So on Tuesday i pick up a brand new Model 29 classic 6 1/2 barrel and took it to the range yesterday and put 80 rounds threw its mostly magnums and some specials shot great. So i get home and clean the gun and what do i see Burn marks on my cylinder between the flutes omg. I call S&W and they say its because of the tap for the scope, The gas goes into the hole and bounces back down on to the cylinder and i do see it and how this is happening and there is nothing they can do but reblue the cylinder. This is a very very bad design i mean you pay all that money and you shoot 80 rounds and the gun looks like that??? Now this isn't gonna be a safe queen at all and i enjoy shooting it. But i seen 29's 40 plus years old with the original bluing and they don't have burn marks like this. Anyone else run into this issue?? ill put some pic's of mine in here, i gotta say i'm sick to my stomach over this. Remember one time shooting this and only 80 rounds

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Yes, that's typical. Its shape is caused by rear sight's forward screw boss in top strap of the frame. I use EZOX to clean my late prodution blued guns. It will remove that powder mark with a little elbow grease and a cotton patch. Do not use ammonia based cleaners like Hoppes 9 to clean that gun.

Edit:
Welcome to the forum! Just so you know, there's more than enough support on this forum (technical and motivational) to cost you a small fortune on S&W revolvers

The modern bluing process and durability is not the same as the old days -- that's for sure. Maybe, just maybe, those marks are all on the surface and somebody on the forum can advise how to clean -- but don't use Hoppes #9. That will damage the new S&W bluing further.

I'd try an oily rag, a nylon brush, and then try to cover it up with black shoe polish.

I'd feel terrible too -- it's like buying a used gun at full price.

I won't mention my non petroleum cleaner of choice by name (ribbit, ribbit) , but I take a cleaner patch saturated with it and wipe around the cylinder every few loadings leaving the cleaner on there. It seems to prevent some of that.

Try Shooter's Choice.

For me that would be no big deal . The factory made it a little more convenient for the shooters who use scopes (I'm not one of them) . I know that sooner or later my gun will get a few scratches , a rub mark from the holster etc . I have 3 S&W 44 mag's and they all have been " broken in " with some wear marks and marks of usage, powder burns on the face of the cylinder etc . I'm just not one to sweat the small things in life.
Don't take me wrong , I'm not criticizing others if things like those burn marks upsets you , just posting how I view things and life.

I have to agree with the poster above. Little things like this are of no concern to me. Just another honest wear mark.

I have mounted scopes and if you ever do that you will have a appreciation of the 3 screw holes.

Yeah i understand wear marks and stuff and thats cool....But you pay around a 1000 bucks for a gun and shoot 80 rounds and it looks like that?? ( the pics do it no justice) No i dont agree with that. This gun by all means isn't going to be a safe queen its wayyyy to much fun to shoot. I just have a issue of this happening and happening so fast. The reason i bought a new 29 was to avoid problems. When i should have just saved and got a older 29-2 for a few more hundred bucks which does not have this problem. Hey its a awesome gun and i like it alot but they should have a option if you want a blued gun that is tapped for a scope it should be a different model not the same one. Overall the gun is great, maybe switch the grips out. They are a little to thin for my taste, I would rather get some old school fat wood grips from the N frames from the 70's and early 80's.

I'm confused now. Is the finish damaged?

Yes, agreed the grips are too narrow. Those were not designed by a handgun user....or maybe a firearms user in general.

77-You might try and find one of the little blank screws used in
rifle scope mount holes.. They are always thrown away when a
scope is mounted. Screw the blank in from the underside.. Just
make sure the blank doesn't rub or make contact w/cyl

Dude, it will clean up...just relax.

Not trying to be one, but you shoot your guns, they get dirty, you clean'em up. Then you go shoot 'em again...or you leave them in a dark clean safe and never have to clean them. Where's the fun in that?

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

My 986 gets those...never knew until now what they were. FWIW, I don't think the marks get any worse.

Yes that is after cleaning....the bluing is gone. Smith and Wesson said they will Reblue it but its gonna happen again due to the tap for the scope mount. As soon as i started to tell him the problem he finished what i was saying describing what the burns looking like and how the bluing is missing...this is a known issue.

Also guys i'm not freaking out because im getting a gun dirty or scratching it or something...that's fine wear is wear im ok with that 100%. My issue is I paid $1000 bucks for a brand new gun on tuesday. Then shoot 80 rounds on Thursday and the bluing on the front of the cylinder between every flute is some what gone. That kinda sucks...hey im all for wear it gives a gun character, I have a bunch of ww2 rifles and they have tons of wear. But this is a little to soon, 80 rounds thats all that has been shot threw this gun... i only had it for 3 days.

If the bluing is gone then I can understand you being upset. I would be to. Is there a chance what you cleaned it with removed the bluing?

Spray a little Break Free CLP on it and wipe it with a soft rag and it should clean up nice.

