I bought a used 327pc and while I was cleaning it I noticed the barrel shroud was loose. Once I found out the barrel nut has reverse threads I had the shroud and barrel off. I didn't see any thread lock on the barrel. Does smith & wesson not use any thread lock on these barrels?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well I reset the barrel cylinder gap flared the stud on the frame a barrel shroud so it will have a tight fit and put the barrel back together with red locktite. I hope it stays together.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just now found your post. Have no experience w/ the 327PC. Have you contacted S&W customer service? This may possibly be a single incident. Your fix may just be exactly what needs to be done. But, if this is an isolated incident, it would be good for S&W to be notified. Sincerely. brucev.

__________________
<><

Definitely contact S&W Customer Service and send it in (1-800-331-0852). S&W will probably provide you with a pre-paid shipping label and handle it under warranty.

It shouldn't just loosen up, so you may want to look to see if the frame is cracked. I had a "scandium" frame PC 625-10 that developed a crack. I noticed it because the shroud loosened up.



Even if the frame is fine now, I wouldn't consider shooting it as is. Loctite is NOT the solution. I have no doubt that the nut requires a very specific amount of torque and that information isn't made public. A special spanner wrench is also needed. If you over tighten it, you'll probably crack the frame or damage the threads. If it's under tightened, it will probably crack when you shoot it.

__________________
"I also cook."

I may contact s&w and see what they say. Since it's used I doubt they will send a shipping label.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You might be pleasantly surprised on a defect like that. That not common & it does have lifetime warranty. I have read many posts on used guns being covered.

I have a Dan Wesson 15-2 that features a tensioned barrel system and there probably isn't any more than 15 ft.lbs. of torque on the barrel nut because the wrench is somewhat tiny. In 10-15 boxes of ammunition fired since I reset the B/C gap it has yet to work loose and it's never been locktited.

I've tinkered with several Dan Wesson revolvers and they've all had steel frames. I've never seen or heard of one failing. The S&W aluminum alloy frames are a different ballgame, especially the "Scandium" frames.

Caveat emptor...

__________________
"I also cook."

I remembered in my accumulations I have a Dan wesson 357 barrel tool. I tried it on the barrel nut of the 327pc and it fits. So I have a tool for mantainance if s&w wants me to pay for the fix.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In my Dan Wesson I just screwed the barrel in slipped the shroud over that and tightened the barrel nut up front. The barrel nut kept the tension on the barrel and kept everything tight.

I guess I just tend toward the "brave" side (others might say foolish ) when it comes to Loctite products. Over the course of many years I have always had exceptional results with them, when properly applied. I wouldn't be afraid to use the gun as it is - keeping an eye on it as you use it until you are satisfied that the Loctite has done the job for you.

I hope you will keep us informed about your results. It's an interesting topic, to me.

This is not the same situation as serialsolver's 327.

The entire 327 family of revolvers use multi-piece tensioned barrels very similar to the Dan Wesson design except that S&W does not sell the product as user interchangeable. There are three pieces instead of the traditional one. There is a barrel, shroud and nut. This photo is of a 327JM but the design and assembly are the same.



The 625 pictured above uses the traditional crush fit single piece barrel design that S&W has been using since the eighties.



For decades all alloy framed S&Ws run the risk of cracking the frames at the weak point shown in your picture.

The 327 design solves this since the barrel is not crush fit any longer. It is tensioned between the frame threads and the nut.

The use of red Loctite was not necessary. It will not even be effective. The red is removable. You heat it up to break it's strength. It is going to get hot when firing.

When I put it together I got the barrel cylinder gap to tight and it was hitting on opening and closing. So I took it apart and it was a pain. I read a Dan Wesson manual about changing barrels and followed those instructions. If it comes loose in the future I'll use some blue locktite not red. If I understand the use of the threads shooting it should keep it tight. Here's the barrel parts.

So far so good.

It's got some flame cutting on the cylinder. I think I'll see what s&w says.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bought a new 327pc on6/8/15, the shroud loosened up after 30 rounds of light 38's. It tightened up with finger pressure, but that's not very comforting. I sent customer service a note to see if there's a tool to tighten the nut and what the torque is.

I thought I had updated this thread. Then today noticed I did not. S&W wanted me to send it back and I did. The 327 came back with a new cylinder. The center pin is still floating letting the cylinder hit the bottom of the frame like before. I fired about 40 rounds and the barrel was loose. Please post what s&w advises about the loose barrel.

S&W customer service emailed their phone number and stated there is a special tool needed to tighten the shroud and that I had to send it back to them. It's probably a good thing, since as I was finger tightening the barrel nut, I found that the barrel was also loose and I could see that it opens up the cylinder gap excessively. Customer service emailed me a fedex return label, and I just sent it back today. I hope it doesn't take too long to get it back.

A Dan Wesson barrel wrench can be modified to fit the s&w barrel nut to tighten the barrel.


Even though using this wrench the barrel nut still shoots loose. Let us know how it works for you.

update, 7/15/15 received the 327pc back from S&W today. so it took about 2 weeks. there was no communication with S&W during this time, so I can't tell what they did other than tightening up the shroud.(which now does not wiggle with finger pressure) I don't know if they checked the cylinder gap as I had mentioned on my reason for returning it. My work order just says "code not listed: loose barrel shroud"

Let us know if it's loose after you shoot it. My 327pc barrel gets loose while shooting.

For what its worth that's not flame cutting on the face of your cylinder, just plane old build up of crudge, mostly lead. You can clean that right off if you want with lead removal cloth.

If you researched ti cylinders you would find out that is cylinder erosion & if one uses a lead removal cloth on a good cylinder it will remove the protective coating put on at the factory which will when shooting magnums cause the cylinder erosion.

OK did some research and to be blunt that sucks. While the weight savings MAY for some people be worthwhile the lack of durability is a deal breaker for me.