Bought a new 629 Talo 3 inch a few weeks ago.

Was looking it over today and found either a scratch or a crack in a flute on the cylinder.

I know I used a desantis thumb break to see if it would fit, and the snap has rubbed against the side of the revolver.

I just don’t know if this mark was a result of the snap, or is it a crack in the steel?

I uploaded too photos with different light. It’s not noticeable unless there’s bright light.

I haven’t shot the gun yet. Thoughts on what to do?


Thanks.

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Looks like a scratch.Maybe a little gentile polishing would be in order.

Agree, likely a scratch. Whatever the material the thumb break on your holster, it would not be hard enough or create enough force to cause this. It is also on a thicker part of the exterior cylinder wall, so unless you see a matching defect on the nearby charge holes I would try to polish it out.

If it really bothers you I'd contact the factory with the photos and see if they want to inspect it.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I don't see any corresponding mark in the charge hole, or on the face of the cylinder.

I wouldn't have noticed this unless I shined bright light on it.

It almost looks like it breaks up in some areas, which makes me think it's a scratch. But it does look somewhat dark for a scratch.

I'm wondering if I should send the photos to S&W. I know if I send it in, it'll take months.

As others have noted it's probably a scratch. The truly safe response is to ask yourself if you want to actually feels for have a revolver cylinder burst with your hand holding the gun. Then you'll be much less hesitant about sending this one home.

However I do understand why you don't want to send your revolver away for 8 to 12 weeks or possibley more. So here are some options for doing some Home Brew Crack Detection. What I would do is use a felt wheel on a Dremel with some diamond lapping compound to bring a small area to a full polish using VERY LIGHT pressure. Then do a bit of wet sanding with some 1500 to 2000 grit sandpaper to remove any material than may have been polished into a crevice formed by a crack. If you cannot get down to a "crack" with the wet sanding what you have is a scratch. Another alternative is to find an Automotive Machine Shop nearby who does engine poring and block blueprinting and the like and ask them for a penetrant based crack detection kit.

PS; I have found that using 1000 grit wet sandpaper in a stright line action in the existing scratch direction is an excellent way to clean up a worn finish on a stainless S&W scratch finish. So if you have an area that was polished to clean up a scratch a bit of time can have that area blended in very nicely.

However this will NOT work on the frosted finishes which is one reason why I try to avoid this type of finish. BTW the other reason why I don't like the frosted finish is that it is VERY sensitive to any rubs and wears very quickly.

To rule out a crack, the best method would be a liquid penetrant test. See if you have a friend or work associate who is an NDT Tech, and have him/her test it. You can also do it yourself by cleaning the surface with brake parts cleaner to remove any oil, grease or surface soils; then paint penetrant (automotive fluorescent leak check will do just fine). Allow it to soak in for 20 minutes or so, and then wipe off all excess material on the surface. Shine a black light on it, and if the indication still shows up, it is likely a crack,

By the way, the somewhat jagged and discontinuous appearance in the first photo looks to me suspiciously like a crack. And if it is, it probably originated from a stringer in the original bar that the cylinder was machined from.

Looks like a crack to me...

Will

I really want to think it's a scratch. But this spot about 2/3 over from the left bothers me.

A pocket microscope might be in order.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Looks like a scratch. Wonder how a scratch got into a flute though...

It's a scratch. You can try some Mothers on a q tip and it should go away. The only problem with buffing it out is that you will have one highly polished flute, which might look a little funny. I had a problem with a holster like you describe. You can put a coating of silicone adhesive on the back of the snap and that should fix your problem. Of course all my opinion is based off of a photo on the internet so there might be more to it than I can see. If you can't get it to buff out or you really want to be sure, you may want to show it to someone in person.

Looks to me like a fracture. I personally think that caution is in order and I would absolutely return it to S&W. If it is a structural failure they really must warrantee it at no cost to you as it is their liability not yours. I once blew up a perfectly lovely USFA single action while using a defective electronic scale to measure my powder charge. Take it from me its not an experience you want to have. ( the scale manufacturer stepped up and replaced the handgun to me ) Stay safe IrishFritz

If you send S&W a pic, they will almost certainly tell you to send it in just out of caution. Heck if I’d send it in without knowing for sure first. It looks like a scratch to me, especially if you say there is no corresponding scratch or line on the cylinder face.

It looks like a fracture...but if it looks like a fracture that clearly you ought to be able to get your fingernail to catch on it.....just my two cents.

That blown up picture is worrisome.
You can get die penetrate at most any welding supply. Norco for one

You could actually do it yourself without a kit using a similar method. Clean the cylinder with brake cleaner. Let dry, put some colored kerosene on the suspected crack (kit uses a dyed light penetrating oil). Let is set for few minutes or so then wipe it with a dry paper towel then sprinkle some corn starch on the area. (kit uses a white absorbing substance. What happens is if there is a crack some of the light oil will penetrate into the crack, the starch or powder will suck some of it back out to form a line where it is effected by the oil. I keep a couple bottles on the shelf in my shop.

You don't need the entire kid, you just need the developer and the penetrate, brake cleaner works great to clean the area. Some kerosene with red food coloring should make a great penetrate and the corn starch should work for a developer to show up where the oil went into the crack

Would a crack change directions, crossing the grain of the metal?
My gun I would send it back if for no other reason a scratch like that is a stress concentrator on something that gets highly stressed.

I don’t see a crack in the cylinder face. I’m thinking inclusion in the forging.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I’ll be contacting S&W about this. Needless to say, I’m not happy about this. This is not my first time sending in new revolvers back to the factory.

I can’t help but get a little worried about the new 686 i bought last summer. Now we have to check new S&W’s for possible cracks.

