S&W M&P headache...

[Guest CK1]

So, think I've learned my lesson...

Recently I switched over from being a long time Glock shooter to the S&W M&P... The M&P with a trigger job is pretty awesome, when it's working that is.

You see, the striker broke in mine a couple days before Christmas during dry firing it, after looking into it seems the M&Ps breaking strikers during dry fire is pretty common, snap caps may help but won't ensure it won't happen.

So, since I'm super lucky, S&W was shut down until 1/4/10 for the holiday break, but I called their customer support department on that morning and asked for a replacement striker... I was told "no problem, on it's way" and also that snap cap or not dry fire my cause an M&P to break it's striker.

Well, today is now the 11th and still no striker so I called their CS line once again... Turns out according to the agent I spoke to today that there's no way a new striker has been sent out yet since they've been backordered from their supplier for over a month and they have no idea when they'll have them to ship out... WTF? So no striker and no idea when?

I asked if they had strikers on their assembly line for new guns? "yes", well then can you send me one of those? "No, those are for the new guns you'll have to wait...".

So, even though my gun has been down without this part for over two weeks already I still am no closer to getting it back functioning again... awesome. So much for the legendary S&W customer support I've heard so much about...

Decided I'd just call some local S&W dealers and surely one of them would let me trade in the gun minus it's striker towards another weapon (at a loss of course)... Nope. Got off the phone with 3 well known shops in the area, none will help me out even though I'd have to spend at least $100+ to leave with a new weapon... IMO that stinks and just makes it worse, I just assumed a shop would stand behind a brand they carry and wait for the part while making a sale rather than make the customer deal with it... apparantly not.

Guess I'm just SOL until S&W gets some strikers in and sends me a new one... who knows how long that'll be...

This will be my last Smith and Wesson.

If anyone knows a S&W dealer somewhat near the Nashville area that would help me out please let me know...

Edited January 11, 2010 by CK1

[Guest 10mm4me]

I prescribe 2 Glocks and a shot of JW red, call S&W in the morning and say goodbye.

[DavidD]

Sorry to hear about that CK1. I just recently started carrying my M&P .45 and do not dry fire much, but when I do I use snap caps. Were there any warning signs or symptoms prior to yours failing?

[Guest 10mm4me]

Try Guns and Leather in Greenbrier.They have amazing service and their resident smith might have the part on hand.6156434865

[Guest CK1]

Sorry to hear about that CK1. I just recently started carrying my M&P .45 and do not dry fire much, but when I do I use snap caps. Were there any warning signs or symptoms prior to yours failing?

No signs at all... Seems they break their strikers during dry fire whether you use snap caps or not and they have redesigned the striker a few times trying to fix the issue...

Tried G n' L, I've bought at least 5 guns from them so I was hoping they may be able to help but still not sure as their owner Dennis would have to make the call and he's out of the office until the end of the week...

[Guest 10mm4me]

This is all very strange as I bought an M&P .357SIG back when they first came out and I prob put 500-600 rds through it and dry fired it religiously(I practice trigger control when I am bored)and I never had a single problem.I detail stripped the slide for cleaning b4 I sold it to my uncle and everything looked just fine.

[Guest CK1]

This is all very strange as I bought an M&P .357SIG back when they first came out and I prob put 500-600 rds through it and dry fired it religiously(I practice trigger control when I am bored)and I never had a single problem.I detail stripped the slide for cleaning b4 I sold it to my uncle and everything looked just fine.

I had one for a while that I dry fired a zillion times that didn't break too... From what I've found online, they don't all break, just many more of them than probably should... It's WAY more common than it should be that's for sure.

[Guest 10mm4me]

Must be a bad batch.I wonder if a recall will ever be issued.It may be in tour post but what size/caliber M&P do u have?

[Guest CK1]

Must be a bad batch.I wonder if a recall will ever be issued.It may be in tour post but what size/caliber M&P do u have?

Seems S&W has learned the art of the "Glock recall" that Glock pioneered in the 80's and early 90's, which means if yours breaks you'll get a free "upgrade".

