Do you send your NIB revolver straight to the smith?

[Cosmodragoon]

I've come across a lot of talk about doing this since joining the forum. It seems revolvers coming out of even S&W or Ruger are not quite up to spec for a lot of the more experienced wheel-gunners here. It seems that in addition to custom tweaks and feature addition, the internals benefit from a smoothing and polishing that the manufacturers just don't do.

So what do you do with your NIB revolvers? Do you some models benefit more than others? Do you think some models absolutely need it? How about S&W's Pro Series and Performance Center stuff? What about potentially less mechanically forgiving models in the .460 or .500?

[MrBorland]

If & when I buy another NIB S&W, it'd be with the intention of shooting the beegeebers out of it. I know how I like my revos set up, and it's a rare gun who's factory action can't be improved, so yes, it would very likely quickly go out for some customizing & tuning.

[L_Killkenny]

Nope, but I will do a good amount of work myself right off the bat. Wolff springs, cleaning and polishing what ever I can. Been my experience that an hour or two with about any gun can do wonders.

[Dragline45]

I do the work myself. First thing I do when I get a new S&W is switch out the rebound spring to a lighter weight and do some light stoning on the rebound slide and DA sear.

[Shadi Khalil]

Not unless there is an issue, in which case it would go back to the factory. However, I don't have any special requirements or needs; I don't compete or hunt, etc.

[buck460XVR]

Over the past 40 years I've yet to send any new gun straight to a smith. Never had too. Stuck with quality produced firearms and any issues were immediately taken care of by the manufacturer. Shot the 'ell outta 'em first to see if and what may be needed. Most times the shooting and dryfiring itself took care of smoothin' out the triggers. The triggers on the Ruger 77s were a different story. Did some myself, had a smith do a few others.

[Bob Wright]

I usually wait until I've shot one to two thousands rounds through a new gun before having anything done, if necessary. I'm not one to fine tune my guns unless the trigger is too heavy or has too much creep.

I did order a Ruger Blackhawk once and before I ever saw the gun had the dealer send it to Ruger for an auxilliary .45 ACP cylinder and installation of a Super Blackhawk grip frame.

Bob Wright

[wheelyfun]

Not as a rule, but..........
I previously owned a Ruger SP101 DAO, and it was rough, rough, rough.
Super sharp edges everywhere: trigger, cylinder charge holes, even the underlug edges were sharp.
The trigger pull was super heavy and mushy.
Show low from more than 10 yds away.........
I sold it off, BUT.

I recently bought a NIB Ruger SP101 DAO, and sent it off to Gemini Customs for some work:
Fantastic work, and now my daily carry revolver!

[Jeremiah/Az]

I shoot them first to try them. Ruger single action I do myself. S&W's go to a smith for a smoothing & trigger job. Costs me about $85, but to me it is worth it.

[Poindexter]

I like to put minimum two hundred rounds through a new gun without a hiccough and take care of any warranty issues that might arise with the mfr before I send to a smith.

If there is a real problem with a gun, better to let the mfr handle it.

Once it is back from the mfr, I wanna see 200 rounds without a hiccough...

[James K]

If it ain't broke, I don't fix it. If it isn't right, I fix it or, in the extreme, return it to the factory.

Jim

[newfrontier45]

Every once in a while. Some guns are destined to become something else. There is not always a factory gun to fill every need and/or desire. If you're having a custom built on a new gun, it saves time and money to have it sent directly to the gunsmith.

[SgtLumpy]

I've always found that any piece of machinery that has a lot of tolerance points functions measurably better if, after broken in and acclimated to my climate, style of use etc, receives a "setup" by someone with the TOOLS and the KNOWHOW to do it. That goes for guns, guitars, lawn mowers anything. Not only are we tuning up the dozens or hundreds of tiny tolerances, we're adjusting everything to fit our own personal style of use, ergonomics and idiosyncracies. It's not about the thing being "broke". It's about adjusting the thing to fit ME.


Sgt Lumpy

[Daggitt]

I have to shoot it when I get it. I'd shoot it before I got it if it was feasible.

[s4s4u]

I gotta run it through its paces before I judge it.

[highpower3006]

I've never sent a gun of any type to a 'smith. But then again, I am able to do much of my own work.

[MR.G]

Usually polish everything inside and install Wolf springs myself when I get a new gun.

[Kreyzhorse]

I've never had a gun that I felt needed to go to a smith right out of the box.

My Ruger SP could have likely benefited from a trigger job but I fired and dry fired the hell out of it and that really smoothed it out. I always would opt for range time before I would consider work.

[spacecoast]

I never have and never plan to buy a NIB revolver. However, I have learned enough about smoothing rough edges and replacing springs to do it myself.

[Scrumbag]

I've never bought a new revolver but have bought new other things.

Most of the gunmiths I've been to prefer you to have shot guns before they start tuning as they prefer to work on a gun that has "settled" a bit.

ATB,

Scrummy

[Rifleman1776]

I do them myself. Dissassemble and polish all rubbing parts; take off sharp edges, change springs if necessary. Nothing dramatic, just sorta slicker it up for smoother action and less pain.

[pete2]

I usually install Wolff springs and polish the rebound slide and then shoot it. I just have to lighten the D/A pull. I don't do anything to a carry gun altho polishing wouldn't hurt anything. My 642 is smooth enough, All I've done is shoot it. I haven't dealt with any Ruger D/A revolvers but I'd treat them same as the S&W.

[ChaperallCat]

so no one else sees the issue with this?

spend all your time harping about the wonderful nature of a factory fresh sw or ruger, and then you just send it immediately off for "tweaking' without using it.
just makes a fella wonder if the name tag is really worth paying 3-400 extra for these days

[newfrontier45]

so no one else sees the issue with this?

No. ANY revolver will benefit from an action job. Some can take some accuracy tweaks right out of the box. Sometimes these things just aren't made the way we want `em and we have to take matters into our own hands. Sometimes we know right off the bat the custom features we want and it doesn't take shooting it for five years to figure it out.

Many shooters are satisfied with factory guns. Some are not.

[Jack19]

"so no one else sees the issue with this?"

I've sent handguns to be tuned, but not before shooting them for awhile before doing so. For me, this is so the trigger will feel good at the range. When using a handgun for defense, I've never noticed how the trigger felt.

If it makes a better trigger and it makes someone feel better about using the weapon, have at it. Confidence in your weapon is a decent part of successful use.