Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Current S&W N-Frames: Yes or No

Yesterday while visiting the local Gunshop, they had a new S&W Model 57, and the owner was willing to deal.

I thought it might make a great companion for my Model 57 Mountain Gun.

I haven't bought an N-Frame in many years and just curious what's the opinion on current quality?

Thanks

StarchedCover

I know of too many QC issues in Colt, Ruger and S&W. Errors get corrected , but should NOT be sold .

I would not buy any new.

A friend bought a Mod 25 last year (New). The trigger was horrible. Very gritty and heavy. Stock was cheap looking compared to older ones. He also has a 57 that was better but I can't recall anything specific. I do know it was better than the 25 he had.

If you have it in hand and can inspect it and give it a once over I’d have no problem. Most issues reported with the current production are cosmetic or otherwise but not anything structural due to design changes. Make sure the sights line up, the barrel is torqued to top dead center, forcing cone looks okay, and run the action and check carry up. If it checks out and you want it grab it.

I looked at several yesterday that were well put together and nicely finished so they do exist.

One of 3 "current" N frames I own and among countless others owned since what I'll call "current" production started with the introduction of MIM parts and the ridiculous lock. This was a 67 yard shot, plug the lock, throw in a set of springs and you're there. Accurate, functional and reliable, wear the damn thing out. Is it a 29-2? No it's not, but nothing ever will be again, so sit around lamenting it or pick up what they're making now (fully warrantied) and go bust some primers.
Had to starch my cover too, so if it means to me what I suspect it means to you, trust me brother, the 57 won't disappoint.

Yes, this is the issue with new S&W revolvers. They make and send out too many defective products, depending on the customer to be their quality control instead of doing it themselves before the product leaves the factory. And then there's that key hole.

I often find "defects" lie in the shooters ability not in the actual iron. More typical results from my experience with "current" N Frames. Is the lock stupid and ugly? Most certainly, plug it and get to shooting. Collect and shoot if you like the ones worth collecting, but wear the piss out of the current crop, bet there's few here who could.

I bought a new model 629 four years ago. First time I fired it the cylinder locked up. I knew S&W wouldn’t talk to me if I told them it was a hand loaded cartridge so I went a found a box of factory ammo. And it locked up again. Took it to my gunsmith and he noticed the firing pin bushing was recessed just enough to let the bushings back out when fired just a bit, enough so that the cylinder wouldn’t rotate.

I sent it to S&W and they fixed it and they’ll do that for you even if you aren’t the original owner.. But if they had test fired that revolver even once before shipping it from the factory they would have caught that defect.

I guess I'll go have another look at the Model 57, if it was a 4-inch it would have already come home with me.

sometimes I wonder how many who post on forums like this are actually factory representatives shooting guns that have been gone over before they are used. The average smith and wesson these days is based on my experience have less than 50% that could pass any quality control. Don't give me the BS about the one you have, and seeing a barrel over torqued into a frame is pretty simple to see unless your blind. I would love to try the new 69 but wont.
.

erickg,
You must be stupid. The cylinders locking up and bad triggers and rusty hammers , amongst other defects that were missed by Q C have NOTHING to do with a shooters ability.

Yes , a few good recovers get through....nothing to do with QC , however.

Why not examine one in the store to see if it has any rusty parts or an improperly torqued barrel and go from there?

Some models weren’t offered in past eras and some that were are ridiculously expensive for a user.

I don’t own any current production S&Ws. But I have examined and shot and worked on a bunch of them. Yes, some of them do have QC issues. But so has every era of production. No way that half or more of the current crop have issues, they’d be out of business. Even Taurus doesn’t have that bad of QC and I’ve seen a much higher percentage of them that were poor examples, and that from a much smaller production pool.

Crisco, you're a lying qunt. You've experienced exactly zero of those issues personally. Here's some more actual "current" N frame experience , no QC issues here, does the lock suck, yep, you'll notice in the photo that issue was remedied, took half a beer. Undoubtedly a task that is over your head as it involves common hand tools and the ability to not drool for more than a 30 second span. The only thing stupid here is you and your publicly flaunting your lack of ability.

You should. They are sweet lil guns

two brand new 63's and one brand new 4 inch 29 in the last 5 years before I stopped buying them. I like the idea of the 69 but just cant keep repeating the foolishness

erickg,

You are the C U N T . You made a stupid comment about the shooters causing S&W QC
issues . How F U C K I N G STUPID can you be.

I probably have more "N " frames than you have brain cells .

I do not have any new ones ...as I have many good old working Smiths. However , the problems are many.

Now GFY

Please don’t pollute this forum with middle school trash talk, no one wants to see it turn into another version of the Hunter’s Campfire.

And I didn’t intend that for you StarchedCover, I just hit reply to your post.

Agreed. I own new models in all the frames except X and haven’t had a problem. Then again I am not one of the dip$hits here that takes it home only to find out later the barrel is canted 15 deg. I just wonder what people are doing when they “looking at a gun” to buy and then bitch because something is obviously wrong with it. Never had one not shoot well. Don’t like the BC gap? Send it to get it closer and a trigger job. Utterly amazing, most people who bitch about the new smiths don’t own them.

McInnis,

You are right....I just don't suffer fools .

I don't mince words.

I must have lucked out. I got a new 6" 629. It shoots great, zero problems. I still like my old ones better but only due to looks, and I think the old triggers are a bit better.