There are some pics out there showing how the newest striker design is shaped differently and uses a single spring keeper instead of two, I have a 9mm but the striker breakedge issues are affecting them in all the calibers (and the guns with the performance center sears in them like the PRO, and JG model can get trigger reset problems too).

Then there's the fact that the extractor pin is installed with a press that exerts around 20,000lbs of pressure which of course makes removing the pin for extractor maintence a breeze...

I've been enlightened to all the M&P issues and even though there are only a few, even a few is more than I'm willing to put up with I guess, and while when running right they're great, easy to shoot, great feeling guns... I miss my Glocks.

Edited January 11, 2010 by CK1

[BrasilNuts]

I asked if they had strikers on their assembly line for new guns? "yes", well then can you send me one of those? "No, those are for the new guns you'll have to wait...".

That's just not right.

[Guest 10mm4me]

Well, S&W "was" known for great customer service, but this sounds pretty bad.

[Guest CK1]

Well, S&W "was" known for great customer service, but this sounds pretty bad.

Well, having me twist in the breeze waiting for the stupid part while they put together new guns that use the same exact part has rubbed me pretty raw.

It's funny, I might be posting a thread saying "wow, S&W pulled a part off their line to get me back up and running, great customer service!", kind of would expected it to go down that way... sorry though, not this time...

[TGO David]

Zero problems out of my current M&Ps. The only problems I've had in the past were speedily taken care of 100% on Smith & Wesson's dime. Just because you are having a problem with one or with their customer service, it doesn't mean they are all bad nor should it mean that anyone else should avoid buying them.

Sorry for your luck, though. I'm sure that given a reasonable amount of time, Smith & Wesson will make it right.

[strickj]

Originally Posted by CK1

I asked if they had strikers on their assembly line for new guns? "yes", well then can you send me one of those? "No, those are for the new guns you'll have to wait...".

To put that into prospective, I wouldn't expect Chevy to take an alternator off a new car because their out of stock on parts...

[Guest Jeremey]

Hate to hear about your bad experience with the M&P. How long have you owned it? Any idea how many rounds have been shot out of it? I dry fire mine alot and havent had a problem with any of them. Maybe I should stop.

And by the way, we have pulled parts off new cars to fix customer's vehicles. GM WILL pull parts off the assembly line to perform warranty repairs if no parts are available. They call it a "Spac" case.

[deerslayer]

To put that into prospective, I wouldn't expect Chevy to take an alternator off a new car because their out of stock on parts...

I would expect them to have a new alternator in three weeks, though...

[Reservoir Dog]

Decided I'd just call some local S&W dealers and surely one of them would let me trade in the gun minus it's striker towards another weapon (at a loss of course)... Nope. Got off the phone with 3 well known shops in the area, none will help me out even though I'd have to spend at least $100+ to leave with a new weapon... IMO that stinks and just makes it worse, I just assumed a shop would stand behind a brand they carry and wait for the part while making a sale rather than make the customer deal with it... apparantly not.

Did you buy the M&P from one of these dealers? I am guessing you did not. If you had, I am sure they would have done whatever they could to assist you in getting the pistol repaired.

If you didn't buy it from them, it's pretty silly to expect them to take a broken gun in trade just because they are a S&W dealer. You should send the gun back to S&W for repair. I am betting you would get quicker service than just trying to request the new part yourself.

[Guest CK1]

I bought the gun used off the TGO trading post with 400rds through it, I've put 600 through it since I bought it and probably dry fired it twice that... Don't know about most of you guys, but I consider that just about broken in.

I had the same model last year that I treated the same that I kept for around 3000rds that did not break it's striker, but guess I got unlucky with this one.

Thing is, after I broke it and looked into it, it's surprising how many examples of broken strikers in the M&Ps out there.

As far as expecting S&W to pull me a part off their line or a local S&W dealer letting me trade in towards another gun (whether I got it there or not) IMO aren't things that I would consider to seem to be above and beyond the call... I just though S&W would want to do whatever they could do, and thought an S&W dealer wouldn't have so little faith in getting a part for one that they'd play hands off...

