Problems with 929s continue ?

[Ty Hamby]

Wife and I have a pair of 929's we have been running. So far so good. Combined we have around 1500 rounds fired from each. Fired in both testing and three 6 stage matches. Not a single sticky round. I have published my current load on here several times but it is basically 132pf 160gn (.358) coated bullet in Starline Short Colts cases using Hearthco clips. I do not use short colts in my .38spl guns. So at my house if a short colt case is found in the washing machine it could only be a form fired 929 brass. My four 8 shot .357 627/27's run long colts cut down to .900" length, so no confusion of what brass goes where for me.

I have a dozen plus reloads on my short colt testing cases. No signs of pre-mature wear yet. I don't need to tell you how fast short colts in hearthco clips are sucked into a 9mm chamber do I? I like this format so much I have purchased a 686, cut it for clips, purchased 50 clips for short colts from Dave and after buying a cylinder ream, chambered it in 9mm for use in Limited 6. Testing on this one begins next week.

Also as has been stated many times before. Sizing form fired 9mm short colts back down to .38 short colt specs is not advised 1) overworking the brass, 2) base of brass remains over-sized even using u-die. Roll sizing would be the only reliable option.

[Studentofthegun]

Recently I began looking for either a 929 or a 986. I finally settled on a 986. I looked at several 929s at the local shops here and found issues with all but two of them. Those issues included:

1. Hammers scrubbing the frame

2. Barrel not aligned properly with the frame

3. Out of time (would not rotate cylinder to lock up)

4. Rear sight crooked

However, I did find two good 929s at a shop in central North Carolina. I'm not sure I should mention it because I don't want anyone to think I'm advertising for them. But the two they had were quite good and did not seem to have the problems the other four 929s had that I was able to find in my area.

Am I allowed to answer private messages to tell people where the two decent specimens are? I don't want to run afoul of the rules but I also want to help people out if they are looking in my area. Btw, the 986 was in great shape and was the only one I found. I got lucky on that one.

Best,

SOTG

Edited February 10, 2016 by Studentofthegun

[mikey45]

i got mine last April. and it had all of the problems, sticky extraction tumbling bullets, cylinder issues, ETC. i think this gun was the poster child for what can be WRONG with a revo. After a long talk on the phone with customer service. I sent it back to S&W with a long letter of what all was wrong. i got it back in three weeks, Shot it this past weekend and much to my surprise i think they fixed it all. and best of all it was under warranty.

[sargenv]

I got mine in the middle of last year from another local shooter who didn't want to load specifically for the 929.. I've put probably 5000 rds through it since last year and absolutely love it.. I had a friend take a bit of spring pressure out of the crane ball and that's all the work I've done to it. It seems to point like a laser under 25 yards.. and like a high power hose past that (if I actually aim, I can hit targets). I had a little sticky extraction with fast powders.. I switched to a slower powder and that all went away..

Edited February 22, 2016 by sargenv

[firewood]

I purchased a nib 929 in mid January. I really didn't know what to do with it so it just sat there in the box unfired until the first week of March. Being unsure of what is good and what is bad, the only thing I did know was that the trigger was mounted properly no frame scraping, no end shake and a uniform b/c gap using the eyeball method. The action itself was quite objectionable but otherwise it looked good and a few other revolver guys I know thought it was ok.

I had been planning all along to have Pinnacle High Performance do the work I just wasn't sure the extent of the work except for the trigger. I decided to leave it with Mark and he did a great job on the action, chamfered the charge holes, installed ball detent on the crane, trued the forcing cone and set b/c gap, FO front sights, bobbed the hammer and round/polished the trigger and reamed the muzzle cap. I think that was all.

I got some good advice on a 9mm load to get started and purchased some moon clips. On the day it was to be finished I took half a day off from work and picked up the gun then went directly to the range. Put about 32 rounds through it then had to leave. It seemed to be shooting good.

With a mere 32 rounds freehand through the gun, I installed a pair of Big Butts, made no changes to my ammo, didn't make any sight adjustments --nothing. Sunday shot in a steel league match and had the absolute best day of my life with this gun. I usually suck very big time, Sunday I sucked only a teeny tiny bit. Two days have past and I'm still smiling so much my face hurts and I cannot wait to get all of my tackle set up and put in some serious range time.

