I had sent my 325SC back to S&W a few months back thinking I had a crack in the frame near the forcing cone.

Well, TWO engineers looked at it and sent it back stating it was "wear" not a crack. Well if it isn't a crack it's significant wear.

So I looked at some auction pics of NEW 325pds and night guards. well the pics below show wear EXACTLY like the wear on my gun.

Anyone else have a new in the box gun with wear like this? I took mine apart and the "ring" on the crane is very rough where it meets the frame.

Is this anything to worry about long term? I did file down the rough edges on the "ring".

Thanks
Dave

where is the crack suppose to be, I'm not seeing it.....

Hi, from the picture it looks like the yoke is scraping the frame under the forcing cone. It might just be a tight fit or the yoke is loose and scraping the frame. Try tightining the screw that holds the yoke in place. Then see if it is a tight fit at the frame.

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M.J.Hanna

RightWinger,
Sorry I thought the crack in my frame was exactly where you see the wear in the posted pics. Basically the "white" spots below the forcing cone.If you notice the one pic of the 325pd 4" the frame is black and the white sport clearly visible.

Panama,
Thanks for the advice, I had tightened the screw but will check it again.

Dave

That's normal.

This is a cracked frame.

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"I also cook."

If you look at the front of the yoke you will see, at the top, a small flange that corresponds to the wear you are seeing. This is a recoil shoulder for the yoke. It is supposed to contact the frame, and what you see is completely normal for all S&Ws of all frame types. It is just a little more pronounced with the black finish on an aluminum frame due to the color contrast. These frames crack, when they do, in the bottom of the lunette, the portion of the frame the berrel screws into, just as s&wchad's photo. They seem to be more commonly straight instead of J shaped as his photo.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

ALK8944,
The flange you're referring to is at the top of the cone. The area with what I'm calling excessive wear is at the botton of the cone. It's where the yoke meets the frame. The white marks in all three photos is clear, it is scrathing or wear.

Chad's photo is unfortunately definitely a crack.

I have to wear ar the top of the forcing cone where the flange is. The flange is designed to slow wear and appears to be doing its job.

Thanks
dave

Dave,
I think you misunderstood Alk8944. I’ll review some terminology (just so we’re on the same page), then you should go back and re-read his post. He’s correct and the “J“ shaped wear below the barrel on the inside of the frame is perfectly normal.

The piece you're calling a flange is the flame shield. The flame shield is the bent stainless steel insert above the barrel that prevents flame cutting on the inside of the alloy frame above the flash gap. Ignore that for now, because we are.

What S&W called a yoke, Colt called a crane. It’s the arm that holds the cylinder and pivots away from the frame to load and unload. The cylinder slides over the barrel of the yoke, with the ejector rod passing thru it. There’s a circular flange (recoil shoulder) on the outside of the yoke barrel in front of the cylinder that bears against the inside of the frame right where the wear spot is on your gun. This “recoil shoulder” limits forward movement of the cylinder and yoke when the gun is fired by riding against the inside of the frame. If you look closely from the side as you open and close the cylinder, you’ll see where the contact is made. I wouldn’t suggest altering that shoulder, but it sounds like you already did. Hopefully, you didn’t take much off and you kept the surface square to the frame. Removing material from that surface can cause excessive end-play (front to back movement of the yoke and cylinder).

This wear you see is not unique to alloy frame guns. Steel frame guns do the same, but it takes longer to show up. Here’s a Performance Center 327 (alloy frame) and a Model 28-2 (steel frame) that show the exact same mark as yours.




Ignore the marks, shoot your gun and enjoy it. If the frame cracks (the vast majority don‘t), I’m sure you’ll notice it and then S&W will correct it under warranty. I was very happy with the way they handled my problem.

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"I also cook."

My 325 TR has the same wear pattern.

My M325NG exibits the same thing. As the others said shoot-m-up!

Chad,
Thanks for the clarification. Sorry to see your pic which I know you've posted before.

Interesting to see a mod 28 with the same wear.

My 325SC shoots like a dream with 200 gr 45AR,
so I shouldn't worry.

Thanks to all for their replies.

Dave