A Hard Lesson Learned

[38superman]

I'm not sure how to handle this.
I just brought home my shiny new M&P 10, or so I thought.
Turns out it was a used gun and I didn't realize it until I had already paid for it and filled out the transfer.
Looked good, until I got it home.
The first thing I noticed was that the spring loaded latch on the operating handle was frozen.

Closer inspection revealed that back of the operating handle was bent.
Looks like maybe someone dropped the rifle and that's where it landed.

I just replaced it with a Bravo Company AR10 handle which seems to work fine.
Today I loaded so test rounds for it. The bullet has no cannelure so I tried to chamber and eject a round to make sure I wouldn't get set back on the bullet.

The round chambered but I couldn't eject it. The action was frozen.

I had to take a hammer and tap the operating handle to get the round out of the chamber.

When the round came out of the chamber it looked like it had been dropped in gravel and trampled.

There are scuff / burnish marks all over the case and the bullet is gouged.

Photos don't do it justice. The round really looks rough.

I inspected the action and chamber as best I could but don't see anything visibly wrong. I guess it could just be a tight chamber.

I think I will buy a box of factory rounds to see if they will cycle normally. If so I guess a set of small based dies is in my future.

Otherwise I suppose the rifle will have to go back to S&W for safety inspection and test fire.

That's really tough since the factory warranty is reserved for the original owner.

Edited March 23, 2014 by 38superman

[Sarge]

How on earth did you end up with a used gun when you thought it was new? Can't you go back to the shop and get them to sell you a new one? Or did you just assume it was new?

Sucks either way.

[38superman]

This is a very large gun shop located in North Alabama.

Their shelves are stocked with both new and used guns which are mixed together.

They are not behind a counter and are accessable from the sales floor.

When I picked up the gun I didn't notice any obvious signs of wear.

It had the original box, all paperwork, owners manual, a magazine still in unopened packaging, so I assumed it was new.

The only way I could have know was the color of the price tag, used guns are not identified as "used" but they are tagged with a different color price tag.

I didn't know that at the time.

Once I paid for it and the transfer was done I owned it.

Hence the title for this thread "Hard Lesson Learned".

Never assume anything. Always ask BEFORE you put your money down.

At this point, I'm not going to worry about what I should have done.

I just need to make this gun right.

The question is how best to do that.

Edited March 24, 2014 by 38superman

[HRider]

If it won't chamber and eject factory rounds, call Smith and Wesson. Even though the warranty is supposed to be for the original owner, if it something due to workmanship, they may make it right for you. If it is a rough chamber, some polishing may solve the problem. If not, a gunsmith with a chamber reamer can take care of that.

The gouges in the bullet jacket probably came from the barrel lugs as the round was extracted and then ejected. Most unload and show clear rounds will have drag marks on the bullets.

Hurley

[GreenDragon64]

38, was this at a Huntsville or Gadsden store?

[38superman]

64, It was Huntsville

[T Bacus]

We have had a few M&P 10's sold in our shop that had very tight chambers. So far all have fired just fine.