Horror Story: M&P 10 and S&W's Customer Service

[Coded-Dude]

I've always heard good things about S&W customer service, and it sounds like at least one person you talked to would have happily fixed it, but is being told not to. Sounds more like a corporate/management issue that is creating the problem and not an actual fault of the people who could fix the barrel. Regardless I hope you are able to create a change in policy.

 

[TedKennedy]

I can tell you firsthand that CS at Thompson Center has gone to crap ever since S&W bought them.
Maybe CS need to be sent a link to this thread, as wel as all the others Hensch has posted on.

 

[mugsy]

I have no doubt that Henschman is relaying accurately his personal experience with S&W CS. However, I have had several dealings with S&W CS including about older "three number" (i.e. non lifetime warranty) guns that were handled professionally and to my satisfaction. I hope his situation gets resolved to his satisfaction but I am in no way going to be deterred from buying more Smiths, except maybe the M&P-10 though I have a buddy - a US Army colonel - who bought one and loves it, based upon his bad experience alone.

 

[SDarkRage]

This thread made up my mind. I WILL NOT buy any gun that is not parts supportable. It's as simple as that. It's the same as going out and buying a Yugo car as a long term investment.

Heck, the 1913 Colt 1911 that my Granddad handed down to me is still parts supportable.... What's that say about S&W? In this modern age of fully configurable firearms, they produce a gun that can't be repaired by the end user. Short of a catastrophic frame failure, name me some current firearms that can't be repaired by the end user due to lack of parts? That in and of itself, will keep me from ever buying a M&P-10. Looking at an R-25 or DPMS now personally.

 

[Gabriel42]

I have a pistol that was at S&W for repair on my dime, was a police trade-in I picked up at auction, and I also needed a backstrap for a M&P pistol since I gave one a way to a friend because he wanted a textured grip from a Pro-Series gun. I called them yesterday to ask about those 2 things and getting a non-MA Complaint barrel for my M&P10. They told me my pistol was shipping yesterday and ordered my a backstrap without cost even though I told them I gave it away. The CS rep told me that ordering a barrel was impossible and cited the fact that the gas port was drilled on the assembly line after the barrel was installed on the upper. I said that I had a gun smith that was capable and in fact had to open up the gas port on the gun since it was undergassed when I got it, I was told they had no procedure or part number/SKU for ordering a barrel separately. He said that may change in the future but couldn't provide an ETA. It seems like they are only setup to assemble whole rifles and just not setup to take payment for a part that is assembled and finished as part of a complete rifle.

I don't understand why they wouldn't have inserted Daniel's rifle into the pre-barreled step of the assembly process, especially when he had asked the cost to have the rifle rebarreled. Personally, I would attempt to speak, not to an engineer, but to a Director or VP of Customer Service. It is amazing how often a CS bigwig can make the engineers do what they say couldn't be done for a customer, across multiple industries.

 

[cjjtulsa]

This thread made up my mind. I WILL NOT buy any gun that is not parts supportable. It's as simple as that.

And that's the bottom line, really. If you can't get parts to repair it if it breaks, you run the risk have having a very expensive door stop. Firearms with proprietary parts are a liability.

 

[Gabriel42]

How much do you want for your 'parts gun'?

 

[NikatKimber]

I highly doubt engineering had anything to do with that. That sounds like a penny pincher policy, not engineering.

 

[Gabriel42]

I highly doubt engineering had anything to do with that. That sounds like a penny pincher policy, not engineering.

Normally, I would agree but Daniel wrote that a Senior Engineer was told by his supervisor, ostensibly another engineer, that they were incapable of replacing just the barrel of the rifle, after he asked about his replacement cost. Him paying for the barrel and work implies they would have made money on the part and labor so hot really sure how penny pinching policy comes into play. You an engineer by chance?

 

[Super Dave]

How much do you want for your 'parts gun'?

Yeah, how much? Is it just the barrel, or is the upper receiver toast too?