S&W says no lead boolits for me

[castblaster]

I bought a S&W 629-6 5" classic and I was very happy.


Then I find this in barrel.



It indents the lead when the boolit moves over it then let's gas by after it passes. Witch gas cuts The boolit and leads the barrel. Even at 800 fps with wdww pb 250 swc with unique sized .431. At 1000+ gas cutting is worse.

So I returned gun to S&W with the story. They recut the forcing cone and sent it back.

Returned gun a second time with more story plus this picture


And I sent a slug that clearly showed the marks left on it.

S&W returned it today with this letter



Now I have a gun I can't use, as I only want to shoot lead. Now I'm very unhappy

[castblaster]

A better pic of letter

[Baja_Traveler]

Guess I'll be sticking to my Rugers...

[theperfessor]

Remind me NEVER to use whatever manufacturing process S & W is referring to! That looks like the forcing cone and rifling was cut with a dull cold chisel. I'd be unhappy too.

[44man]

They must have hired the tiny Spanish guys with cold chisels!
That looks like the first Spanish muzzle loader bores.

[GLL]

I notice your letter is not signed. Did you get the name of the service rep who handled your gun and wrote you the response ? I would consider going higher up the Customer Service system and talking to a manager or Vice President !

Jerry

[cbrick]

That is sad indeed. What could they be thinking? You don't even need to know all that much about revolvers to know that ain't gonna fly. Looks very much like it would also butcher a J-word. Sad.

Rick

[PB234]

another reason to go after old pre lock S&Ws.

[Char-Gar]

Shades of the early 80's, **** coming out of Springfield. At least back then the service department would fix it.

This is the second complaint I have read in recent days about Smith refusing to correct a problem with a new gun.

That ends any thought I might have had about buying a new Smith and Wesson. If they wont stand behind their products, I am through with them.

[Hip's Ax]

I most certainly would not accept that decision. That barrel looks horrible and if that is their expectation of the finished product I am appalled.

I have been seriously considering an S&W for a target revolver. I am not considering them anymore.

[castblaster]

Here is a pic after forcing cone was recut


You can still see the old cone cut.

[geargnasher]

What a joke. I have had several S&Ws that looked like that, all got recut and lapped myself, because I wanted it done correctly, and for the price of shipping it to the factory I got the tools.

Ruger has made some horrid forcing cones over the years too, but that's one of those "finish" steps that one would expect to get culled from the process of making a $400 pistol, NOT from a $1200+ revolver from what used to be the best name in the business.....

Gear

[cbr]

I have a new s&w 629 on the way. I sure hope it don't look like that. That is simply unacceptable.

[fredj338]

Another reason I love the older S&W. Sell it to someone, many 44mag shooters never touch lead bullets. Then look for an older -2 or -3 or leave it as a J-bullet shooter & get another one.

[x101airborne]

What a joke and an apalling attempt to pass off junk. If it is not too butchered, maybe try a brass lap and some fine grit compound. Maybe start with some valve compound then go to toothpaste or something like that. You are into it this far and cleaning up the forcing cone cant make things any worse. IMO

[castblaster]

The forcing cone is not the problem. It's the rocket shaped thing in the bore between the lands is tall than the bore and indents the boolits as they pass over it.

Here is org thread
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=124353

[pdawg_shooter]

Send a copy of your post and their reply to S&W to the CEO with a note that this will be posted on every firearms forums you can find.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Since 1993 S&W has been using Electro Chemical Machining (ECM) for rifling their barrels:

http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/...-chemical.html

Something obviously went wrong with your barrel. The rifling has apparently been etched too deep at the start, and the crown shows typical chatter marks from either the cutter being new (and too sharp) or the barrel not being clamped/supported correctly.

It's sad to see the extent to which the quality of guns has dropped over the last two or three decades. I compare my trusty Beretta 682 shotgun to my new Beretta Xtrema2 semi auto - and feel like weeping

[mj2evans]

This level of "craftmanship" is sad ... in one of the few areas of manufacturing left in America. I would expect this from Century but not S&W. Just think if a new shooter got this - might drive them away from shooting. Tooking good money for crappy, at best, work is theft in my book.

[AggieEE]

A question to the experts for my edification. Would fire lapping or just plain lead lapping remove that "rocket ship" without turning the bore into a 45 cal? I need to go home now and look at my 629 and see if I now have a problem. Thanks guys.
AggieEE