They don't make 'em the way they used to.......

Faced with problems ranging from misfires to barrels breaking off, North Carolina has asked Smith & Wesson to replace hundreds of sidearms carried by probation and corrections officers. Some say a crush fit barrel is just as good as a pinned barrel. This is why others disagree.

"In one sense it's funny, in another, it's alarming," said Chief Deputy Correction Secretary Dan Stieneke. "On the one hand, statistically (the revolvers' performance) is not bad, but it's just the safety issue. That kind of failure gets people's attention." Yep. No kidding Chief! In previous tests of revolvers purchased in 2004, roughly one in four misfired. These were .38 caliber Model 64s. Barrels broke on the .357 caliber Model 65s. Test fires of a third revolver, the J frame Model 60, resulted in cracked or sheared barrels in four cases. The North Carolina Correction Department has asked Smith & Wesson to replace only five hundred Model 64 revolvers bought in 2004, though there have also been problems with two additional models. Eventually, the department may demand that Smith & Wesson provide replacements for all 5,000 of the department's revolvers.

MSM article
Hat tip to The Smallest Minority