Midway sells Forster screws size 6-48 1/4" length that are blued and come in pacs of 10. I had the same problem with several blued Classics. The screws have to be gently filed to the correct length to fill the hole and be flush with the frame. This will reduce the damage to the cylinder to a far more manageable level.

Awesome Thank you for the tip, I will definitely do that

Happened to mine, too. Sent it to S&W. Had them plug the holes and reblue the cyclinder. No problem now. 29-5, 1980's model.

Asera, didn't mean to be a d***. I didn't realize thet the powder burn had actually burned the blueing off the cylinder. Doesn't say alot about the newer blueing process from the factory. I like the advise Dftplan gave and send it back to the facory and let them reblue it and seal the holes. I've heard nothing but great stuff about what the factory does when reblueing. Good luck.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Yeah man no worries bud....Yeah thats what i did i sent the gun back to Smith...lets see what they say. I hope they take care of it because i love shooting that thing i wantttt it back lol. Im gonna start a diff thread about my model 19-3 that im having issues with lol....But thanks for all the info guys

If the screw you use does protrude past the top strap, use a Dremel grinding tool to make it flush with the top strap and then cold blue it.

Are you sure that the blueing is gone? My guns look like this everytime I shoot them. It's a very stubborn stain but it has always cleaned up for me. Try gently (GENTLY!) using a bronze or brass brush with some break free and a little elbow grease. I hit up these areas with the bronze bore brush after I scrub out the bore. Like I said, this is a very stubborn stain baked on by the high temperature of the gases escaping from the barrel/cylinder gap.

I did try to clean it nothing worked, But its back at Smith now. Its for the better maybe they can fill in that hole and reblue it. The guy at Smith said on the phone this is a common problem from that tap for the scope.

Good luck. I'm sure that it will be fixed for you. Let us know what they did to correct it.

Now you know one of the reasons why nearly all the revolvers are made of stainless now.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Yup im understanding it now lol.....But a blued revolver with nice wood grips look awesome. I love the look of them, maybe its because growing up in the 80's and seeing cops and movies used these guns make it special for me lol

WELCOME TO THE FORUM, Asera 77. IMHO, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE BOTH DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY ! ! ! I WOULD FEEL THE VERY SAME WAY, AFTER SPENDING $1,000 ON A BRAND NEW REVOLVER.........

THE VAST MAJORITY OF S&W REVOLVERS ARE SHOT WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF OPTICAL SIGHTS. THE STANDARD REVOLVER SHOULD NOT BE DRILLED AND TAPPED, TO CATER TO A MINORITY OF THE SHOOTERS, IF THIS IS THE OUTCOME. A SEPARATE MODEL OF THE SAME GUN SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IF YOU PLAN ON MOUNTING OPTICS. THEY COULD CHARGE A FEW BUCKS MORE AND STAMP THEM WITH A "D", AFTER THE MODEL NUMBER........

PERSONALLY, I COULD NOT LIVE WITH THIS CONDITION. I WOULD BE FORCED TO CLEAN IT UP, AND SELL IT OFF, IN EXCHANGE FOR AN OLDER MODEL. IN ANY EVENT, THAT'S JUST ME.......

NONE OF MY GUNS ARE SAFE QUEENS. REGARDLESS OF BARREL LENGTH, MOST ARE CARRIED CONCEALED, AND CARRIED EXPOSED IN THE FIELD. ALL GET REGULAR RANGE USE. AS A RESULT, I HAVE GRAVITATED TO STAINLESS HANDGUNS. THE APPEARANCE OF MY WEAPONS IS IMPORTANT TO ME, AND STAINLESS GUNS CAN BE MAINTAINED IN PRISTINE CONDITION, WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT.......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Thanks for the welcome bud....Yeah im gonna see what smith does and selling it might be in the cards when i get it back. I had to jump threw hoops to get this gun in a 6 1/2 inch barrel. That is why i was let down and angry when this happen. when i could have went to gunbroker and got a older one for a couple of hundred more. To think i got this brand new gun to avoid issues..thats the kicker lol

This is great news. I just got this same gun. Bloody wonderful. Can't just go out and fire it without burning right through the finish. Super!

Yup you have to fill in that tap hole closest to the forcing cone. I mean it sucks that you have to do that. but if you like the gun and you wanna keep the bluing nice for a while that is what has to be done.

The upside with the newer revolver is that the cylinder throats are better dimensioned for accuracy than the older 29s. As for the bluing, thank the EPA. Out of S&W's control for the most part as a "large" industrial entity.

I must admit I've not many new blued revolvers, the most recent being a 25-15. It's finish seems intact after a few hundred rounds, but pressures with .45C are rather lower. And even when the finish goes I'll just keep on shooting it. When the accuracy goes, that's another story altogether!

Can't the tapped holes be plugged with a small set screw with some loctite???

