New guy with a "burned" model 29 needs advice..

[buckeyeshooter1]

send it to S&W for an overhaul. see what they say

My thought also.

 

[Gazz]

I don't think any gun maker will rework or fix any gun that they made that has been in a fire simply because their attornies tell them not to. It would not make a difference to them fi the gun was okay or not. I have four guns that had been in a fire and shoot them all. One is Ruger single six that came to me with charred stocks and a mottled finish. Shoots great. Another is a Rossi Puma carbine in .45 Colt. The forend was burned off, the mag spring was soft and the mag follower had melted into the action locking it up. After digging the melted plastic out of the action and replacing the damaged parts, it shoots fine and has had several 100 rounds through it with no issues. Next was a MAK90 that had no wood left on it and needed a new recoil spring, hammer spring, stock set and a good cleaning. I have about 500 rounds through it now and it is working just fine - headspace has not changed and it shoots pretty good for an AK copy but looks like it has been there and done that. The other one that I shoot is a Winchester 70 in 30-06. All the springs were good in that rifle but there was no stock left to speak of and some damage to the aluminum trigger guard. I got a new trigger guard for it which was kind of hard to find for cheap and a synthetic stock. Since the springs in the bolt and for the trigger were still good, I figure the bolt and receiver had to be okay as well. I have about 200 rounds through it now and the headspace has remained the same which would have been my primary concern if the heat treatment had been compromised but it seems to be okay.
From reading this post and others like it about burned firearms, I realize there are many who will not risk shooting them again. Having about 50 years of messing around with guns and 40 years experience in working with metal including machining, forging hot metal and heat treating I have a bit of a different comfort level with this kind of thing than many. If I had that revolver, I would sure be tempted to make it shoot again just to see how it would handle it. I forget which gunsmith book it is in, but the author basically says not to worry about heat treating with handguns and shotguns - it's not necessary except for providing wear characteristics. .44 magnum may be different as well as some of the newer extreme magnum rounds but I would do it just I would know.

 

[Match10]

Are you right handed? Go ahead and shoot it, and we'll call you, "Lefty" from now on. I am a Mechanical Engineer with experience in heat affected metals. This gun should never be shot again. If it was hot enough to discolor the metal and ruin the springs, it is unsafe.

Period.

 

[Gazz]

Like I said, I would try to get it to shoot again just to see how it would handle it. I have seen AK's fired until the wood forends start on fire and machine guns shoot until the barrels are red hot but they keep on chugging along. Unsafe as they are with all that discolored metal by your statement. I used to work with a bunch of ME's and did learn one important thing - they are never wrong, just ask them.

 

[usmcgunny0369]

yeah, I've seen Machine Guns fired until the barrels glowed red hot. I've also seen them fired until they glowed white and you could see the rounds passing through. That is until the barrel drooped and they stopped firing. But that's a heavy barrel. Not a open ended cylinder held in the hand. I'd get the metallurgical test done.

 

[minconrevo]

If it were my hands at stake, I would not consider a Mod 29 with the grips burned off as fitting my mitts as a shooting firearm in any part of my future. If the grips had gotten just a little bubbly or smokey; perhaps.

 

[Match10]

Like I said, I would try to get it to shoot again just to see how it would handle it. I have seen AK's fired until the wood forends start on fire and machine guns shoot until the barrels are red hot but they keep on chugging along. Unsafe as they are with all that discolored metal by your statement. I used to work with a bunch of ME's and did learn one important thing - they are never wrong, just ask them.

Mechanical Engineers build weapons... Other Engineers build targets. They should know.

We are talking about a 44 revolver here, that is actually somewhat a high pressure round where heat treatment of the steels is important to the strength/integrity of the weapon. I work with heated metals all the time, and conduct piping strength test pre and post welding. I also am involved with our fire/building/mechanical codes and pressure vessls. This revolver is definately heat affected and it had some exposure far beyond that which was intended. The typical house fire burns at right around 1900° for at least ten minutes. There is no doubt. Heat affected. To what degree?

Edit to add.... Looking at the photos again, it is also apparent that the fire could have changed the alloy of the steel with carbon from the fire and recrystalized the metal. It is not the same steel that left S&W.

My vision, face and hand, and that of those standing around me is of paramount importance. Ever had a double charged round, or a overpressure round go off? I have. This revolver may hang together and shoot most ammo well, with no effect. It's just that once in awhile I know an overpressure that happens, even in factory ammo. My life, eyes, hands, and vison are worth much more to me than trying to save a few dollars by cleaning up a revolver where there is question. I'd certainly kick anybodys rear end for firing this hunk of metal in the lane next to me and not allowing me to vacate. MY Sight and body parts are far more valuable to me than a questionable firearm.

Further, in twenty years when you are dead and gone, your daughter and her husbancd may go out and shoot it. Are you willing to take that chance with their lives? With your pretty little grandaughter standing right there? How about twenty years after that with your young greatgrandson standing there learning to shoot? If you are, you are a much poorer man than I.

