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Old February 5, 2013, 05:28 PM   #1
gilfo
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Brand new 637 and the crane bent!

Just brought my brand new 637 to the range. Loaded it up with 5 rds of 95gr cowboy loads and after finishing those the crane bent. What's up with that. Very disappointed in Smith right about now.
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Old February 5, 2013, 05:31 PM   #2
Babyfacenelson
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Granted i dont hear much, but i have NEVER heard if this problem.
Do you have pictures you can post?
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Old February 5, 2013, 05:38 PM   #3
gilfo
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I left it with the smith at the place I bought it. Waiting for his diagnosis.
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Old February 5, 2013, 05:40 PM   #4
Babyfacenelson
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Good plan.
Could you give a more specific description of what happened?
Even though you have a smith on it, im still kinda curious.
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Old February 5, 2013, 05:41 PM   #5
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I'm sure S&W will fix it no muss no fuss.
Exactly what is it doing? Can't close the cylinder back into the frame?
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Old February 5, 2013, 06:28 PM   #6
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We're you flipping the cylinder closed by chance? I don't understand how 5 shots would bend the crane.

Let us know what the shop says. If there is a problem and the shop can't take of it S&W will make it right.
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Old February 5, 2013, 07:33 PM   #7
James K
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I'll join the line of those who would like to see pictures or at least hear what the gunsmith has to say. It takes a lot of force to bend even an alloy crane.

Jim
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Old February 5, 2013, 10:53 PM   #8
Sgt127
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How?

I just checked my 642, the crane is stainless. I thought all the aluminum framed J's have stainless cranes. I THINK only the Scandium framed guns have alloy cranes. (my 642 is pretty old, so, I may be wrong on that).

After only five rounds, I can't imagine bending the crane unless you knocked the empties out with a 20 OZ ball peen hammer.
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Old February 6, 2013, 07:23 AM   #9
mete
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The crane is not the strongest part of the gun ! Doing what you see done on TV or in the movies [ snapping the crane open and shut ] will certainly change the timing !!
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Old February 6, 2013, 09:02 AM   #10
buck460XVR
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How did you know the crane was bent? 5 rounds of cowboy ammo ain't gonna bend the crane on a +p .38.
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Old February 6, 2013, 09:51 AM   #11
PetahW
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FWIW, I've been shooting, buying & selling S&W revolvers since the early 1960's, and can say that the only bent cranes I've ever come across were the result of holding the gun by the grip only and opening and/or closing a loaded cylinder fast with a flip of the holding wrist.

If you didn't do that, I suggest you send the gun directly back to S&W, instead of to a gunsmith, seller or not.

I just hope that some fool didn't play with that gun at the seller's venue, before you ever saw/bought it, causing S&W to void the warranty.



.

Last edited by PetahW; February 6, 2013 at 09:56 AM.
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Old February 6, 2013, 03:18 PM   #12
Shadi Khalil
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There is more to this story.
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Old February 6, 2013, 04:36 PM   #13
gilfo
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Just got a call from the smith today that the gun is fixed. I am going tomorrow to see what was done and to discuss with the gunsmith how and why this may have happened. I assure everyone I do know better that to flick the cylinder closed.

I will update everyone when I get to the bottom of this.
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Old February 6, 2013, 05:34 PM   #14
PetahW
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.

Betcha the 'smith straightened the crane via bending.

If it happens again - I'd wanna talk to the mgr of the S&W Service Dept about a possible soft crane.



.
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Old February 6, 2013, 05:51 PM   #15
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I'd still send it back to S&W.
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Old February 6, 2013, 06:58 PM   #16
James K
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It isn't all that easy to bend a crane on either a Colt or an S&W by "flipping." (I never tried it with a Ruger.)

I once got hold of a couple of well used police guns, a Colt OP and an S&W M&P (Dare I say "pre-Model 10"?). I loaded the cylinders and spent a couple of merry hours flipping the cylinders in and out. Sorry, folks, I got a sore wrist, but no bent cranes. Of course those were steel guns, not alloy, but I somehow doubt that firing a few shots from any revolver is going to bend the crane even if the cylinder were "flipped" a few times.

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Old February 6, 2013, 07:14 PM   #17
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"It isn't all that easy to bend a crane on a S&W by "flipping."

Not from I have heard. My 637 does not have a robust crane and the LGS said never, ever, flip the cylinder shut or it will break. They said a number of customers, including LEOs have had to return to Smith because of "flipping."
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Old February 7, 2013, 10:03 AM   #18
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S&W's customer service is 2nd to none...hope you didn't have to pay for that LGS gunsmith. Smith would have sent you a FEDEX shipping label and done any necessary work as well as smoothing up the action for nothing. Hope it works out for you, but a phone call would have been a better option in my opinion. Rod
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Old February 7, 2013, 01:24 PM   #19
gilfo
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Well got the gun back from the gunsmith. He was not very talkative about what happen and why. I just said that the yoke/crane was apparently out of alignment from the factory and the 5 rd I out thru it made it worse.
To the point the cylinder would not close. He realigned it and I shot 50 rds without a problem. Still a little disappointed with Smith And Wesson. Probably won't be buying anymore of their products in the future.
I will be sending them a e-mail describing what happen too.
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Old February 7, 2013, 01:31 PM   #20
James K
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Thinking that the small alloy frame guns might be weaker, I just finished "flipping" my 642 about 100 times, half with the cylinder loaded, half with it empty. Nothing broke, nothing bent. A range rod shows no misalignment of the barrel and cylinder. So again, I don't claim that "flipping" is good, but I will take with a very large grain of salt the claims of your LGS.

FWIW, the only revolver I ever had to fix because of a bent crane was due to "flipping" - "flipping" the gun across the head of a miscreant who became somewhat unruly when a police officer tried to restrain him. That gun was a Colt. I advised the officer to use his baton or blackjack in the future.

Jim
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Old February 7, 2013, 01:35 PM   #21
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That's confusing feedback from the smith. Did the gun show any signs of misalignment when new? Was is spitting lead out the gap between the cylinder and the forcing cone? "Alignment" problems would not be hard to see since the fit is so tight and if it had problems I'm not sure I'd be satisfied with the smith doing a manual realignment. Better to let S&W diagnose it and replace parts or the entire gun if necessary.
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Old February 7, 2013, 05:32 PM   #22
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I sent off a e-mail to S&W customer service for their input. Let you know what they say
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Old February 7, 2013, 06:51 PM   #23
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In hindsight, you would have been better off sending the gun back to S&W and letting them take care of it under warranty. Hopefully your gunsmith didn't void your warranty. Nonetheless, contact S&W. They may still want to see the gun and if there is a problem, they will take care of it.

Please update what they have to say.
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Old February 7, 2013, 07:05 PM   #24
lee n. field
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Quote:
left it with the smith at the place I bought it. Waiting for his diagnosis.
Brand new? Call S&W. That should not happen with normal handling and use.
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Old February 8, 2013, 12:35 AM   #25
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Everyone puts out a lemon now and then. I would not let it put you off of S&W they stand behind their product and generally make a terrific one. Same with Ruger.

Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; February 8, 2013 at 09:29 AM.
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