How come....

[DF357]

you hear all sorts of 'problems' with about every brand gun made here on this forum, but I can't remember seeing any problems concerning S&W guns ?

If I search I could probably find a few, maybe, but it seems like other brands have many many more.

Is it that S&W fans don't frequent here? Or maybe there simply aren't as many (fans or guns) ???

This is not meant to be sarcasm. This is an honest question from one who just happens to like (and owns several trouble free) S&W handguns - round and flat.

I'm curious.........................

 

[Ala Dan]

OH! But NO-

You haven't read far enough on these forums!

Run a search on the Smith & Wesson Sigma series
and see what you turn up!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Spackler]

You're not looking hard enough.

They usually aren't problems, per se, (except the Sigma), but stories about how the ergonomics are crap, the bore axis is high, the safety is slide-mounted, quality is poor, and the like, and how all that stuff is bad, bad, bad.

That, and how "I know Troopers from Agency X, and they carry S&W model X and they're having all sorts of problems, they all hate them", etc.

The S&W autoloaders I've owned have all been accurate and reliable. Same deal for my friends who've owned them.

 

[DF357]

ok...

I'll bite that the Sigma probably wasn't their best effort - although mine has been flawless- but I'm really not referring to one model line.

What I read here is that people seem to have problems with brands other than SW reqardless of the model.

I referring to the brand in general. It seems Smith is mentioned very little compared to others.

Sorry Spackler, you posted when I was writing this in response to the first post.

I hear you but it seems most of the gripes are user preferences or political bias, not real specific manufacturing or quality control or customer support issues such as you hear about other manufacturers.

 

[Ala Dan]

Att: DF357

Like you, I had very good success with the first
generation Smith & Wesson self-loader's; in
particular several model 39-2's and even two
model 59's! After that I have only owned one
additional nickel model 459. It too, worked well.

I can only address the Sigma's problems as a
by-stander; as I haven't really seen the necessity
to own one, preferring the real SIG's*
instead. But, as my days as a LEO were winding
down; I never saw a Smith & Wesson Sigma in
either 9m/m or .40 S&W that was capeable of
completing the police qualification course! With
that said, maybe S&W has made some improve-
ments to this line?

*Denotes SIG-Sauer's "Classic" P-series self-
loader's.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Mike Irwin]

You, then, have missed the messages in which I list the litany of problems that have cropped up with greater frequency in S&W guns since the early 1990s.

Trust me, they AIN'T perfect.

 

[agtman]

I'll second what Spackler said in the last paragraph of his post.

That's been my experience with the S&W pistols in the 10XX-series and the 45XX-series. These are robust, well-built single-stack DA guns. Utterly reliable and durable, I've found that their out-of-the-box accuracy ranges from very good to tack-driving.

Their eye-catching stainless steel and no-nonsense size exude a distinctly American look, which certainly pleases me to no end at the local range amid a herd of "tactical" Euro-polymer guns.

A young guy who'd been shooting his HK came over to see what all the BOOMING! was about after I'd run a mag of Texas Ammo's 10mm thru my 1006.

"That a Smith?"

"Yeah."

"45?"

"No, 10mm."

"Hmmmm. Look's heavy. They made those things way back in the 80s, didn't they?"



Then after some comment about "80's technology," he graciously volunteered his opinion on the current, highly advanced state of polymer pistol development, no doubt for my benefit.

See, when you shoot S&W autoloaders, you have to be prepared for a certain of amount of uninvited "guidance." Just treat it the same way you would unsolicited mail.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Once upon a time, Smith & Wesson revolvers were of very high, very dependable quality, but that's changed over the years, and the company itself hopped into bed with the Snopes Clinton-Liar Gore régime.

 

[vmi93]

High price, average performance

I haven't owned one, but I did consider them at one time. When I was looking, the S&W autos ran from 500-700 in price. Slightly used Glocks and SIG's were available for 4-600.

S&W has a reputation for hit and miss products with their autoloaders. Glock and SIG have reputations as being unfailingly reliable and accurate.

Glock's action is easy to learn to shoot well. S&W's best autoloaders are all DA/SA.

S&W leapt into bed with Andrew Cuomo and Bill Clinton and tried to force other manufacturers to do the same.

Because of the above, no "serious" (belonging to more than 2 gun-related internet forums) gun geek even considers S&W autos when they go gun shopping.

All that said, a police firearms instructor showed up at one of our local matches and beat everyone using a Sigma.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I'm a very big S&W fan. I even have a Sigma

There have been plenty of problems. I remember one when the 3rd generations first came out. Seems if you dropped the gun and manage to hit the bottom of the grip, the grip would shatter. Since the grip was the only thing that help the mainspring in place, no more bang-bang. Bad news for LEOs. They fixed that. There have been sporadic model specific problems as well. Also, there were reliability problems just recently that gave the SW99 a bad name.

That said, I've had about as many problems with my own personal S&W 3rd generation autos as I've had with my Glocks.

 

[Graystar]

Technically, my first gun was a S&W 22A. I bought it and went right to the range to try it out. After firing the second round it jammed. It then jammed on every round after that. I brought it back to the store, they did a little work on it, but it kept on jamming back at the range. Luckily, because this all happened within an hour and a half after having bought the gun, the store took the gun back (Sportsman Warehouse.) I then bought a Ruger Mark II, which I consider to really be my first gun.

I did buy a S&W M41 which has operated perfectly.

 

[faustulus]

I don't have the numbers but I would bet overall their are fewer people with smith autos than other brands. Just a guess. I had two, one was good the other could hit the broad side of a barn on a good day with some luck.

 

[agtman]

Just so the political commentators are clear on the relevant timeline, the S&W 10XX- and 45XX-series autoloaders to which I referred were manufactured and marketed pre-sellout. So you can pick one up guilt-free.

 

[russlate]

Bought one of the first 59's. Multiple trips to shop, back to S&W, still wouldn't feed ball. Friend bought it from me knowing what was going on. Finally, had mag feed lips reshaped. Once it functioned, he gave it away.

Then I bought a 39-2 used. Had been told nickeled guns got special care to be w/in tolerances since they'd have to be de-nickeled before doing work on them and then re-nickeled before shipping back. So got it and it feeds everything I've ever put in it. Sights dead on, and it always hits whatever I shoot at. Whether or not I'm capable of making the shot.

Best auto pistol I ever owned.

 

[firestar]

I think they have their share of problems, like all guns but people seem to be a LOT less passionate about S&W autos than many other maker's guns. I know a lot of Glock, H&K, Walther, Kahr, Sig and Beretta fans but I don't meet many people that are crazy about S&W autos. I think they are mostly decent guns but they are so hum-drum that people don't tend to get ga-ga over them. They are the Ford Taurus of the gun world.

 

[arinvolvo]

They are the $45,000 dollar Ford taurus of the gun world.

Where as the other taurus of the gun world (taurus ) goes for a more reasonable price.