S&W Model 15 Sloppily Built?

[HGM22]

Have been looking at different S&W .38s (Models 10, 15, 64) as I have been itching for a wheel gun (first one!). Not sure if I will go for the wheel gun or something else (ammo), but that's a topic for another thread. Anyway, for a quick overview I looked up the Model 15 on wikipedia and came across a paragraph stating that some Model 15s were sloppily built during the Bangor-Punta years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_&_Wesson_Model_15

The wikipedia article states that the hammer and trigger studs were misaligned causing a less than ideal trigger pull. Also states that excessive cylinder-barrel gap was found. Apparently these features were found on 5 revolvers made between '73 and '77. It does not state sample size (or even if more than 5 revolvers were looked at) nor is a source cited.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Any other things I should know about the Model 15?

 

[madcratebuilder]

I'm sure there are poor examples of S&W revolvers out there but I have never encountered one. I have seen many that were abused by a previous owner and needed work.

I have a 15-3 from 1968, I'm very pleased with it, excellent trigger.

 

[Old Shooter]

Posted on the internet that five guns from production of 35 or so years ago represent some sort of manufacturing failure on S&W's part?

I wonder how many model 15's or for that matter K-frames of all models were manufactured during that time frame?

Do you think they might have had a lemon or two during that production window?

I've had model 15's from that era and had no personal experiences of problems or issues with them. All were great guns and my only regret is that over time I let them go for some other gun to put in the line-up.

Enjoy your S&W. Assuming it passes the revolver checkout list and has not been shot a million, billion times in it's service life it will be good to go.

 

[Stainz]

I have to admit, the only QC issues in an S&W I've had were in the '83 vintage 6.5" 24-3 twenty year safe-queen I bought in '03. Odd jams were traced to what looked like spattered brazing remnants on the frame near the trigger/hammer/etc axles. The trigger return block even drug. The finish was dull and pedestrian - especially when compared to the new '01 Heritage 6.5" 24 I would buy. Both left in my blued revolver purge - to be replaced by a new 6" 629... complete with the IL! I have one '96 revolver - the rest are '01 or later - most with the IL, etc - no problems with any of them.

I would suggest you consider a 67 - the SS equivalent. They are all +P rated - and easier to clean. Check security guard trade-ins for real bargains. I have an excellent 4" 64-8, the SS fixed sight version of a 15, that is a keeper of the first order.

Stainz

 

[18DAI]

I've never had a problem with any Bangor - Punta S&W. I've yet to own a model 15 that wasn't a sweet tack driver with a great trigger.

Current production S&W's have me longing for the Bangor - Punta days. TJ

 

[Black Knight]

I'm not going to say the info is wrong but 5 examples from a 4 or 5 year period is 1 to 1 1/4 guns per year. Sounds like that would be less than the acceptable amount of bad product considering how many of these guns were made during that time frame. Every manufacture will have a lemon every now and then so 5 in a 4 or 5 year period sounds reasonable to me. I'm sure S&W made good on those that were bad. Especially if they were law enforcement guns.

 

[CraigC]

I've got four or five guns from the Bangor-Punta era and they are all varying degrees of excellent. One of them, a model 14, is one of the most accurate sixguns I own. My 29 is a pitiful shooter too! Here's an old poor quality pic and I must've run out of my usual 3" square targets.

 

[MK11]

"Current production S&W's have me longing for the Bangor - Punta days"

What's hilarious is I remember magazines from the '80s--including something that was sponsored by the old Geco "Bat" bullet--in which half the copy was lamenting the Bangor-Punta era and calling for a return to the good old days.

I've got two S&W 19-5s and a Model 13 (can't remember the series). They're all great.

 

[joed]

I've owned quite a few revolvers from the BP era. Quality Control must have been horrible. At one time I bought a 19-4 new that was a beautiful gun. The first time I fired it and went to eject the shells the cylinder fell out on the ground. There were lots of problems and eventually I sold the gun. I could make a pretty long list of the problems with this gun.

But I've also owned some good ones from that era too. You have to look the gun over and know what you're looking for.

 

[Oro]

If you look at the Wikipedia entry, it's already been erased. I suppose someone doesn't want their resale value harmed by a little bit o'truth seeping out.

But in all honesty, the statement about those issues was unattributed and that's sloppy. However it's not out of line with standard production qualities for the '70s from S&W. It was a low point no matter how much period wax nostalgic for "P&R." And it was not limited to model 15s by any stretch. Even 27s would ship out of spec with poor b/c gaps. The 80s really did signal a return back towards prior levels of quality control.

 

[C-grunt]

I had a model 15 from the early 70's that was a great firearm. I love old Smiths.

 

[jad0110]

But in all honesty, the statement about those issues was unattributed and that's sloppy. However it's not out of line with standard production qualities for the '70s from S&W.

And by now, many of the lemons produced during that timeframe have been corrected and are perfectly functional or they got turned into refridgerators.

Most of my S&Ws hail from the BP era, and all but one have been excellent. I did run into some trouble with a Model 13-3, but that was more my fault for not performing the revolver checkout as thoroughly as I normally do. Afterall, that 13 was the first S&W 3" .357 K Frame I'd seen in 3 years in my area, and I just got a little too giddy. Matt Almeda fixed the 13 for me, and now it is as excellent as all my others.

Moral of the story: Turds can be found in any generation, and in NIB guns as well. Check them all out either way.

 

[Onmilo]

Gunsmiths are very familiar with S&W guns from the Bangor Punta days.

They were not the shining times for S&W quality standards.