I was checking over a friends model 12 today and found it had the dreaded crack.
IDK if the crack was caused by shooting the cheap (Chinese) ammo or from being wiped down with WD40 once.
After looking it over carefully I could see no particular reason to not shoot it.
We ran about 30 rounds thru it with today with no issues.
The crack was no different after shooting and the barrel was still tight.
I suspect it was probably cracked during assembly at the factory and opened up a little as time and use went on.
IMO any stress from firing would have cracked the barrel as well as the frame.
Since only the frame is cracked it I believe stress from torqueing the barrel during assembly was the culprit.
I can't wait until I own one and I can see exactly how many rounds it will take before the barrel actually falls off.
I suspect my boy will have to complete that testing as I do not believe it will happen in my lifetime.
I would much rather have one of these than piece of Tupperware

I can think of no reason why the frame would crack in that particular area just from shooting it. Even +P ammo shouldn't cause that.
I would have to agree that it may have happened during assembly.

The hand-wringers will be along shortly to tell you to pack it up and save your life, but I also have a cracked Model 12 and it's still going strong.

The aluminum frame guns crack there because the barrel whips and torques with each shot, which stresses the aluminum frame -- the thinnest part of which is right under the barrel. After many years of shooting that's the result. It's the price one pays for weight reduction.

If there were enough whipping and torqueing when firing to crack the frame,
There would also be enough whipping and torqueing so that a shooter could not hold the gun when firing it.
The barrel pin would also have been sheared, it is clearly the weakest part.

Not a hand wringer but I did have a Colt Cobra "blow up" in my hands while shooting it and that was not a pleasant experience - no feeling in a few fingers for a few days... But it will only blow once so proceed on and be sure to return her with your story and pictures. It will be a good read.

It's as if you are saying shooting a gun puts no stress on a gun frame and the only reason to use steel rather than aluminum for the frames is for weight. And we all know guns whip and torque when we shoot them -- that's why we grip them fairly hard and talk about recoil management. Finally, the barrel pin is made of steel -- not thin aluminum.

You clearly like aluminum frame guns and that's fine, but reality is reality.

Here you go:

Model 12 Airweight "paperweight"

Steel springs back from repeated stress. Aluminum eventually cracks.

I said none of those things, what I said is in my posts

Both materials will crack under stress.
I have seen steel crack under stress, I have seen aluminum crack under stress.

The question is was the stress that caused the crack during assembly at the factory or thru repeated shooting.
I personally tend believe the crack existed when the gun left the factory.

I believe I'd like to see a better, more in focus, picture of the "crack", if possible.

I zoomed in and cropped
I can't do much about focus
The firearm belongs to a friend and I don't have access to it to get another pic now.

Here is a cracked frame on a 617. I don't think torque and twisting from recoil caused it?



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No, probably the vibrations and forces from bullet striking the forcing cone. Aluminum has 1/3 the tensile strength of steel and work hardens much faster and is never going to hold up like steel especially in such thin sections. I believe the model 12 is a mistake and would never own one. Sooner or later if you keep shooting on it will crack. While it might hold the barrel fine for a long time with the crack it will eventually loosen up. Good Luck.

Alloy frame just don't make sense to me. Yes, they are lighter to carry, but weaker and miserable to shoot. I'll stick with steel.

I agree with this and won't buy another one. I always have an open offer to anyone who wants to trade their steel j frame for my 442-1. Like the gun a lot and it shoot just fine, but I prefer steel.

__________________
Jim

Still don't believe that crack is from firing.
I think it's caused by torquing the tapered barrel threads into the frame.
I do think this wouldn't have happened with a steel frame however.