S&W Airweight with peeling anodizing????

[Triggerhappy]

Hey guys,

My dad came up for a visit for the 4th and brought his CCW pistol. It's a .38 Smith Airweight. While we were jawing about carry he showed me his and it's got cancer all over the frame. About 25% of the anodizing is or has peeled off of the frame on the right side. Not in places where it touches a holster. He also lives in a hot climate (near Vegas) and doesn't wear it all the time so I doubt moisture is a problem. Has anyone seen this problem with the Smiths? Should he contact S&W about getting it repaired? Is it something Smith will stand behind?

I was surprised to see that problem crop up. I was considering buying one of these for my wife, but....

Any help would be appreciated.

TH

[44man]

Hey guys,

My dad came up for a visit for the 4th and brought his CCW pistol. It's a .38 Smith Airweight. While we were jawing about carry he showed me his and it's got cancer all over the frame. About 25% of the anodizing is or has peeled off of the frame on the right side. Not in places where it touches a holster. He also lives in a hot climate (near Vegas) and doesn't wear it all the time so I doubt moisture is a problem. Has anyone seen this problem with the Smiths? Should he contact S&W about getting it repaired? Is it something Smith will stand behind?

I was surprised to see that problem crop up. I was considering buying one of these for my wife, but....

Any help would be appreciated.

TH
Anodize is an acid etch of aluminum which is then dyed. The etch actually hardens the surface. The dye is just color. It can be scratched, worn or burnt off because it is thin. The metal under is softer.
My take is that the surface has been damaged in spots and the underlying metal is corroding. Many people have a lot of acid on fingerprints and to just touch clean steel, the print will rust. Same with bare aluminum, it will corrode. The acid might even be strong enough to eat through the anodize.
It would seem S&W would need to replace the whole frame. Call them.
Anodize and stainless still needs protection with an anti rust or oil. NOT WD-40!

[Freightman]

My son had the same problem, called S&W they sent a pre-paid label shipped it off and received what looked like a whole new gun in two weeks. That was two years ago and no more problems.
Things happen give them a call.

[Triggerhappy]

Thank you guys. The pistol is about 2 years old and doesn't sit in a holster much. Mainly sits next to his bed. I think he'll contact S&W to see what they'll do. I'll let you know.

TH