It's possible that you did get a revolver with a defective cylinder. Make enough of anything and eventually you will get a defective product. I will say that it is an odd place for a crack to form and it does not appear to extend to the face of the cylinder. The jaggedness makes me want to think it is a crack, scratches tend to be more uniform.
Please let us know what S&W says about it.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

The odds of a crack in a cylinder of a gun that has never been mistreated are extremely low. An inclusion in the original billet before the steel was rolled is a possibility, but I can't imagine that they would use stock that had never been subject to some sort of induction, eddy current or sonic inspection prior to machining. S&W could not take the chance simply on liability alone.

My thing is why take a chance as a cylinder failure is extremely dangerous.

You say you bought a "new" M629, and haven't fired it yet. The area of interest I really can't tell with the photo and my eyesight, but for a "new" gun, it sure has a distinct and well established turn line on the cylinder.

I bought it new from my LGS whom I’ve bought from for years.

It had the two carbon marks on the cylinder face from factory test firing.

BTW you could turn the cylinder so that flute is out of the way and then holster and re holster the gun a bunch of times and see if any other similar marks appear.

Are either test firing mark next to the flute in question?

Another point that place on the cylinder is far from its thinnest or weakest point

Yes, I've tried that. I can't seem to repeat that mark.

The more I look at it, and consider the esteemed opinions of the members here, the more I think it's a crack in the steel.

I sent the pictures, with a detailed note, to S&W today. I'll post updates as they occur.

Yep, if you can't make it happen again, it needs further investigation. Either your own dye penetrant test or ... send it back, however much any of us would hate the idea. I'd probably try Steelslaver's dyed kerosene idea above. It seems simple enough.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Kinda hard to believe that a premier firearm manufacturer would pass such an obvious flaw at the QC level.
Particularly after the 624 recall of the 80's.
This would give rise to the end user scratch theory which is easily fixed.

Recent trends across all industries does appear to take a "let the consumer" determine quality control combined with all the other issues today affecting production. However, a firearm, especially large caliber, should lean towards a high level of certainty which could only be assessed by the manufacturer.

I think you have nothing to lose by a moderate attempt to clean it up as suggested in several posts and re-assess if the results allow..
May be even possible to only return the cylinder or cylinder & yoke to possibly expedite the issue and/or convenience on your part.

Good luck either way, you have a fine gun.

Tis but a scratch. No it's not. Yes it is. No it's not...it's just a flesh wound....
Keep us posted

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Forum consigliere

I was first expecting this thread to be a picture of the side plate seam. Then I glanced at the pic, said that’s a scratch and backed out of the thread. Now I’m back reading the comments so I took another look at the first picture and I’m stunned. It really does look like a crack or a flaw in the metal. Does the “crack” extend into the cylinder face?

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-Matt

Don't take a chance. I have had to send three new revolvers back. Two for obvious things that should have been caught. They will make it right.

65,000 PSI rating, definitely not worth the risk of permanent injury compared to waiting 12 weeks, even though 12 weeks is horrible. Good luck with it.

Looks like a scratch to me. Try some Flitz. I have the same gun that I carry quite a bit.

If it is a crack it will not polish out

If you're worried that it might be a crack, perform your own "dye penetrant" crack test. Mix up a solution of water and blue food coloring ( medium dark). Use a Q-tip and apply a liberal amount of the solution along the line of the "crack". If it is, in fact, a crack, the blue solution will seep into the crack, and show darker than the surrounding solution. Just a little trick we would use occasionally when I was still employed.

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John

+1

message board says i need to lengthen this message to 10+ characters..here are about 60+....

Send it back and say your attorney recomends that it would be best if S&W takes care of it for liability purposes. It looks like a crack to me. Jeff

Does it feel like a crack when you run your fingernail over it?

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Hello darknes my old friend

I don't think he will need to mention an attorney. No way S&W will return it with a cracked cylinder. Just the possibility of one of their new guns with a cracked cylinder must keep their liability staff awake at night already.

Update: I received two emails from S&W indicating they will send me a prepaid label. Still haven’t received it.

One would think a possible cracked cylinder on a 44 magnum would merit immediate action. I suppose not.

Looks like a scratch to me, but it's better to be safe than sorry, I saw a Python blow up about 40 years ago and it wasn't pretty. He wasn't sure the cracked cylinder was cracked, until he shot it, and then he was sure. Painfully sure.

That looks like a crack to me.

Oh....if you only knew......

I have the story of my foul experience with S&W's repair department posted elsewhere so I won't bore you here but suffice it to say....I'd could of taken the S&W repair course myself...went on a vacation to the Bahamas, trained for a marathon, run that marathon, get out of shape eating several weeks worth of KFC, then RE-TAKE the S&W repair course because I had forgotten everything I learned AND THEN repaired my gun in less time then it took S&W to do the work.

Everything is moving at a snail's pace right now. The USPS is very slow. UPS and FedEx are busy shipping coronavirus vaccines. All businesses that rely upon employees coming to work are slow due to coronavirus infections. It all equals to the flow speed of molasses in a Maine winter.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I would try a dab of polish and a little rubbing and see for myself before I would send it off in this current climate. YMMV.

I showed the picture to my gun enthusiast friend, a retired gynecologist. He says it’s a crack.

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213th FBINA

Contact S&W
They will treat u well
If it is a scratch no biggie
If it is a crack
You are very fortunate
That could have caused u harm for sure
Stay safe out there
God Bless,John

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

It is a crack, I have not seen a scratch that abruptly changes direction.

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S&WHF 366

He should know.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Don't 'ya expect that his, "perspective" is somewhat skewed? Just sayin'.

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"You're messin' up my Zen"

S&W finally sent me a pre-paid FED ex label. FED EX just picked it up today. I will provide an update when I hear from S&W, or when the revolver is returned.

Well.....heard anything yet????

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Forum consigliere