Recrowning a revolver with two-piece barrel

[oldsmobile98]

Hi,

I am new here, and this is my first revolver (S&W Model 620). It's a 7-shot .357 magnum with a four-inch barrel; it has the new two-piece barrel.

I know next to nothing about gunsmithing, so please excuse my ignorance. I have heard that getting a recrown will usually improve accuracy.

Is it necessary to reduce barrel length in order to recrown?

Specifically, with regard to the two-piece barrel, will this reduce the length of the revolver to any noticeable degree?

I'm also wondering if recrowning will require gunsmithing on the shroud or the barrel insert or both.

I already got a nice leather holster for this one and prefer not to get another.

Thanks,

olds 98

[buckyjames1]

The new model 620 has a bit of a different barrel design. It is a 2 piece barrel but the actual rifled portion of the barrel ends (dont quote me) about 1/2 an inch shy of the end of the barrel. The end of the barrel actually has a shroud/washer. Accuracy on the model 620 has been reviewed as good but alot of people including myself do not like the 2 piece barrel design. I do not see a recrown on the model 620 adding accuracy, it does not come with a traditional crown and any weakening of that muzzle/washer design will cause catastrophic separation of the barrel to shroud contact.


I had a 620, barrel came apart due to metallurgy defect but it was a nice feeling a nice shooting gun before S/W swapped me for a 686-6 free upgrade. I would get a base line accuracy test with ammo, buy a few other boxes of ammo and see which one your weapon prefers.

[buckyjames1]

Recrowning explained:
Yes it is true that recrowning a weapon can improve accuracy but only if there is a problem with the crown in the 1st place. A properly crowned barrel will allow expelled gases and powder to uniformly exit the muzzle. A damaged, burred,or offset crown can make the exiting bullet fly eratic thus opening up your shot group.

recrowning will not shorten barrel length.

Hope this helps and Im sure some other peeps will throw in 2cents worth as well.

[OKFC05]

I know next to nothing about gunsmithing, so please excuse my ignorance. I have heard that getting a recrown will usually improve accuracy.

One of the diseases of gun ownership is the urge to DO SOMETHING to your gun.
Unless there is a specific purpose other than "some guy says it makes it better" it generally is a poor idea to screw around with your gun.
I have had two people drop out of IDPA last year because they just HAD to keep doing random things to their guns until they had unreliable junk.

[n4zov]

Yes it is true that recrowning a weapon can improve accuracy but only if there is a problem with the crown in the 1st place.

Well said! There are many factors that can affect handgun accuracy, and a defective crown would be well down my list of potential causes unless something has been done to damage the crown.

[quarterboregunner]

One of the diseases of gun ownership is the urge to DO SOMETHING to your gun.
Unless there is a specific purpose other than "some guy says it makes it better" it generally is a poor idea to screw around with your gun.

But, but... I just got the new Brownell's catalog.
Seriously, though, I have the blued brother to the OPs revolver, the Model 520, and I didn't know that the rifling ended before the muzzle; need to dig out the piece and a flashlight when I get home.