GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! - The Firearms Forum

LDBennett · 06-30-2011, 08:16 AM

I sent my 20+ year old 41 Mag S&W 657 to S&W for repair two weeks ago. It arrived back yesterday. It has been spitting lead for some time and I finally got around to sending it in for a warrantee repair. They cut a new forcing cone in the barrel, one that seems to be much longer than original. Perhaps it is an 11 degree one (??). I have yet to test it but that has to be helpful as I only shoot Rainier plated bullets in it (same as cast bullets, effectively).

My point is the service was done in a very timely manner. It appears it was shot by them as well as it came back with some small amount of powder residue and it had left clean. But that's alright. I am stoked that they test fired it after re-cutting the forcing cone. We'll see if it helps the problem.

The point is their was no trauma from them about doing the repair under a 20 year old warrantee AND they had the gun back in my hands in two weeks. EXCELLENT!

LDBennett

Alpo · 06-30-2011, 09:25 AM

LD, how'd you send it? Send 'em a letter saying you wanted to send it in, and they sent shipping info? Send it in blind, with a cover letter? Did they give you a shipping number (so they paid the freight) or did you have to pay the hunnert bucks it costs to ship a pistol nowadays?

I've got a Model 58 that needs some work, and have been kinda wondering how to get it done.

carver · 06-30-2011, 09:39 AM

I sent one back last year for repair. I got good timely service. The only problem I had was that the old pistol had some plastic pearl grips that didn't fit. I asked Smith to replace them, and send me back the old grips. They did replace the grips, but did not send back the ones that were on the gun when I sent it in. Doesn't really matter, they didn't fit anyway.

flyingtiger85 · 06-30-2011, 10:05 AM

That's great to hear a positive story about a firearms company.I was wondering could you share the sending off process with me.I need to send my ruger single-six in for a magnum cylinder fitting.I heard you don't need to go throught a FFL or brady Bill?Is that right.Do you send it in a US Mail overnight/ UPS?It's shipped directly back to you only in the case of repair?Any information would be appreciated.Thank-you

LDBennett · 06-30-2011, 12:44 PM

You go to the S&W web page and submit some info via email (As best I can tell they will not do a warrantee repair on guns made before 1980 without special consideration). They return the email with a FEDEX label if they approve of a no cost repair.

I packaged it up in a USPS box that I turned inside out (to hide the USPS markings), attached the label, called the provided FEDEX number to get a home pickup (the same day!), and off the gun went. The info S&W sent me told me to tell the driver or the counter person it was a gun but to not mark that info anywhere on the package. The gun was returned via the same FEDEX route driver but I had to sign for it and show ID.

I recently sent a Texas High Standard 22LR pistol to Texas for repair and I was told to send it via USPS which I did. It was returned via USPS. NO problem. I did NOT tell USPS it was a gun. The manager of Texas Hi Std told me the US Postal Service came to him soliciting the use of USPS for this gun delivery service at the outstandingly low "box pricing" (same price no matter the weight... "If it fits it ships"). I added tracking and insurance.

The bottom line for S&W is to go to their web page for repair info and follow the direction listed there. It works!

LDBennett

carver · 06-30-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingtiger85

That's great to hear a positive story about a firearms company.I was wondering could you share the sending off process with me.I need to send my ruger single-six in for a magnum cylinder fitting.I heard you don't need to go throught a FFL or brady Bill?Is that right.Do you send it in a US Mail overnight/ UPS?It's shipped directly back to you only in the case of repair?Any information would be appreciated.Thank-you

If UPS, or FEDEX have the FFL # for the company that made your gun, no problems. If they don't you have to supply it. The big companies like Smith, and Ruger will most probably already have their FFL#'s in the computers at UPS. You pay for the shipping to get it there, and if it's a warenty fix, they usually pay for the return shipping. If the package is going to a firearms manyfactur, then they will know that there is a gun in the package.

flyingtiger85 · 06-30-2011, 03:16 PM

Thank's for sharing your information guys.It will make my factory cylinder fitting shipping process less confusing.

LDBennett · 06-30-2011, 03:40 PM

In the case of the S&W repair, S&W provided the shipping label and if any FFL# was provided, it was not provided by me.

In the case of the Houston Texas High Standard repair, the USPS box went through the local post office and nothing was said about an FFL#. I did not mention it was a gun. I disassembled it and if asked my response would have been "machined parts". It was delivered to me at home and a signature was required. I doubt the mail person new it was a gun. The gun was fully assembled and operational on its return trip.

Maybe in both case the "workers" don't know the rules and handled the packages like any other(???).

Perhaps the question should be asked of the manufacturer that you intend to send the gun to before rushing to send a gun off for repair. Or NOT ????

