Blast Shields/Flame Shields, Flame Cutting, etc....

Alnamvet68

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OK, I've done my research, and have come up with very little info, and even less info from S&W; a few questions regarding blast shields:

1. What handgun or material used is a blast shield a must?

2. Is the presence of a blast shield caliber dependent; by this I mean, it's required if the handgun is chambered in and for magnum rounds, but not installed if it is chambered in, say, 38 Special?

3. The abscence of a blast shield in a scandium framed revolver with a titanium cylinder chambered in 357 Mag is indicative of what?

4. The presence of a blast shield in a scandium framed revolver, a stainless steel cylinder, and chambered for 38 Special only is indicative of what?

5. Lastly, as in #4, the same scandium framed revolver with a carbon steel cylinder, and chambered for 38 Special only has no blast shield...why?
 
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Gee, I don't feel so bad...75 views, and no responses. I'm in good company I guess. :)
 
Wow. Sounds like we need an S&W engineer to answer your questions. As I'm sure you know from your research the 310NG, with the scandium alloy frame and SS cylinder has the shield. Good questions.
 
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My 396NG has one and I just picked up a 296Ti without and wondered the same thing.
 
My M&P 340 has one (scandium fame; stainless cylinder)

M&P 327 R8 has one (scandium frame; stainless cylinder)

327 Sc (8 shot snub) has one (scandium frame; Titanium cylinder)
 
I've never owned one with a blast shield so it's never occurred to me, but, WOW, those are some very good questions! I always assumed that the magnum alloy framed guns all had them.
 
My M&P 340 has one (scandium fame; stainless cylinder)

M&P 327 R8 has one (scandium frame; stainless cylinder)

327 Sc (8 shot snub) has one (scandium frame; Titanium cylinder)

All magnum handguns....leads me to theorize scandium frames with magnum chambering require a blast shield.
 
Looks like we're back to square one. .45 ACP is not a magnum round, so why the sheild? NG= scandium frame + SS cylinder. Why is there a sheild on some guns and not on others? Where are the S&W engineers when you need them?
 
My 325NG has a blast shield. I don't really feel that 45acp is that hot of a round but what do I know.

Yes, what the Chief says, we need a S&W engineer...the 325NG is one caliber of a several calibers offered in this series, all built on either the K, L, or N frames. It would make sense to just install the blast shield in all frames that share with a magnum round, such as the N framed 325 NG which shares the same frame with the 357 mag and 44 magnum...saves money in production; or does it?

BTW, the 315NG (38 special) is the only K framed Nightguard, and it has no blast shield; is it because this K frame model doesn't share its frame with a magnum chambered gun?
 
Yes, what the Chief says, we need a S&W engineer...the 325NG is one caliber of a several calibers offered in this series, all built on either the K, L, or N frames. It would make sense to just install the blast shield in all frames that share with a magnum round, such as the N framed 325 NG which shares the same frame with the 357 mag and 44 magnum...saves money in production; or does it?

BTW, the 315NG (38 special) is the only K framed Nightguard, and it has no blast shield; is it because this K frame model doesn't share its frame with a magnum chambered gun?

It makes perfect sense that common frames would be manufactured to the same spec regardless of what caliber they end up being assembled as.
 
Flame cutting is caused by a number of factors. Could it be that S&W decides which of these factors may be present with the intended use of a given model and makes its decision based on the likelihood of those factors causing a warranty issue?
For example they may decide that although a 357 may flame cut more than a 38 in a particular barrel/cylinder/load application, the probability is that the typical Airweight is not going to be fired thousands of rounds with the particular 357 that flame cuts.
What I'm saying is you probably want to ask the bean counters instead of the engineers.
 
If I was S&W I would just put them into all the SC pistols and be done. I thought originally it was done to combat the 357 125gr flame cutting which I heard occurs quicker in SC/AL alloy.

Interesting that you note:
"3. The abscence of a blast shield in a scandium framed revolver with a titanium cylinder chambered in 357 Mag is indicative of what?"

My 386SC which fits that same criteria does have a flame shield. I wonder if they had problems and added the shields later.
 
If I was S&W I would just put them into all the SC pistols and be done. I thought originally it was done to combat the 357 125gr flame cutting which I heard occurs quicker in SC/AL alloy.

Interesting that you note:
"3. The abscence of a blast shield in a scandium framed revolver with a titanium cylinder chambered in 357 Mag is indicative of what?"

My 386SC which fits that same criteria does have a flame shield. I wonder if they had problems and added the shields later.


I really don't know, and for whatever reasons, S&W will not answer my very direct and pointed inquiries. I'm still waiting on a response regarding the raison d'etre of the 360J. The fact of the matter is that the real nexus of this thread is the mystery M360J.;)
 
I am sitting here looking at a friend's new MP 360 with 3" barrel. This is a .357 Magnum with a scandium frame and barrel liner. There is a cutout above the forcing cone where a blast shield would be but there is no blast shield present. Was the revolver deliberately made like this or did S&W forget to install the blast shield? I did a search and this is the only thread that popped up. Does anybody know?

Dave Sinko
 
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