attention - barrel down range

[softmentor]

attention - barrel down range
My wife and I really want to talk to S&W about the accuracy of their barrels. When this one went flying down range, it completely missed a 3' x 5' target.
S&W64-1.jpg

S&W64-2.jpg

S&W64-3.jpg

S&W64-4.jpg
I took my wife to her first intro match, she did great the first 3 stages. The 4th stage her first 6 shots all missed. Next thing we heard was "STOP" loud and clear from the RO. The entire barrel on her model 64 was gone. It went flying down range, past the target, and landed in the earth berm at the back of the bay.
Wow. Quite a first day, first match, wouldn't ya say?
She is fine, no injury at all. S&W gave her a brand new replacement.

[nedro]

That's impressive. Now you can tell all your friends that your wife is tougher than a Smith and Wesson.

[BennyAdeline]

The model 64 is convertible into an ultra snub nose. She must have hit the release button.

[alabamacoastie]

I can appreciate the humor in OP's post. It is funny, and also frightening.

I'm glad everyone is safe and SW made it right.

Hopefully the wife will WANT to try another match some day.

[FireCloud9]

Women always know which buttons to push

[iLWRC]

Break action revolver. Sweet!

[softmentor]

That's impressive. Now you can tell all your friends that your wife is tougher than a Smith and Wesson.

That's a good one. I'm gonna use it.

[Che762x39]

attention - barrel down range
My wife and I really want to talk to S&W about ...

S&W has really gone downhill since the 1960s.

[Calico1404]

Scary OP< glad no injury and that you received a replacement.

[softmentor]

Yea, S&W as a company was great about just replacing it. The CS folks were... ok, sorta. Had to talk to 5 people before we got the the right person to send it in. Then after they got the gun and decided what they were going to do talked to 3 more. NONE of them had a clue that it would be a problem to ship a slightly newer version to CA (hers was a 64-7, the CA roster has the 64-8 so that's what she finally got) and that it would have to be treated as a new gun purchase and DROSed. The last guy, the one who helped get the 64-8 to her, said he would ship her grips and case. The grips made it, the case never did. Well all in all, in the end she got a fair replacement, and all went well with CA rules. Cost some DROS fees, and she will have to pay for another trigger job, but not the end of the world.
S&W service? I give the company an A for good policy and great product, the customer service department a C+.
She still loves her revolver and yes, she plans on going out again as soon as the trigger is done.
after all, she's tougher than a S&W (btw, thats emoticon #38

[gunprofit]

**** Happens !

[PartyBarge]

The humor in post 1 just made my day.

[softmentor]

one more note, kind of sad about loosing that particular gun. Bought it for her from a fellow CalGun'er. He was LEO with Sheriff Dept. and it was his service revolver back in the day. and it was her second gun but the first one she really liked and shot and trained with. Good bye to an old friend.

[gunprofit]

I'm a little curious. Did Smith & Wesson ask you about ammo? Wondering if they tried to pass the blame to something other than their gun.

Looking at the pics, the breakage looks like a investment cast break. Very jagged, not a clean break. When forged metal breaks, usually its a clean break and not jagged. At least from my experience. I'm sure there are some guys on here that have a lot more experience with metals than I do that have an opinion regarding the break.

Up until 1981 S&W would screw in their barrels and then pin them. From what I understand, today they screw them in and crush fit to keep them in place. Perhaps, the crush caused the break. But, now that you say a LEO owned the gun, I would place the blame there, LOL.

[softmentor]

S&W never asked about ammo, or any particulars about the event. They just looked it over after we sent it in and called back and said "we are going to replace it"