Whatever, it sucks, guess I'll just get another gun... Just wish I didn't have to wait around to trade it in...

[Metalhead]

or a local S&W dealer letting me trade in towards another gun (whether I got it there or not) IMO aren't things that I would consider to seem to be above and beyond the call... I just though S&W would want to do whatever they could do, and thought an S&W dealer wouldn't have so little faith in getting a part for one that they'd play hands off....

OK, so let me get this straight. You have a gun, that is clearly broken and wont work. You expect a shop to take said gun in, invest money in it, knowing that they wont be able to sell it until Lord knows when S&W gets it fixed? AND you didnt purchase it from said dealer, so they will be doing YOU a favor by actually giving you cash for a broken inop gun? That wouldnt be above and beyond to you?

Man, I'm glad I read this before Dennis got back. Now I know what to tell him about it.

[Guest CK1]

OK, so let me get this straight. You have a gun, that is clearly broken and wont work. You expect a shop to take said gun in, invest money in it, knowing that they wont be able to sell it until Lord knows when S&W gets it fixed? AND you didnt purchase it from said dealer, so they will be doing YOU a favor by actually giving you cash for a broken inop gun? That wouldnt be above and beyond to you?

Man, I'm glad I read this before Dennis got back. Now I know what to tell him about it.

No. Just thought an S&W dealer would have faith in getting a hold of the part and the wait for the part wouldn't be as much of a bother, while at the same time doing a good turn for a customer and collecting another $50-100+ in cash over the trade in value and probably earning a loyal customer for life...

Please don't even dare think I was looking to trade a non-working pistol as though it was just fine.

BTW, thanks a lot, glad only buying 5 or so guns from you guys buys me such great treatment that you're willing to all but call me some kind of scam artist or something, I'll try to remember that. Sorry, didn't know a guys got to drop more than a mere 5-6 grand or so in guns and ammo and range fees in your store to get the benefit of the doubt, please excuse me.

Edited January 12, 2010 by CK1

[Metalhead]

I'm not calling you a scam artist at all, I'm saying that any business who will give you money for your broken item is doing you a favor. Especially if it didnt originate from that business. If it was our gun, it would already be taken care of and you'd already have a new pistol - but its not. I'm taking issue with the fact that you think a dealer should bend over backwards for you just because they sell the same gun that you have.

Look at it from the business' perspective. Would you invest several hundred bucks in something you know you will get zero return on for awhile? Then end up making $50 or less at the end of it? If so, you know what that would be? Doing someone a big favor. Which, last I checked, is above and beyond for most business's no matter if you think it is or not.

But as I said, if it was G&L's gun, or <insert your other favorite gun shop's> gun, it would already be taken care of no questions asked. But you bought a used gun second hand from an internet forum.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Metalhead

[Guest CK1]

Look, I don't expect anybody to bend over backwards for me, and not looking for a favor.

Sorry, guess I'm way off base thinking an S&W dealer would be of some assistance in the matter.

Just a crummy situation, and bad experience with S&W, that's all.

Edited January 12, 2010 by CK1

[Reservoir Dog]

Sorry, guess I'm way off base thinking an S&W dealer would be of some assistance in the matter.

If you had bought the pistol from one of the dealers you called, I am sure they would have done whatever they could have to make it right. I am also sure that any S&W dealer would assist you in returning the pistol to S&W for service, whether you bought it from them, or not.

However, expecting a dealer (from whom you did not buy the pistol from) to accept a broken S&W pistol in trade just because they are a S&W dealer, is simply ridiculous. Yeah, you are way off base.

[Guest m&pc9]

Why not just send in the gun to S&W and have them do the repair. I had mine back within 10 days. I would think their gunsmiths would have some pull to get the part off the line.

[TGO David]

I guess it might be different if referring to a place as a "Smith & Wesson Dealer" meant that they were a SAW Company Owned store, a franchise, rather than just a privately owned shop that stocks Smith & Wesson firearms as a licensed dealer.

Just sayin.