The system for moving guns around the nation and for moving guns for repairing has never been crystal clear and seems to have changed multiple times since I started sending guns in for repair some 20+ years ago. The system is even different depending on whether it is rifle or a pistol. States screw it up even more. California, for example will allow no gun from a distributor or manufacturer that will be sold to a CA resident through a dealer to be allowed to the dealer's place of business without a letter of approval from the CA DOJ. That's every gun, I believe. There will be more rules and regulations to come, Im sure from these nitwit liberal legislators!

LDBennett

carver · 06-30-2011, 03:49 PM

Being a retired Postal Worker, I can definitively tell you that Hand Guns will not be shipped by the U.S. Postal service. They will ship long guns under certain conditions.

LDBennett · 06-30-2011, 04:24 PM

Carver:

If that is the case why did the Houston Texas US Postal Service go to High Standard with a proposal to act as their shipping agent for their pistols??? They came to him. He did not go to them.

There also may be a difference between shipping a gun (rifle or pistol) to a dealer for sale and returning a gun to a manufacturer for repair and the manufacturer sending the gun back to the owner after the repair.

As I said the rules are NOT clear and apparently, according to you, being broken by the USPS its self (???). I only did what Texas Hi Std told me to do.

There may be details to the regulations we are not aware of (??).

LDBennett

K75RT · 07-03-2011, 01:34 PM

Handguns can be shipped FFL holder to FFL holder through the USPS. Private citizen to FFL holder is forbidden, private citizen to FFL need to be sent UPS or FedEx at their whim.
Check out this link http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_009.htm
As well as this one http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps1508.pdf

LDBennett · 07-06-2011, 01:31 PM

K75RT:

That's interesting and exactly what I thought before talking to Texas High Standard.

Seems like someone ought to tell the Houston Texas Post Office that solicited High Standard shipping business!

In the back of my mind I remember some exception for the repair of guns but I can not give any evidence of that(??).

Jim K · 07-06-2011, 05:35 PM

FWIW, a non-licensee illegally mailing (USPS) a handgun should be aware that a violation of postal regulations is not a "don't tell" game played with a postal clerk, it is a federal felony. It doesn't matter if they ask or not, or if the shipper lies, the act of mailing or attempting to mail is itself against the law.

If the package is X-rayed (on suspicion or at random) or the package comes open, the mailer could not only be subject to severe penalties, even a prison term, but, perhaps worse for most of us, lose forever the right to own a firearm. The USPS takes those regulations very seriously, so playing games with them can have serious consequences.

Jim

LDBennett · 07-07-2011, 06:35 AM

So why does the Houston Texas USPS continue to allow Hi Std to ship via them and allow Hi Std to tell its customers that it is OK to return pistols to them for repair via USPS? Remember the Houston Texas USPS solicited the business, not the other way around.

The failure in this case is the USPS in Houston Texas. I still think there is more to the regulations than absolute banning of guns being shipped. Somehow I think there must be an exception for firearms being sent in for repair but.... ?????.

06-30-2011, 08:16 AM	#1
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! I sent my 20+ year old 41 Mag S&W 657 to S&W for repair two weeks ago. It arrived back yesterday. It has been spitting lead for some time and I finally got around to sending it in for a warrantee repair. They cut a new forcing cone in the barrel, one that seems to be much longer than original. Perhaps it is an 11 degree one (??). I have yet to test it but that has to be helpful as I only shoot Rainier plated bullets in it (same as cast bullets, effectively). My point is the service was done in a very timely manner. It appears it was shot by them as well as it came back with some small amount of powder residue and it had left clean. But that's alright. I am stoked that they test fired it after re-cutting the forcing cone. We'll see if it helps the problem. The point is their was no trauma from them about doing the repair under a 20 year old warrantee AND they had the gun back in my hands in two weeks. EXCELLENT! LDBennett -->

06-30-2011, 09:25 AM	#2
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,662	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! LD, how'd you send it? Send 'em a letter saying you wanted to send it in, and they sent shipping info? Send it in blind, with a cover letter? Did they give you a shipping number (so they paid the freight) or did you have to pay the hunnert bucks it costs to ship a pistol nowadays? I've got a Model 58 that needs some work, and have been kinda wondering how to get it done. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

06-30-2011, 09:39 AM	#3
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,288	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! I sent one back last year for repair. I got good timely service. The only problem I had was that the old pistol had some plastic pearl grips that didn't fit. I asked Smith to replace them, and send me back the old grips. They did replace the grips, but did not send back the ones that were on the gun when I sent it in. Doesn't really matter, they didn't fit anyway. __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

06-30-2011, 10:05 AM	#4
flyingtiger85 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Nevada Posts: 747	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! That's great to hear a positive story about a firearms company.I was wondering could you share the sending off process with me.I need to send my ruger single-six in for a magnum cylinder fitting.I heard you don't need to go throught a FFL or brady Bill?Is that right.Do you send it in a US Mail overnight/ UPS?It's shipped directly back to you only in the case of repair?Any information would be appreciated.Thank-you

