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Old March 12, 2018, 04:26 PM   #1
coolbreezy
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Recent Smith and Wesson quality?

I've been reading on this forum and others that S&W's quality has become sub par as of late. I personally cannot agree with this sentiment, as I have 3 recent S&W wheel guns (production within the last couple of years or so), that have been nothing short of spectacular. My 3 modern wheelies are a 460xvr, 686+ talo 3-5-7, and a 629-6 v-comp (I traded a 629-3 for the v-comp, for shame!). I haven't shot the 629 v-comp yet, but my 686 talo has about 500+ rounds through it, mainly 125 grain .357 mags. The 460xvr has approx. 400 rounds through it split between 45LC and full bore 460 mag loads (no 454 casull rounds as of yet. Great accuracy and not a single hiccup for either one of them.

All 3 of these revolvers have a bank vault tight lock up, tight clearances (no excessive gaps), and superb fit and finish. Everything came from the factory with the quality very close to a P&R Smith of yesterday. Now while I'll admit I can't stand the ILS, I haven't had an issue yet from one. Maybe I've been lucky with my recent smiths. I have 2 pre-locks as well, a 28-2 and a 629-1. Those revolvers have been awesome. I will say that the modern smiths don't have the mystique of the older ones. My question is, how many of you guys are satisfied with your recent (post lock) Smith's? Have you had more misses than hits? Do any of you have a recent Smith that compares in quality to your older ones?
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S&W highway patrolman 28-2/ Springfield mil spec 1911 (semi custom)/ Sig P220 match elite .45 acp/Kimber micro 9 stainless/ Remington 870 tac14/ Taurus pt22/ S&W 629-1 3" .44 mag/ S&W 629 PC V-Comp/ Beretta M9/ Stevens/Savage 311A 12 ga double bbl/ Magnum research Desert Eagle XIX .44 mag/ S&W 460 xvr/ Glock g40 10mm longslide/ H&K usp compact .45 acp/ Ruger SuperBlackhawk Lipsey Edition/ S&W 686+ 3-5-7 talo edition
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Old March 12, 2018, 04:44 PM   #2
BigJimP
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I have a pair of the 627's ...one in 5" and one in 2 5/8" both perf center models / 8 shot, .357 mag...

They lack the classic look of the older model 27's ( which I like very much ) ...and internally, they are very different....full of MIM parts.../ but I've had them about 2 yrs, and I've put about 2,500 rds apiece thru them with no issues. I even carry the 2 5/8" once in a while...

I have a variety of older models - all pre lock ....18's, 19's, 27's,28's, 29's --- 66's, 686, 629's...and they are all great guns as well. I'm not giving up any of my older revolvers...but I have no reservations about recommending the new model 627's either.
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Old March 12, 2018, 04:50 PM   #3
coolbreezy
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The MIM hasn't caused an issue yet for me, I do love the look of the case hardened forged trigger and hammer with firing pin attached.
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S&W highway patrolman 28-2/ Springfield mil spec 1911 (semi custom)/ Sig P220 match elite .45 acp/Kimber micro 9 stainless/ Remington 870 tac14/ Taurus pt22/ S&W 629-1 3" .44 mag/ S&W 629 PC V-Comp/ Beretta M9/ Stevens/Savage 311A 12 ga double bbl/ Magnum research Desert Eagle XIX .44 mag/ S&W 460 xvr/ Glock g40 10mm longslide/ H&K usp compact .45 acp/ Ruger SuperBlackhawk Lipsey Edition/ S&W 686+ 3-5-7 talo edition
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Old March 12, 2018, 05:00 PM   #4
Johny Smith
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@coolbreezy,

You better hope right at over $3k in those guns.
Get back to us after you have around 10k rounds through each of them and rounds they were supposedly design to shoot. On average the average are lucky if they are shooting a couple box's a month. Some are lucky to take it out of the safe once a year.

When I go out to my gun club with my lowly Ruger LCR .357 magnum I never leave before min. 150 rounds of pure .357 shooting, seriously. No blisters, no hand aches and yes no hands of steal. I just enjoy shooting and it's relaxing for me and the last thing that makes me feel in control and that I have some freedom.

The first day I broke it in was over 200 rounds and I can blow through that in under 3 hours.
There was guy who had over 7000 magnum rounds through his LCR, at 5000 rounds he sent the gun off to a metallurgy lab and they x-ray it from the inside out, 100% clean bill of health.

Ruger sure did their homework.

When I go on the S&W site and see them saying rated for continue +P use I'm sure they may be hoping most only do shoot 38's out of their .357 guns.

p.s. that guy with the over 7000 magnum rounds, that was in less than 6 months

Last edited by Johny Smith; March 12, 2018 at 05:14 PM. Reason: p.s.
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Old March 12, 2018, 05:23 PM   #5
disseminator
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I have right now:

625-JM that I bought last year.
29-10 that I bought the year before that.
460 XVR that I bought three years ago.

I just purchased a 4" 686+ that is on it's way to my FFL right now.

Of the three that I have, I have about 1000 rounds through the 625, 900 rounds through the 29-10 with about 300 being Magnums and the rest 240 SWC at 900 fps, and about 1500 hundred through the XVR, over 1000 of those are full power magnums and the rest are 454 Casull and Ruger 45 Colt loads.

The 29-10 and the 460 are perfect and have given me zero issues at all. The 625 had to go to the factory and have a new barrel put on it and an adjustment to the firing system since I was having misfires in double action.

My grip was cracked on the 625 as well and S&W made me whole by fixing it all. When I got the gun back a few weeks later, it was perfect.