Yes the gun is supposed to be awesome from the box, the darn thing was expensive as we all know. But I had come to accept going in that it would need additional work. But now that all that is past me I look forward to shooting the thing. My attitude towards revolvers in general has improved and my confidence level is increasing, now my 686 doesn't look so intimidating anymore. There are a few more things I wan to do with it but I think the platform itself is going to be fantastic. That is my hope, so far so good.

[Mikey212]

Sorry if I'm not supposed to comment on older threads, I'm new here.

I just received a S&W 929 from an online retailer up here in Canada.  When I first looked at it, the rear sight was moved all the way to the left.  It's really hard to tell with just eyeballing it, but the barrel might be a bit misaligned.  Again, that might be an illusion, but I really don't understand how a brand new revolver would have been sighted in at the factory and that rear sight had to be cranked all the way over left.  (I'm assuming S&W sights them in?  It has been fired by the evidence of carbon on top of the frame above cylinder-barrel gap and it's brand new.)

After reading here on the other details to check, I measured the Cylinder to barrel gap and found that a .010 feeler gauge slides in there pretty easy.  So, the gap is I'm guessing slightly larger than .010 a small amount.  

The retailer I purchased from stands behind their products, so I am allowed to send it back for a full refund or warranty work.  All I lose is the shipping.  Would you guys send it back by what I have described?  I didn't plan on having any gunsmith work done to it, I bought a performance center gun at premium price assuming it would come ready to go...

Thanks for any advice,

Mike

[MikeyScuba]

I can’t speak to the quality issues you speak of, but don’t assume the PC moniker means anything.  I think we’ve spent $800 on upgrading ours for ICORE competition already.  We never had any issues but better to think of buying the gun as platform for necessary upgrades.  Ours went straight out to BC for fiber optic front & rear sights , cylinder release, polishing and lightened trigger.  I then sent the cylinders to TK for champhering later on. Not sure if the gunsmith could have done them but I learned later about the champhering.

[revolver45]

I send all of my S&W revolvers to Ron Power at Power Custom to get tuned up for any planned competition. He basically replaces every part in the frame, then hand fits it all to perfection. Contact him with any questions. He makes all of the parts for the gun in his shop. 

[revoman]

Smith & Wesson should cover all shipping as you should send it back to them. 

[MikeyScuba]

49 minutes ago, revolver45 said:

I send all of my S&W revolvers to Ron Power at Power Custom to get tuned up for any planned competition. He basically replaces every part in the frame, then hand fits it all to perfection. Contact him with any questions. He makes all of the parts for the gun in his shop. 

Like TK, and any US smith getting the gun back won’t work.  From what I understand they have to send the gun to a FFL?  Up here in Canada I get the gun sent directly back to my home address.  I take it a FFL won’t give a gun to a non US resident?  Not to mention that idiotic ITAR business.

 

 It would be easy for me to cross into the US with my revolver as I have the NIA6 form approved and send from the UPS customer care like my ammo.  

[MikeyScuba]

29 minutes ago, revoman said:

Smith & Wesson should cover all shipping as you should send it back to them. 

It goes back to the distributor in Toronto I would guess.  My POS 41 did.  It was a Wednesday before thanksgiving special.  Bullets tumbled out of it from the 1st shot.  

Slide wasn’t finished properly 

grips were different colors 

and the case wouldn’t close.

 

the smith who ordered it for me was a cranky old dude who got me a replacement in days.

[revoman]

Call Smith & Wesson see what they can do for you 

[Mikey212]

Yeah, because I'm in Canada, the gun can't go across the border to S&W.  But, the dealer will handle the warranty issues for me.  I haven't even fired it yet and it's within their 7 day return period with no questions asked.  

 

I was more wondering about why those sights are jacked over all the way to the left and what problem that is indicating in the gun.  Also, the .010 cylinder to barrel gap seems like alot?

[revoman]

When the first 929’s came out the barrels were not indexed straight and that is why the rear sight was cranked to one side. The gap is to big if you ask me and I would ask that the barrel be indexed straight and the cylinder gap be closer. Maybe some of the people who bought some of the 929’s will comment on this for you. 

