Everyone raves about S&W's customer service being so great, my experience has been less than stellar. Good luck getting them to send you parts for pre 1989 models, or much less service them for free as I have heard many others claim. I have been less than pleased with 3 of the 8 Smiths that I have owned/own, and had 3 different encounters with there customer service center.
First, I ordered a 500 S&W from an online retailer, and when I got it, the finish was downright awful. Looked like someone dragged it through a gravel pit, and this was new mind you. They called it there "satin" finish. I refinished it myself and it became a beautiful revolver that shot straight and true. I didn't bother contacting them about it, but its worth mentioning that the gun came out of the factory looking that way in the first place.
Second, I bought a model 29-6 used, that didn't have a rear site assembly. I figured I could order one from the factory no problem and went ahead with the purchase. Smith and Wesson claimed they didn't carry parts for those any more, and suggested a couple other parts retailers that were both dead ends. It left a bad taste in my mouth that S&W would leave their old customers hanging like that on such a popular item. I had to buy one off gun broker that was in less than perfect shape, but at least it worked. So I took it out shooting, and the gun was obviously a lemon. Two of the chambers were severely misaligned; One bullet always went way high and right, the other way low and left, and I mean WAY OFF away from the other 4's consistently mediocre rainbow shaped group. It spit lead on almost every shot. Primer strikes were also off center. So I called S&W about it. The guy I talked to seemed uninterested in helping me, but offered to let me send in the gun on my own dime both ways and pay them $200 to replace the cylinder, and assured me that anything else I wanted done to it or needed fixed would cost me as well. I asked about their famous lifetime warranty and he said that only applied to post 1989 guns. Thanks for nothing. I sold it to someone else and fully disclosed the issues to them first, instead of sending it to S&W for the repairs.
Third, I bought a model 629, again this one had no rear sight assembly. They did have this one on hand, and sent it right out. $50 and some change. I felt it was a bit high priced for what it is, but fair enough. That gun has been great ever since.
Fourth, I bought a second 500 S&W, that had numerous issues, and this was new from the S&W Performance Center, custom shop. I really didn't want to deal with their CS department again, so I took care of the problems myself. It was stained, and covered in grime and sticky crap that took a lot of solvent and elbow grease to remove and I was never able to get a couple of the spots off, try as I might. Next, the screw and bolt in the bottom of the grips were all buggered up and wouldn't screw in. The grips literally fell off in the condition that the factory had sent it out in. So I used my tap and die set and fixed that. Finally it was shootable, so I took it to the range. 4 out of 5 shots were miss fires from light primer strikes. Took it apart and found that the hammer was glancing off the frame before hitting the firing pin (thus wearing shiny spots on the hammers bead blasted finish) So I removed a small amount of metal from the inside of where the hammer was hitting (you cant visibly tell). Also, their attempt at a trigger job (which was admittedly sweet for a revolver with such a large cylinder to turn) Had left the hammer spring tension screw to short, so I made a small block for it. Problem solved.
Maybe some day I might get the legendary great customer service they are known for, but I am still waiting.
Ruger on the other hand, has done EVERYTHING for free, in what ever way I wished to do it, and has done it QUICKLY.
