“The North Carolina Highway Patrol purchased [some two 2000] Smith and Wesson’s M&P .357 Sig pistols in September 2009,” wsoctv.com reports. “But two years later, some troopers started having mechanical issues with the extractor port.” The problem bedeviled early full-size M&Ps, but I thought it had been sorted. NCHP spokesman First Sgt. Jeff Gordon said “1,649 uniformed members carry the pistols, but the agency did not feel the need to do a mass withdrawal since not all of the guns have the issue, and all troopers are trained on how to handle jams.” How reassuring is that? Meanwhile, Smith & Wesson [supposedly] can’t figure out a fix for the Tar Heel State’s pistol problems. They’ve offered to swap out the SIGs for an unspecified model for no money (yeah right). If the NCHP jumps ship they’ll pay for their new guns by continuing to trample of the fourth amendment (a.k.a., “asset forfeitures”). FWIW this whole thing sounds fishy to me, though the Internet’s abuzz with the ballistic boner.