It is incomprehensible to me that anyone would consider restoring a firarm such as this!

 

[viceunit]

To the OP: What did you decide to do?

 

[redhawk444]

The answer is simple....call S&W and ask them about it.

If they say send it in, I would, if not, I might polish it up and reblue it and hang it over the fireplace....after plugging the barrel.

 

[Camster]

Hey, it's just a thing,a thing that thousands were produced, a thing that can be easily be replaced,a thing that can be purchased in perfectly nice shape all day long for less than a grand.Give it a decent burial or put it on the wall.Not worth 90 posts ....or 90 cents.
.....Ok, I'll go have my coffee now!! ;-P

I worry about some of these non-functional guns,that end up not being regarded as a firearm.Without being secured as a firearm would be,should be,the possibility exists that one day someone will have it in their hands and someone else will perceive it as a threat and act accordingly.

 

[flagman1776]

1) Unknown safety
2) Cost far more to restore than it would be worth.

Wait for a gun buy back...

 

[charlies]

Is it for sale?
Charlie

 

[woad_yurt]

If it were mine and I had free time, extra money and the inclination, I'd clean it off and install new springs. Then, I would safely test fire the thing from afar with a string and a box of hot ammo.

I'd bet some money that it'd be fine. I don't know if I'd refinish it, though. I'd probably get new grips and leave the finish as is.

 

[NE450No2]

Here are my thoughts on the matter...

There is no way I would take a chance, and fire that revolver.

I value my eyes, hands, and my life, MUCH more than the cost to just buy a new 44 Mag.
Even if you only recieved minor injuries, one trip to the emergency room would cost more than a new 44 Mag.

I might do a little restoration work on it my self and put it on a plaque, or in a shadow box, and hang it on the wall....

But I would NEVER shoot it.

 

[Duke426]

Absolutely do NOT fire that thing under any circumstances.

Personally, I would cut it up with a chop saw and consider the whole episode a learning experience. The little money down the drain is nothing compared to what it will cost you when that thing comes apart in your hand and face.

 

[OLDFED]

Would you feel....

...comfortable knowing that your great-grandson would own this and "test" it with full loaded .44 Magnums? I'd dewat it, reblue it, put grips on it and use it as a paperweight on my desk. Little fuss and NO worries!

 

[dkees]

Well, since almost every member of this forum has posted on this subject.......here I go;

That gun has bad mo-jo. Sprinkle it with garlic and bury it. But not before you drive spike down the barrel.

 

[n4zov]

Send it to S&W for a decision. My guess is they will say scrap it, but I wouldn't bury it without a factory decision.

 

[Camster]

Absolutely do NOT fire that thing under any circumstances.

Personally, I would cut it up with a chop saw and consider the whole episode a learning experience. The little money down the drain is nothing compared to what it will cost you when that thing comes apart in your hand and face.

The best advice yet.A waste of time and money trying to bring it back from the dead...with way too much risk and liability.
I can even believe responders saying doctor it up and test fire from afar.Who's to say that a subsequent firing in your hand wouldn't be disasterous.

 

[Gazz]

With so many saying that the revolver is forever unsafe, they must have prior experience with catastrophic failures of "burned" guns. I can't imagine they would just say it is no good because they heard it from somebody, or maybe they would - they are at once a vicarious expert. Perhaps one of them can provide a few or, even a single detailed account of an incident. I can't imagine that every gun owner out there is going destroy a nice gun because of a little fire damage - I am sure there are many who fix it. You just know it has been done before there must be known incidences of them coming apart. With the internet, we would surely hear of the all the resulting disasters, just like all of the unsafe 1916 Spanish Mausers in .308 blowing up. We all know they are unsafe - it is all over the internet. You've all read the reports of them blowing up, or maybe you haven't. I know I have never heard of one letting go. I sure have read of a number of Glocks, FAL's, AK's and even an AR or two letting go but not from fire damage. Remmeber, guns do get very hot when they are fired. Also, why would such a burned gun blow up? I can understand one getting soft which would result in a revolver getting looser and looser over time, or maybe even right away. For it to blow up, it would have be red hot and then quenched making it hard like a file and brittle. Any firearm that got that hot and then quenched would also be covered in so much scale it would be very obvious that it's days as a shooter were over. There is also a good chance that something that got this hot would be severely mishapen. The topic revolver may be a goner, I don't know but, there is only one way to find out and that is stick some new springs in it and try it out. Sure shoot it with a string while it's clamped to something heavy if that makes you feel better. Put some full power loads in it right away. If it is going to have a problem, it will show up right quickly. Some people do like to fix stuff rather than throw it out you know. Not for everybody for sure.

I do realize that the makers will not repair them - it makes so much sense to them to just say no. If you really liked what you had that was damaged in a fire, you would probably buy another and how easy a sale is that for them?

Buy a spring kit and clean it up and lets see what it will do.