Have had 2 29-2's for a long time. One sn S284xxx and twin sister sn N121xxx. Every so often N121xxx acts up and spits some gunpowder and/or little jacket pieces. S284xxx never does this. The problem does not appear to be related to a specific charge hole and is present in DA and SA. Both have been well treated and dont show any signs of lockup problem, index problems, bolt problems, timing problems or push off problems. My homework is done and I think I know the answer is some work on the forcing cone profile for older N-series sn barrels. This is mentioned more than once in the forums. My questions are these.

- Can I somehow detect whether the forcing cone really is the problem myself? If so please do let me know how.

- Does anyone here have any recent experience sending 29-2 back to S&W for diagnosis/repair? If so what was your experience?

- In lieu of sending it back to factory, does anyone recommend a good, quality S&W armorer in CA central valley who is able to diagnose/repair? I'm willing to drive a bit if so (bay area or toward LA if needed).

TIA for any helpful responses!