quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

quote:

Originally posted by Ruger Redhawk:

Let me ask you this. Why did S&W refuse to honor the warranty? It has a lifetime warranty and there was definitely something wrong for the frame to crack. I'd be on the phone with someone in upper management getting that BS resolved.
In the last 6 months I bought a pre-rebate 45 Shield then during the rebate a 9mm and 40 cal Shields. I've fired the 45 but haven't made an effort to try the 9 & 40 out as of yet. I started not even to buy the 40 cal but for the price w/t rebate I got weak.

When the problem occurred, several of us at the range looked closely at the pistol and couldn't figure out why it was doing what it was doing (press the trigger, draw bar moves, but won't move the striker, won't fire). After some internet searches, I turned up a number of identical malfunctions, and it came down to a crack...I found pictures. I examined my pistol, and it had an identical crack. Very hard to see.

In every case, the owner sent it to S&W, who sent it to their "met lab," and then the company blamed the problem on ammunition and refused to warranty it. In each case, s&w offered a "replacement" pistol at a higher price than what could be bought elsewhere (full price).

I contacted s&w, told them what I'd found, they said sent it in, sent a label. I told them I didn't want to hear about it going to the met lab then being blamed on ammunition. It went to the "met lab" and then s&w refused to warranty it, saying it was ammunition.

Less than 200 rounds of Remington UMC, purchased at the range. No unusual sounds, pistol actions, no signs of overpressure in brass. No bulging cases, blown primers, flattened primers, etc.

When I called s&w, I was told they couldn't find any reason for the failure, and I was told by the rep on the phone that standard practice, when unable to determine a cause for failure, was to blame ammunition. I was told I could have a replacement pistol for 319 dollars. The replacement would come with a new serial number, and I'd have to pay the transfer fee. That's not a replacement; that's bait and switch with false guarantees, and attempting to sell me a new pistol. I said no.

quote:

Originally posted by soggy_spinout:
I also should add that there have been similar frame problems with their double-stack 1.0 guns in the past; S&W's response to owners of those broken guns were the same. However, if you were wondering why S&W added additional internal frame metal structure in the 2.0 guns...now you know.