Classic example of arrogant American manufacturer resting on their laurels instead of continuously improving.
This is precisely how Honda, Toyota, and Nissan derailed Detroit. American car manufacturers thought they had it made, that no significant percentage of the market would ever buy a car made overseas.
They were wrong. S&W is wrong, too.
The Six Sigma approach aims to have just 1 defect out of 1,000,000. To old-school American manufacturers, that can't be done. But to both American and foreign manufacturers who've been achieving that goal for decades, it's simply the way to do things right.
When I bought my first firearm, I spent a LOT of time looking at pretty much everything on the market, not merely how it felt in my hand, but how it was put together, the company's reputation, examining negative reports -- the whole nine yards.
I discovered a foreign manufacturer whose firearms had a reputation for handling 100,000 rounds before any component of the firearm failed.
That, the company's reputation for outstanding customer service, and the way it felt in my hand and it's action is what convinced me I was making a good buy. Turned out to be an outstanding buy. :)
It is to one's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel (Pro 20:3) // I came here to build Pro-2A consensus to help our country, not trade insults like a fifth-grader. If you're on ignore, well, now you know why.