I’ve been on a jihad for S&W revolvers in the last year or so and have been buying the Scandium frame guns and have noticed a bit of a “dig” on the front on the frame, near the yolk where the crane swings shut. My terminology probably sucks, but I’ve got loads of pictures – and you know what they say about pictures.

See the area underneath the barrel that looks “shaved”. My question is this – is this normal/typical with the Scandium guns? I’m shooting commercial loads for the designed caliber – these are all, for the most part, big bore magnum guns. A little surprised, to be honest, that I’m getting what looks like unintended wear on the frames.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633976705_b7qd8-O.jpg
329PD .44 Magnum.
Shot mostly 240g magnum rounds, a handful of > or < bullet weights. Probably less than 500 rounds.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633976819_boFek-O.jpg
327 PC .357 Magnum
Shot less than 100 rds of 185g magnum rounds. About 100 .38 rounds. No more than 200 rounds.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633976961_9yYV7-O.jpg
329 Night Guard .44 Magnum
Probably 500 rounds or so. Mostly 240g. Maybe 100 of those 500 were .44 Special loads.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633977123_GmmSo-O.jpg
325 Night Guard .45 ACP
500 rounds. All 230g


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633977352_CFjN7-O.jpg
Model 37 from sometime in the 80s. Not a Scandium gun, instead an aluminum alloy airweight. Similar issues, but not nearly as pronounced as the Scandium guns. Although I’ve had this gun forever for almost 30 years, I haven’t shot much through it – backup gun for years. Probably less than 200 rounds through it.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633977467_hcZR7-O.jpg
A model 640 .357 stainless steel. Note that blast residue in the same area on this stainless steel frame. A few hundred rounds through this one. Had for years.


Original image: http://danbrew.smugmug.com/photos/633977606_GASTd-O.jpg
Model 629 stainless steel. Pretty much the same as above – about 500 rounds through this one. Mostly magnum rounds.

So… do I need to be worried about the wear on the Scandium guns? It seems pretty clear that this area is a “blast area” in S&W revolvers, yet it looks as if the Scandium (and Aluminum) versions don’t stand up so well to the expected consequences of a .357, .44, or .45 rounds. What’s up with that?

Comments pro/con, thoughts appreciated. ☺