Firearms and Customer Service
 

I recently picked up a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm without a magazine disconnect.

The weapon was a lemon, it failed to extract every couple dozen rounds and the take down tool would fall out of the bottom of the pistol mid-string.

So I called S&W and they sent me a UPS next-day shipping Lable (HK makes you pay to ship it, IIRC) and I had my pistol back six days after I mailed it.

I had asked them to call me about having novak night-sights installed since I was already sending them the pistol back, but they went ahead and installed them for free (they cost $160) to compensate me for my inconvenience.

My pistol works great now, and S&W more than made up for my trouble.


Has anybody else had to send a weapon back to the manufacturer? How did it work out? I know some companies are famous for ignoring their customers, and while S&W already has a good reputation, I was so surprised that I felt I should post about it here.

I have had to send every handgun I bought except for my Ruger MKIII. I have a S&W 1911 I had to send back 5 times and they still didn't fix it. S&W is always happy give you a shipping label but the assemblers outside of the performance center don't have a clue how the guns operate.

Even when I purchase any handgun new I send it directly to a reputable pistolsmith for a basic tuning and reliability work.

... well I guess it's different if we're talking about some manufacturing defect.
But I've never encountered those out of the many guns I've purchased - from S&W (M-19, M-291911 PD compact and 1911 DK), Kimber (Custom Eclipse), CZ (SP-01), Browning (HP), Glock (g23), HK (.45 USPc), Uberti (Cattleman), DS Arms (SA-58), Colt (HBAR II AR), LMT (monolith upper for the AR), POF ...

Maybe I've just been lucky. Or maybe it's just depends on what you're shooting.

Springfields customer service is top notch. So is their warranty.

I'm on my second send back to S&W with a .40 M&P Compact. They have a few bugs to work out but they are and they will, that's for sure. Smith is world renouned for excellent customer service. Even if you're in the wrong, they'll attempt to make you feel like you're right even on their dime. Yes, they pay for shipping to and fro and yes, they make great weapons, too. Again I just must say in defense that the M&P is pretty damn new and those of us who have one are the testing group. Nevertheless, Smith is working hard to make the M&P THE gun of choice for carry folks