Quote:
Originally Posted by Donald Paul
... hi everybody. Why do most folks refer to these anomalies as
cracks. These are actually FLAME CUTS caused by a very hot flame under extreme pressure {Think oxyacetylene torch, under very, very high pressure}. It will begin wherever gas leakage is
most likely, say at the forcing cone. {The top strap will suffer too}.
Once these hot gasses can find a way out, the leak will only grow and get worse. The 'K' frame is most at fault because of the thinner forcing cone at the six-o-clock location.
The lighter the projectile. the hotter the flame is behind the projectile. A heavier projectile uses up more of the flame prior to reaching the cylinder gap.
-Don
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No... The crack has nothing to do with hot gases. On those older K frame 357 magnums, S&W used the same frame & barrel as the 38 specials. In order for the longer 357 cylinder to fit, a flat was milled under the barrel to allow clearance for the cylinder. That caused a natural weakness in the forcing cone and those revolvers are prone to cracking. You can see the crack in the photo is right where the bottom of the forcing cone has been milled flat to allow the cylinder to fit in the smaller frame.
This is why S&W then produced the 686/585 series revolvers.