I have since shot a bunch of hot 45 Auto Rims in that baby with no issues.

I can't wait for the 686+ to get here, it's my first 357. I had to have one after I shot my buddies 586.
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Old March 12, 2018, 05:35 PM   #6
DPris
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The latest new Smith revolver I had here last year was a 66 snub .357.
It had virtually no forcing cone & spit bullet material markedly because of shaving.

Shot OK, but annoying to get that back-splatter.
Denis
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Old March 12, 2018, 06:13 PM   #7
laytonj1
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Quote:
There was guy who had over 7000 magnum rounds through his LCR, at 5000 rounds he sent the gun off to a metallurgy lab and they x-ray it from the inside out, 100% clean bill of health.
LOL, a friend of a friend who knows a guy....


I haven't had much luck with brand new guns from S&W or Ruger. Quality goes down as production goes up.

Jim
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Old March 12, 2018, 08:45 PM   #8
Johny Smith
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laytonj1 View Post
LOL, a friend of a friend who knows a guy...

Laugh away, the dude had a blog going on the internet about his experiences and the last time I saw it around 3 years ago he had 7000 through it. Haven't seen him around so who knows now. I think he just wanted to see if the LCR truly was revolutionary, I got the impression he was very surprised how good it was. I mean to send it off to a an independent Lab, that's intense.
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Old March 12, 2018, 09:36 PM   #9
reddog81
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I have S&W's from every decade back to 1880. The 2004 325 PD in 45 ACP and the 929 in 9mm (purchased last year) match the quality of any of the other S&W's I own. I'm not a fan of the lock and think they should do away with it on most models but other than that I can't complain. I've put over a 1,000 rounds through the 929 since it's purchase in December. I've probably got over 500 rounds through the 325 since it's purchase one year ago. The 325 is kind of beast to shoot with the titanium cylinder and alloy frame.

Not to hijack the thread, but it's already going that way... The one new Ruger I've purchased(GP100) had numerous issues and the 3 different LCR's I've handled and considered buying all had issues that would require trips back to Ruger.
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Old March 12, 2018, 10:39 PM   #10
Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy

My collection of S&W revolvers goes back to 1859. I have at least one from every decade since.

Just for the fun of it I bought a brand new Model 686-6 in 2015. Four inch barrel, 7 shots, 357 Mag. Bought it because I did not have any L frame Smiths, and the price was right.

Took it to the range and the only way I could get it to shoot to the center of a target was to crank the rear sight way over to the right. Like this.






Turned it around and eyeballed how the yoke closes against the frame. This is as far as it will close. Because the barrel is canted slightly and will not allow the yoke to close all the way.






The gun shoots to one side because the barrel is canted slightly. Yes, I do know how to shoot a revolver properly, been doing so for a long time. And yes, my bad for not noticing it before I bought the gun. But as far as I'm concerned, this is shoddy workmanship. The rear sight should not have to be cranked way over to one side to get the gun to shoot to the center of a target.




This is how the yoke should snug up on a S&W revolver. A 32-20 Hand Ejector from 1916. You don't have to go that far back to find a properly made Smith, my Model 19-3 I bought in 1975 closes up just as nice.






Will the 686 shoot for years and years? Probably. But it should be able to hit the target properly.




The only other 'modern' S&W I have is a Model 617-6 made in 2003. I bought it used a few years ago. Sorry, but I can't stand the full underlugs that S&W seems to be putting on all their revolvers now. I think they are butt ugly.






The 617 shoots OK, but this worn old K-22 from 1932 can shoot rings around it.





All in all, I have no problem with MIM parts. Smith and Wesson has always striven to drive the cost out of manufacturing, starting back in 1857. MIM is just one more way to do that. I don't even have a big problem with the lock. But there is no way anybody can tell me the new guns are being made with the same quality as 50, 60, or 70 years ago. Nobody could afford them if they were.

As far as I'm concerned, I will not be buying any more new S&W revolvers. There are plenty of terrific old ones out there.
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Old March 13, 2018, 06:00 AM   #11
CajunBass
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Driftwood Johnson
The only other 'modern' S&W I have is a Model 617-6 made in 2003. I bought it used a few years ago. Sorry, but I can't stand the full underlugs that S&W seems to be putting on all their revolvers now. I think they are butt ugly.
I am SO glad to hear someone else say that. The ONLY gun I've ever liked the full length underlug on is the Colt Python.

I think Smith & Wesson and Ruger took note of all the people who were putting Python barrels on their S&W and Ruger's and making Smolts and Cougars and thought they'd cash in on the fad.
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Old March 13, 2018, 09:41 AM   #12
lamarw
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I am pretty much wrapped around the axle on the older S&W revolvers. I still have a number of them I would like to obtain like a Model 40 (I have a Model 42, a post war pre-model 10, Model 29, and in my dreams either a Registered or Pre-Model 27. There are plenty others I have in one barrel length and would like to also have another in a different barrel lengths. There are a lot of nice example older Smiths that have a lot of life in them and enjoyment to be had.
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Old March 13, 2018, 02:59 PM   #13
laytonj1
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Quote:
dude had a blog going on the internet about his experiences and the last time I saw it around 3 years ago he had 7000 through it. Haven't seen him around so who knows now.
Apparently round number 7001 was the limit...

Jim

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Old March 13, 2018, 06:27 PM   #14
Deja vu
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I have a S&W 627 8shot 357 magnum that is my every day carry. 2.5 inch barrel. I can honestly say I have never had an issue!
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Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull.

all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...
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