I give a tip of the hat to the junior member for his careful examination of his new revolver. I'd send an e-mail with these very same pics to customer service demanding an explanation. I also find that a b/c gap of .009+ is entirely unacceptable on a revolver that chambers a 60,000 psi cartridge. Hopefully, Smith will immediately send out a return label and get this gun squared away.

Interestingly enough, over on the reloading forum, is a thread about a 500Mag Kaboom. I'm not going to speculate on the cause, but if I was going to shoot a cartridge that produces rifle round pressures in a revolver cylinder, I would want a b/c gap of no more than .004, and that cylinder better be milled and timed spot on! Keep us posted on how Smith handles your inquiry.