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329PD top strap shield wear

S

Shuz

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Have any of you 329PD shooters experienced gas cutting of the top strap shield? I've sent mine back to the factory twice now for this problem. Turn around time has been great, but it's still a PITA to have to constantly deal with this issue.
 
Have any of you 329PD shooters experienced gas cutting of the top strap shield? I've sent mine back to the factory twice now for this problem. Turn around time has been great, but it's still a PITA to have to constantly deal with this issue.
 
Had mine replaced. It had 50% wear at about 150 rounds. I believe it was accelerated by fast powder (titegroup) loads. The problem is that you cannot tell what stage of erosion you're at. Wish they would just ship you a handful of spares (after market people listening?). Like they say "Shoot little, carry a lot".
 
Homesteader
I askedthe same question of Smith. They told me that the bbl has to be removed in order to replace the shield. They claim that most folks aren't equipped to do that.
 
Originally posted by Shuz:
Have any of you 329PD shooters experienced gas cutting of the top strap shield? I've sent mine back to the factory twice now for this problem. Turn around time has been great, but it's still a PITA to have to constantly deal with this issue.
Click to expand...



I have two 329s -- between the two, the blast shield has been replaced 4 times. They replaced the frame (w/same serial #) at least three of those times.


Erosion on Blast Shield

blastshield.jpg



Erosion on Frame (after blast shield fell off)

329-1-2.jpg



Blast Shield

329-2-1.jpg



The last customer service guy I talked to at S&W said "that shouldn't happen", and questioned me as to what type of ammo I was using, and if I was using handloads. After getting the serial number and looking it up on his computer, he didn't ask anymore questions.

Except for over Christmas break, turnaround has been under two weeks.

Paul
 
Paul,
Thanks for the pictures.Can you tell us approximately the number of rounds fired before the blast shield failed? I know mine was less than 2000 rounds, the first time, and I have about 1000 thru the current shield.The majority of my loads have been either 9g of Green Dot, or 18g of 2400, and all with cast boolits in the 210 to 250g area. Care to share your ammo type?
 
Gun #2 -- 2,800 then the fix fell out 433 rounds later.

Gun #1 -- Didn't start keeping records until it happened the first time -- 2nd time 3,100 rounds.

Loads

Predominantly 17.5 to 20.0gr A2400 w/240 to 260 cast bullets. Maybe 50 rounds of 23.5 H110 240 - 260gr, and less than 100 of 240gr CSWC over 5.6gr of HP38.
 
I have one of the now discontinued 357s in .41 Magnum. Have maybe 50-75 rounds through the gun of 8.0 grains of Unique with a Leadhead 230 Keith bullet at 980 fps. It is about the only load I plan on shooting through it.

Two other guys I know have 329s. One has well over 1500 rounds of target velocity reloads through the gun but does occasionally shoot some JHPs through it. I will have to ask him how his gun is doing. The other guy has maybe 50 rounds of target loads through his 329 and only plans on carrying the gun while hunting with a rifle or hiking, not general shooting. He uses a 629 Mountain Gun for that.

Has anyone seen anything about wear on the 325 .45 ACP guns. One friend uses his for daily carry but does most of his practicing with a 625 Mountain Gun.

Bob
 
Now this is just unacceptable for me. I shoot my guns and this just wouldn't fly for me. I guess if you carry only and hardly ever shoot it it would be ok but absolutely NOT for me.

I'll stick to conventional Smith revolvers.

My 625-8 would already be back to the factory (it has over a thousand loads through it and there is NO wear (and I don't expect any).

Dale53
 
I think I can live with this as long as S&W replaces the shield as needed. I bought the gun with the understanding it would be fired rarely after my load development and a few hundred rounds to get the feel of the gun. I do now think I'll need to add a 4 inch model 629 to my array as I think I can replicate practice using the 329PD, which I don't mind doing. Bottom line, this is a very purpose built firearm and it performs as advertised. I would like to be able to replace or inspect the shield myself though. That would be ideal.
 
That is basically what I am doing with my 357... I shoot the steel frame guns and just carry the 357 when hunting with another firearm and want the lightest gun possible along...

Bob
 
Most people won't shoot the 329 enough to have this problem. If you do, S&W will fix it free of charge.

I love the "old" S&Ws, but there isn't an "old" Smith with the same specs as the 329. I carry the 329 pretty much all day, every day. I say pretty much because, periodically, I'll carry something else.

I really like the power to weight ratio of the 329, and it is ideal for my use. It is light enough that it is always with me.

This is one gun I won't be without.

FWIW,

Paul
 
I had a 329 lined up to purchase and NOT NOW!
Click to expand...
You should buy two or three of them, so you can use one and the others can be out for repairs.

I have one of these beauties. A lovely gun.
 
So, you shoot the 329 a little, until the shield is cut through, then send it back, and S&W "makes it right"? Wow, thats innovative.

And people whine about K-frame magnum forcing cones?!!?
icon_rolleyes.gif
Regards 18DAI.
 
I guess I'm in the middle position on this, love the gun, hate this problem. It is sure is a pretty little thing. I handled one today at Gander Moutain and just barely made it out the door with credit card intact. I had top strap cutting with my early 629s, and reverse cylinder rotation to boot. I barely shot a box of "Keith" loads, 240 grain swc with 22.0 grains of 2400, through it. My regular load was was 8.0 grain of Unique, hardly a heavy load in the .44 Special, several thousand, yet the gun failed me. Things are better now and I love the Mountain Gun, never a hiccup. It gets carried a bit and shot even less. I hope the new endurance package has truely cured all the problems, but I don't want to torture the gun into failure.
 
This is a bit disturbing to me. I have a S&W 327PD (4" barrel, 8-shot, .357 Magnum, Scandium alloy frame) that I purchased about 4 weeks ago. I will have to check the top strap sheild to see if I have any erosion. Dammit!
 
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