Hi all I just bought a used like new 340PD and was wondering this very same thing.,is the ti cylinder an inherently flawed design? Or can the issue be traced back to some owners not obeying the warnings on ammo use and cleaning solvents? I called S&W and they said as long as I obey the warnings on cleaning solvents and ammo weight restrictions i should be fine in regards to my guns titanium cylinder.

They also told me a way to determine if the protective coating was still intact,was to simply look at the cylinder,and see if I notice any pealing or dull looking spot on the Ti cylinder. They this is a tell tale sign that the protective coating has been damaged. Can anyone here confirm this?