Hello. It's Rafael and I just bought a used S&W 659. I haven't fired it at all yet! Their are a couple of questions, so bare with me here
1. Is this 659 supposed to be able to work fine with +P type 9mm ammo? Most of the ammo that came with it is the Federal 9BPLE +P ammo.
2. Here's where I started freaking out... a bit. So, I watched a video on youtube on how to disassemble a 5906 (for reference), I disassembled my 659, it was hard to get the slide pin out but you learn. I cleaned the **** out of this gun with Hoppes #9, then oil the slide mounts, slide pin, guide rod, and any other conceivable moving part. When I go to reassemble I remembered how you need to compress the guide rod into the recoil spring, carefully slip the guide rod into the tiny cutout that was designed to hold it, and clip it in place with a push. I made sure it was in there. Then I go to feed the slide back onto the action for reassembly. Then, the recoil spring accompanied with the guide rod slipped out of place (probably due to me not applying enough force downwards to clip it in its home), jutting towards the opposite way it was compressed, towards the breech face I think. I didn't notice any visible damage, and I'm sure I'm not the only person this has ever happened to so I just go to try again this time making sure the spring and guide rod fit into their little slot. I reassemble it just fine. I've never dry fired this thing, whenever I go to decock the hammer, I just turn the safety on to decock it, no firing pin getting touched. I also never close the slide on an empty chamber, as I know that causes much more wear. So I haven't done either of those things once.
The next day when I go to take it apart again for practice, after sliding fully-loaded new mags that I bought (5906 mags with new springs) into the well, loaded with the +P, I notice that the breech face has a scratch on it when I go to open the breech for casual inspection. I didn't notice the scratch the day before, and I can't help but wonder and wonder if that scratch was caused by my guide rod and recoil spring mishap from the day before! I ran my fingernail across it vertically, just to see how much it would bump my fingernail to asses the scratch's depth, and it did manage to ever slightly bump my fingernail. I've attached some pictures. Was this scratch on the breech face caused by me, or was it already there from normal wear and tear from the previous years of ownership? If I'm the one who injured the breech face, is this gun royally screwed? If you do know, or have a good idea if this scratch will be any kind of detriment, please give it to me straight. If you guys have any pictures of this gun's breech face, would you mind posting them for a comparison? I just hope to God that my one little misplacement of the guide rod + spring didn't completely ruin this amazing gun that I just got used to, and the one gun I wanted to have for a year or two before I started collecting other guns...
Thank you for your time, if you can spare it, I'd deeply appreciate it.
-Rafael