

Thanks for posting pictures.

The pics aren't a great help but I would say there is a good chance that your frame was tweeked during the barrel install.

If you bought the gun BNIB and it had this problem out of box id have a good smith check it out post repair.

The retweek (to square the frame back up could have weakened the frame, ) .

Maybe SW should give a replacement BNIB.

Cheers

they were reluctant to even service the 686+ in the first place, so i doubt they would give a BNIB replacement.
seeing as i am the original owner, i figure if i have any issues down the road i will nag the $hit out of S&W until they indeed replace this gun.
in the meantime what i have learned is to not purchase any more S&W revolvers.

if i end up buying any more revolvers they will be a GP100 4" or a SP101 w short barrel.

 

[exo]

wow i didn't realize it could fire with the timing so off.
was it an old revolver?
i was under the impression the newer S&W designs are less likely to fire if timing is off.

No it was brand new, which was all the more surprising. I checked the timing on all my other S&W's after that and thankfully they are fine.

 

[je25ff]

That's just for some extra Kentucky windage...