Hello all! I recently purchased a LNIB 337 and have noticed some unusual wear (to me anyway) on the top strap. Could this be considered flame cutting? Everything i have read on flame cutting is usually in a .357 or .44mag and not on a .38 special. I have a 442 with close to 600 rounds with no sort of wear in the same spot as the 337 does.
Any info would be great.
Sorry for the bad pics. I can take better ones if need be.
IMO what you are seeing is lead deposits, not flame cutting. Flame cutting would be in perfect alighnment with the B/C gap. Lead deposits are a vapor deposition process and require factors such as local gas velocity and surface temperature. It's been my experiece that these deposits occur on the top strap a bit behind the face of the cyilinder and on the outer surface of the cylinder.