Defective S&W Shield 9mm barrel

[Imshootin]

Anyone else got a Shield with a perpendicular groove cut in the lands about halfway down the barrel. Never seen this before and wondering if it serves some purpose or is a screwup.

[Ol` Joe]

Could it be pilot marks from crowning the muzzle?

[dwcopple]

Yikes!
S&W and their barrel issues...good grief

[10x25mm]

Probably represents a hitch in forward motion of the blank during hammer forging. It will also, in all likelihood, represent a change in the axis of the bore at that point.

Return it to Smith. It should be considered defective unless they can prove otherwise.

[tenthumbs]

Sample size of two.

Performance center prefix of HND..no

Standard model prefix of HWM..no

[Imshootin]

It will be picked up by Fed Ex and on its way back to the Mother Ship before 6:30.
Customer service couldn't explain why it was there and said send it back. The whole firearm. Wouldn't just send me another barrel even though they're just drop in.
Shot great but I didn't want it there in case I ever decided to Greek it. A buyer may back out seeing that. S&W customer service once again earns a thumbs up by me.

[Imshootin]

... and it's gone.

[dwcopple]

... and it's gone.

Attaboy

[Imshootin]

I rescind the previous thumbs up for S&W customer service.
So I had to send a letter with the firearm explaining what was wrong with it. In the letter I said that since i had to send the whole gun back to have them swap out the barrel, while it was there could someone give me a quote to put night sights on it. I included my e-mail address and phone number. At two weeks, I called for a status report and was told they haven't even looked at it yet they're so backed up. It would probably be another week or two before they looked at it. After 5 weeks of being there I called again as I had still not heard from anyone. The lady that answered the phone checked and said there was a holdup on it due to a $267.30 charge. I told her there should be no charge as what I sent it in for was warranty work. I was put through to their CS person that handles issues like this. I was told that was the charge to have night sights installed. I told her I hope they haven't been installed because I wasn't paying for them. I only wanted a quote. She told me I should be receiving a letter in the mail any day with the quote. I asked why someone hadn't just called me and was told there was only three people back there so they don't have time to make calls.
I told her to just send it back and that their charge was ridiculous. I was told it would be another 5 to 7 days before it would ship because they're so backed up.
In closing, my gun was gone for 51 days to replace a defective, drop in barrel and they wanted to charge me more to put night sights on the gun than I paid for it brand new. Let me repeat that price quote. $267.30 to put night sights on a Shield that only cost $249.99.
In the 51 day absence, I bought a Sig P365. The Shield doesn't need night sights anymore. The Sig came with them, holds 10 + 1 rounds with the flush fit mag, 12 + 1 with the extended mag and is smaller to boot. The Shield will probably reside in the darkness of my safe until I decide I don't need it anymore and be cast off like a red headed step child.

[zcolt45]

Talk with the Smith & Wesson District Representative, and see if they can be of any assistance.