06-30-2011, 12:44 PM	#5
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! You go to the S&W web page and submit some info via email (As best I can tell they will not do a warrantee repair on guns made before 1980 without special consideration). They return the email with a FEDEX label if they approve of a no cost repair. I packaged it up in a USPS box that I turned inside out (to hide the USPS markings), attached the label, called the provided FEDEX number to get a home pickup (the same day!), and off the gun went. The info S&W sent me told me to tell the driver or the counter person it was a gun but to not mark that info anywhere on the package. The gun was returned via the same FEDEX route driver but I had to sign for it and show ID. I recently sent a Texas High Standard 22LR pistol to Texas for repair and I was told to send it via USPS which I did. It was returned via USPS. NO problem. I did NOT tell USPS it was a gun. The manager of Texas Hi Std told me the US Postal Service came to him soliciting the use of USPS for this gun delivery service at the outstandingly low "box pricing" (same price no matter the weight... "If it fits it ships"). I added tracking and insurance. The bottom line for S&W is to go to their web page for repair info and follow the direction listed there. It works! LDBennett

06-30-2011, 03:16 PM	#7
flyingtiger85 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Nevada Posts: 747	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! Thank's for sharing your information guys.It will make my factory cylinder fitting shipping process less confusing.

06-30-2011, 03:40 PM	#8
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! In the case of the S&W repair, S&W provided the shipping label and if any FFL# was provided, it was not provided by me. In the case of the Houston Texas High Standard repair, the USPS box went through the local post office and nothing was said about an FFL#. I did not mention it was a gun. I disassembled it and if asked my response would have been "machined parts". It was delivered to me at home and a signature was required. I doubt the mail person new it was a gun. The gun was fully assembled and operational on its return trip. Maybe in both case the "workers" don't know the rules and handled the packages like any other(???). Perhaps the question should be asked of the manufacturer that you intend to send the gun to before rushing to send a gun off for repair. Or NOT ???? The system for moving guns around the nation and for moving guns for repairing has never been crystal clear and seems to have changed multiple times since I started sending guns in for repair some 20+ years ago. The system is even different depending on whether it is rifle or a pistol. States screw it up even more. California, for example will allow no gun from a distributor or manufacturer that will be sold to a CA resident through a dealer to be allowed to the dealer's place of business without a letter of approval from the CA DOJ. That's every gun, I believe. There will be more rules and regulations to come, Im sure from these nitwit liberal legislators! LDBennett

06-30-2011, 03:49 PM	#9
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,288	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! Being a retired Postal Worker, I can definitively tell you that Hand Guns will not be shipped by the U.S. Postal service. They will ship long guns under certain conditions. __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

06-30-2011, 04:24 PM	#10
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! Carver: If that is the case why did the Houston Texas US Postal Service go to High Standard with a proposal to act as their shipping agent for their pistols??? They came to him. He did not go to them. There also may be a difference between shipping a gun (rifle or pistol) to a dealer for sale and returning a gun to a manufacturer for repair and the manufacturer sending the gun back to the owner after the repair. As I said the rules are NOT clear and apparently, according to you, being broken by the USPS its self (???). I only did what Texas Hi Std told me to do. There may be details to the regulations we are not aware of (??). LDBennett

07-03-2011, 01:34 PM	#11
K75RT V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Litchfield County, CT Posts: 309	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! Handguns can be shipped FFL holder to FFL holder through the USPS. Private citizen to FFL holder is forbidden, private citizen to FFL need to be sent UPS or FedEx at their whim. Check out this link http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_009.htm As well as this one http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps1508.pdf __________________ Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. Last edited by K75RT; 07-03-2011 at 01:45 PM.. Reason: more info

07-06-2011, 01:31 PM	#12
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! K75RT: That's interesting and exactly what I thought before talking to Texas High Standard. Seems like someone ought to tell the Houston Texas Post Office that solicited High Standard shipping business! In the back of my mind I remember some exception for the repair of guns but I can not give any evidence of that(??).

07-06-2011, 05:35 PM	#13
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! FWIW, a non-licensee illegally mailing (USPS) a handgun should be aware that a violation of postal regulations is not a "don't tell" game played with a postal clerk, it is a federal felony. It doesn't matter if they ask or not, or if the shipper lies, the act of mailing or attempting to mail is itself against the law. If the package is X-rayed (on suspicion or at random) or the package comes open, the mailer could not only be subject to severe penalties, even a prison term, but, perhaps worse for most of us, lose forever the right to own a firearm. The USPS takes those regulations very seriously, so playing games with them can have serious consequences. Jim

07-07-2011, 06:35 AM	#14
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,718	Re: GOOD SERVICE FROM S&W FACTORY! So why does the Houston Texas USPS continue to allow Hi Std to ship via them and allow Hi Std to tell its customers that it is OK to return pistols to them for repair via USPS? Remember the Houston Texas USPS solicited the business, not the other way around. The failure in this case is the USPS in Houston Texas. I still think there is more to the regulations than absolute banning of guns being shipped. Somehow I think there must be an exception for firearms being sent in for repair but.... ?????.