Well, one of them. Specifically the one that I posted about a couple of weeks back. My Smith and Wesson Model 442 has developed a cracked frame. This is not uncommon with S&W Airweight J frame hand guns. In fact, it seems to be pretty common. When I get back from EMS Today, I’ll call S&W customer service and see what they want to do about it. Based on my past experience with minor problems and what others have told me, they will take care of the problem.
I’ve read some posts in various forums regarding this and there are two different fixes that seem to be offered. First, S&W will take your existing revolver, remove the “guts” and place them into a brand new frame. This gives you a new frame and barrel and saves S&W some money on the repair. After all, the internals, cylinder, and crane are all good.
The other option I’ve seen referenced is that they offer to send an entire new revolver. There seems to be some controversy over this option as it may involve shipping to a FFL.
I’ll know more next week.
There are a number of theories about why this happens, but no one who knows is releasing any statements about it.
Here is a picture of the culprit.
Interestingly, others who have had the problem report that the gun did not fall apart when they shot it ala Bugs Bunny or The Three Stooges. Or a Charter Arms revolver a guy I knew many years back had. Only in his case he swung open the cylinder and it fell off the gun. Repeatedly.
Really. We laughed at the time, but in retrospect it probably wasn’t that funny. Almost 40 years later and I can’t consider Charter Arms a serious gun maker.
Which is neither here nor there when it comes to my fractured revolver.
An unhappy thing to see on one’s shootin iron. I could see it causing a man to have a certain lack of faith in his tools.
What comes to mind is a design flaw…. shaving weight a little too much in just the wrong place. If that is the case, they should take away that engineers hat and make him ride in the back of the train, instead of the engine….