Mysterious ring in the barrel.

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wesoly

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Hello guys,
I had a great shooting session with my 500 magnum 8 3/8 revolver using mild reloads . When cleaning I noticed a ring on the inside surface of the barrel. Can't get rid of it. Any ideas. Also, took the gun shooting again and change in the performance.
Thanks.
 
A ring is normally caused by an obstruction (squib) lodged in the barrel and a second round fired. I hesitate to believe this in your case due to the pressure and velocity of the caliber. (If it had a squib it would have probably totally ruptured the barrel). If you run a tight patch down the barrel can you feel the ring when you pass over it?
 
Nope, no different resistance. No bulges anywhere. I run a brass wire inside to feel it. Can't notice much. The ring is half way through the barrel.
 
Hello, where is the ring located? I picked up a new mod 69 a week ago and noticed a shiny ring about an inch from the forcing cone, weird this is a nib gun. I mentioned this in another thread but got no response, it almost looks like maybe while being polished the machine stopped in one spot, the lands and grooves and ring are very shiny. Any thoughts?
SEMPER PARATUS
 
I don't own any NEWLY built Smiths, but I do believe S&W now has a new process that they use to rifle their barrels and this may just be a characteristic of that new process. I suppose you could call the CS folks at the Factory to find out.
 
I bought a PC 686 last summer that had a ring just like this^^^. Contacted customer service, shipped it in, and had the gun back rebarreled in about two weeks. The ring was right about where the barrel meets the frame.
 
madmikeb said:
I bought a PC 686 last summer that had a ring just like this^^^. Contacted customer service, shipped it in, and had the gun back rebarreled in about two weeks. The ring was right about where the barrel meets the frame.
Click to expand...

The one major objection I have with the "pinless" barrels was the addition of a relief cut at the forward end of the barrel threads. Makes fitting easier, but sometimes leads to a minor bulge just behind the barrel shoulder. Most commonly seen the "large for the frame size" variants.

That said, I would not have expected to see it in a Model 69 or other multipiece barrel assembly!


As seen in a 646 .40 S&W revolver.
DSC02556_zpsad951045.jpg


Current design thread for pinless one piece barrels. Would be accectable engineering practice if it weren't for the critical nature of the hollow tube's dimensions!
e89f0ca4-7233-4507-a167-0536a67d15d5_zpsc0051e29.jpg


Old style thread design without relief cut. Rather harder to fit barrels as there's much less "give" and more expensive threading technique.
IMG_1514mod1_zps2d3351fe.jpg


A bulge midbarrel would be caused by an obstruction, possibly in the OP's case by a bullet jacket? He did note they were light loads. Two lead bullets impacting would do as well.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the response. I use Berry's plated 350 grain bullets. Loads were Titegroup at 11 and 13 grain. Ring seems to be very shallow and less shinny Tha the rest of the inside. I guess, I will have to live with it. Sending it to S&W could be a nightmare. I live in Canada.
Thanks
 
I HAVE seen this ring before. Most notably, on a stainless smith & wesson J-frame from the mid 90's. The ring was very faint, like the photos here, located in the same place (just forward of the forcing cone),and there was no detectable bulge on the outer barrel.

From what others are posting here, I'm assuming it's a manufacturing mark. If it is coming from the factory like this, it sure does muddy the waters when checking a revolver for any squib load damage.
 
I picked up a 681 a few weeks back and it has the exact same ring in the exact same place. The gun is almost flawless other than that. I've been debating on sending it back to the mothership. I have yet to shoot it...
 
Prodigal Son said:
I picked up a 681 a few weeks back and it has the exact same ring in the exact same place. The gun is almost flawless other than that. I've been debating on sending it back to the mothership. I have yet to shoot it...
Click to expand...

There was no ring when new(2years ago).It is a recent observation.
 
I too have see mysterious rings in a couple of guns over the years. Neither had any effect on accuracy. If it were me, I would contact S&W with good pictures and then go from there. If getting your gun in and out of Canada would be a huge hassle and as long as there is no side effects to accuracy, I may be prone to ignore it and move on remembering if you sell that gun it will reduce the value.
 
gnystrom said:
I too have see mysterious rings in a couple of guns over the years. Neither had any effect on accuracy. If it were me, I would contact S&W with good pictures and then go from there. If getting your gun in and out of Canada would be a huge hassle and as long as there is no side effects to accuracy, I may be prone to ignore it and move on remembering if you sell that gun it will reduce the value.
Click to expand...

I will keep this beauty for ever and will live with that ring.
 
jaymoore said:
The one major objection I have with the "pinless" barrels was the addition of a relief cut at the forward end of the barrel threads. Makes fitting easier, but sometimes leads to a minor bulge just behind the barrel shoulder. Most commonly seen the "large for the frame size" variants.

That said, I would not have expected to see it in a Model 69 or other multipiece barrel assembly!
Click to expand...


His 500 barrel is a 2 pieces design and the barrel does not shoulder on the frame. With shroud removed the barrel in the X-frames screw in with little resistance.

With this method it is not possible for the frame to crush or deform the barrel.

Picture below is an X-frame barrel
Though shorter than his model and with a different barrel tension end the frame end is typical.

Time permitting I will take a picture of the barrel in his model gun and post.

Be safe
Ruggy

P1040219_zps6da8f768.jpg
 
ruggyh said:
His 500 barrel is a 2 pieces design and the barrel does not shoulder on the frame. With shroud removed the barrel in the X-frames screw in with little resistance.

With this method it is not possible for the frame to crush or deform the barrel.

Picture below is an X-frame barrel
Though shorter than his model and with a different barrel tension end the frame end is typical.

Time permitting I will take a picture of the barrel in his model gun and post.

Be safe
Ruggy

P1040219_zps6da8f768.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the additional info. Will keep an eye out. Would think it rather more difficult to induce with this design, but if the assembly lout is rather more ham-fisted than usual, something's gotta give somewhere!

As noted above, usually there isn't a huge accuracy influence, mostly because it's at the high pressure end and the unsupported area is shorter than the bullet bearing length. Bulges near the muzzle that approach the bearing length of the bullet often are ruinous for accuracy. Bottom line: if it shoots to your satisfaction, don't worry about it!

(BTW, having owned a Hawkeye borescope for over twenty years, the amazement never ceases as how some barrels group at all! The borescope has proven to be no predictor of accuracy in either rifles or pistols. Pits, gouges, machining marks, fouling, etc. may or may NOT mean a thing.)
 
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