Smith and Wesson service?

[jvencius]

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences with sending a pistol back to S&W for service? I have a ~45 yr. old Model 41 w/two barrels (5" and ~ 7 1/2") that's been having extraction problems (both barrels) and given the dearth of good gunsmiths in this town, I figure sending it back to S&W is probably the best option, since they built the thing and probably have the most experience with fixing them. I'll probably send the two mags I've got for it as well, since I can't figure it will hurt having them as well as the gun, but if someone can give a good reason to keep them at home, I'm all ears. I shudder at the thought of what my FedEx bill will be for sending it by next day air, but they're way more convenient for me than going to the UPS depot.


BTW: The gun IS NOT for sale. It is, without doubt, the sweetest-shooting .22 I've ever shot and to the best of my knowledge, it's never had any professional attention to improve the trigger/handling.

 

[rgdillon]

I have never sent anything to them - but if the local smith could not get it - I'd do the same. Sending the mags is most likely a good idea - could be the spring tension and all. I have my father-in-laws WWII service side arm - it's problem ended up being the mag. Picked up a couple "new" ones and now it loads like a champ.

Ron

 

[ktpauley]

Don't send the mags with, they won't need them to replace the extractors. See the reply I posted on another site. Keith

 

[dmftoy1]

I have a Model 500 that I bought from them a couple of years ago. After feeding it about 300 rounds of full strength factory loadings the trigger return spring broke. I was pretty leary about sending it in because I had NEVER sent a gun in to any company before. I called them and 2 days later a box arrived (delivered at their expense). I took it to Fed-ex and shipped it in to them and it was back 10 days later (completely repaired - delivered directly to my door). They charged me NOTHING . . . .the receipt in the box even indicated that they'd done a trigger job on it at no charge. The trigger on this thing is as smooth as a hot knife through butter.

My neighbor and I spent a good part of last sunday pretending that we were being charged be a rabid grizzly bear that had been beaten since it was a cub by white guys who wore harley shirts. It was amazing that we could get my handloads on target in double action . . . . now if a Griz actually did come to central Illinois I imagine I'd be trying to clean out my shorts, but it was alot of fun.