[Dpr17]

I love my 929 but as soon as I got it, I sent it to Joe at Mojo Custom to go through it. It was a wreck straight from the PC but Joe made it right. 

[swordfish]

I've ran into more than one "performance center" gun with a crooked barrel. It's just a name, doesn't mean anything, at least not anymore.

[Mikey212]

17 hours ago, revoman said:

When the first 929’s came out the barrels were not indexed straight and that is why the rear sight was cranked to one side. The gap is to big if you ask me and I would ask that the barrel be indexed straight and the cylinder gap be closer. Maybe some of the people who bought some of the 929’s will comment on this for you. 

 

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing.  I am currently waiting on a response from their warranty department...  I just refuse to pay another $1000 to have the gun fixed up to what it should have been out of the box.  I'll insist they either just refund my money or take it back and re-index the barrel, and have that gap fixed.  I'm not opposed to getting guns tweaked at a gunsmith, I currently have my 44 mag mare's leg in getting slicked up and a picatinny rail installed for my RMR.  However, it boggles my mind that an expensive S&W from the "Performance Center" would be let out the door with this kind of shoddy quality control.  This is the first S&W I have bought, and I have to say it will likely be the last after taking this chance and losing.

Thanks again for the advice.

[MikeBurgess]

Unfortunately "Performance Center" is a meaningless term for Smith, just means it was tossed together in smaller quantity's than regular production guns. I think of the Performance Center as a marketing term at best.

 

A few years ago I saw pictures on here of a PC 627 cylinder with the fluting miss aligned with the chambers on the cylinder, not just a little either like not even close to correct. also ran into a guy at a steel match with a brand new 627 that wouldn't set off factory 9mm with the factory 12lb trigger. 

[revoman]

26 minutes ago, MikeBurgess said:

 

 

 also ran into a guy at a steel match with a brand new 627 that wouldn't set off factory 9mm with the factory 12lb trigger. 

Did he have the cylinder cut for 9mm as I don’t think 9mm would fit in a 627 cylinder and if cut did they use moon clips as the 9mm would not rest on a rim since it is rimless. 

[MikeBurgess]

13 minutes ago, revoman said:

Did he have the cylinder cut for 9mm as I don’t think 9mm would fit in a 627 cylinder and if cut did they use moon clips as the 9mm would not rest on a rim since it is rimless. 

sorry it was a 929,     

 

[MWP]

3 hours ago, Mikey212 said:

 However, it boggles my mind that an expensive S&W from the "Performance Center" would be let out the door with this kind of shoddy quality control. 

They have no competition and we keep buying them...

[Alaskan454]

3 hours ago, MWP said:

They have no competition and we keep buying them...

True, if Ruger starts selling an 8 shot SRH in 9mm I will buy one.

[Jamese35]

18 minutes ago, Alaskan454 said:

True, if Ruger starts selling an 8 shot SRH in 9mm I will buy one.

I don't know if i would sall my 929 for one as its been great for me and I haven't had a problem with it at all. But I would buy one and play with it for sure. I'm my opinion the ruger cylinder release better for flipping open for how I reload. 

[Alaskan454]

On 9/12/2018 at 9:09 PM, Jamese35 said:

I don't know if i would sall my 929 for one as its been great for me and I haven't had a problem with it at all. But I would buy one and play with it for sure. I'm my opinion the ruger cylinder release better for flipping open for how I reload. 

I like the 929, I just picked up a second one.  It would however be nice to put some pressure on the manufacturers by having competition amongst other.  I've gone back and forth over the years on the Ruger vs. S&W design and both have their appeal.  My moonclip fed guns are S&W, speedloader fed are Ruger.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Alaskan454

[Jamese35]

1 hour ago, Alaskan454 said:

I like the 929, I just picked up a second one.  It would however be nice to put some pressure on the manufacturers by having competition amongst other.  I've gone back and forth over the years on the Ruger vs. S&W design and both have their appeal.  My moonclip fed guns are S&W, speedloader fed are Ruger.

I agree with you, but I don't think it will happen. As far as I feel ruger has their head in their #@$ and have to put a warning or a safty on everything. And they need to get in to the compition market.