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

They have to be quite flush with the bottom of the topstrap to work to both smooth out the gas flow and also not crash the cylinder whilst opening/closing the assembly. Some revolvers have only a few thousandths clearance as the cylinder passes by this area. (Oddly, the clearance isn't at minimum when closed!)

Can't help but think even with the topstrap streamlined that the front portion of the cylinder won't still be scoured of finish, if that's what is happening.

Sort of reminds me of the delicate but lovely finish found on pre-WWI Colts. Look at one crosseyed, and bad things happen.

I looked at mine and bottom of the screw leaves only about a millimeter or so before it would be flush. Is that really all it takes? It must be perfectly flush?

EDIT: This looks like a rust spot on a new gun. :/

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Yup, that's all it takes. That little 1mm pocket perfectly focuses the hot, high pressure gasses into a "cutting jet", leaving a circular ring of scoured bluing. The effect can be almost eliminated with a longer sight blade screw filed down to fit flush. I posted earlier in this thread about Forster screws sold at Midway.

I saw that post actually thanks. After finding what looks like rust on the gun, the small scratch near the rear sight, and now needing to buy and file down screws. I called this in.

It's going back fedex for service. I'm disappointed but hopeful they fix these problems.

Nah! it won't, I had, (stoopid me, traded it for a Colt), a 29DX, that had the same problem, the tradee sent it to S&W who reblued the cylinder and put a plug in the screw hole to prevent future burns.

Are you guys sure the burn is in the finish? I have late model 29-10's and have always been able to remove the powder residue marks on the cylinder. Mine have no finish damage. The marks on mine are patterned like yours. I have never done anything to address the recess left in the boss of the top strap for the rear sight front screw. I can usually rub it off with a solvent and a cotton patch. A copper Kleanbore scrub brush cleans up the tough deposits.

I know how you feel OP. I haven't even shot mine. Waited weeks to get it. Scratch on the top strap near the rear sight. Multiple spots of rust where the crane folds into the frame. Totally unacceptable and very disappointing.

I suspect it has something to do with ammo. Ball vs. extruded powder, or maybe priming compound. Could even be cylinder gap dependent.

As I'm more of a trigger puller than an art collector, these things don't particularly concern me. (Or maybe I'm trying to be a "performance artist"? In which case such marks could be a "feature"!)

With all due respect, this is absolute nonsense:

After you dry your eyes (j/k) consider the lament of guys who purchased 7mm Remington Magnum chambered rifles when it first came out, only to discover that the cartridge was so hot, the barrel throat was severely eroded within a single box of cartridges!

Yes its very lame that this has happen...Sorry to hear about those rusted spots no excuse for that.

Now like i said before guys, i don't care about wear spots on a gun. But it shouldnt happen after only taking it out one time to the range. If this was after 6 months or a year of heavy shooting yeah i can live with it. But this is all due from a tap for a scope. Like i said before you really don't hear or see this happening to older 29's. because they don't have that tap for the scope.

Hopefully Smith and Wesson takes care of it

The rest of the post regarding burn rate was a tad inaccurate as well...

Just spit balling here - how and with what did you clean it with? I'm not doubting what S&W told you as they should know, but some cleaning products will actually take off the bluing too. Among them are the lead removing cloths by Birchwood Casey and others. When you get it back, I would not only put a screw in the 'offending' hole, but also consider coating the cylinder with something before shooting as someone else mentioned. Also consider that if the set screw has an allen head (hex cut hole), it may not help the problem that much. You might need to fill the hole (in the screw, not the frame) with something like epoxy.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Smith & Wesson stating it being a common problem...yet continue to produce it as is......That is the real problem!

I don't know about anybody else's guns but my revolvers get that type of fouling all the time. It happens on both new and old guns, blued and stainless. Ditto for the cylinder face. In my case anyway it's a combination of carbon fouling and lead residue. Takes some time to get rid of but patience and a little care gets it done without damaging the finish.

Now, if you have cleaned the cylinder edges and you're actually down to bare steel-it would be still another reason not to buy blued S&W guns manufactured starting around 2005 or whenever the bluing procedure changed again.

Bruce

Hey folks sorry to bump this but I just got these screws off the Midway website. I was going to replace the one in the top strap and file the bottom end down to fit flush.

Did I get the wrong ones? They thread fine but the head of the screw up top sticks out more than the one the gun came with. Not sure about dremeling or filing the top of the screw down seems like that might mess it up.

Forster Slotted Oval .200 Diameter Head Screws 6-48 Blue

EDIT: Attached a photo the stock screw is on the left.

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That's the correct screw. It does stick up a little but the bevel is correct. I wouldn't file it down because it would make the slot shallower and that screw needs to be fairly tight. That screw being proud of the sight a little looks a lot better than a scoured cylinder.

A gun subjected to regular firing and hard use in hunting such an insignificant purely cosmetic issue is the epitome of inconsequential