Does this only happen on the bottom portion?

That is where mine cracked on my Model 19 but that is my only personal experience. That does seem to be the thinnest place on the breach end.

Bill

I would look on the bottom and also at the top strap area. If the revolver has evidence of flame cutting you would have a problem. If the revolver is a used one that you bought or thinking of buying the two conditions indicate a lot full power magnum ammo used on the revolver.

Good luck

If a couple of pics can be posted it would be a help to all curious. My 3 66's and 2 19's had a detailed inspection before the sale but i knew the previous owners also , which helps.
My 3" 66 is immaculate and never fired anyway. The other 2 66-4's are virtually unfired but to bad the previous owner had to put a box or two 38's through them to satisfy the jones. My 2 nickel 19's are more used but still about 96% cosmetic and mechanically rated. (by me )lol.
Don't see why anyone would buy a nickel gun then fire it. I would go stainless for use and nickel for display. My 66's are all factory polished. I have a 21/2" user 66-4 thats immaculate i'll be selling with ctg's on it. I call it a user but it's never been fired more than 25 , 30 rds. It's my sd revo that hangs out with my glocks and sigs. Gonna think twice before selling it but i'm almost sure i want to. I'm not buying any more ahrends and the ctg's are a bit small in feel for me.

I'm confused by this statement. I thought flame cutting was a perfectly normal indicator that a revolver had been shot...not evidence of a problem. Am I mistaken?

Flame cutting is very common, especially with Magnum ammo in Magnum revolvers. It tends to get just so deep and then stops, not getting any deeper. I have some .357's with several thousand jacketed rounds through each of them. The topstrap cut formed and deepened slightly and then seems to stay the same, thousands of rounds later.

I do not believe that flame cutting of the topstrap and cracked forcing cones have anything to do with each other, outside of both being signs the revolver has been shot with high pressure ammunition.

While S&W K frame .357's seem to be the ones that crack forcing cones the most, I have a first or second year Colt Python that I got unfired in 1978 and the forcing cone on it cracked within the first 100 rounds! Federal 158 grain .357 JHP's, too, not 125's.

As to Mike4's comments about not shooting nickel-plated guns, I think that is a lot like not driving white-painted cars. No grounds for it. Nickel on S&W revolvers made in the last 50 years seems very durable, and shines up very nicely when you clean it. Even stainless steel guns that get shot much will show unavoidable signs that they have been shot.

That Colt Python mentioned above is nickel, by the way!

My experiences exactly! Flame cutting is a much overdone topic and not really something to worry about IMHO. I have seen a lot of revolvers that have been extensively shot and I have yet to see one that has been damaged structurally by flame cutting including the Ruger .357 Maximums.

Back in the days when I was shooting in a LOT of metallic silhouette competition, I used nickel plated S&W because they were easy to clean and held up well to firing thousands of rounds with no damage to the finish. I can highly recommend them for firing!

The only thing more overdone than flame cutting is cracked forcing cones.

Shoot hot light 125 grain 357's, leave your barrel filthy and encrusted with lead build up, and you MIGHT bust a forcing cone. I've not in over 39 years of shooting K-frame magnums, but I only shoot 158 grain 357's and keep my guns very clean.

Flame cutting is self limiting. No stretched topstraps here either.....but I don't shoot handloads or buy gunshow reloads.

Just curious, do the folks who worry about cracked forcing cones and flame cut topstraps own IL revolvers? Regards 18DAI.

__________________
7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

When I was shooting PPC I saw two Mod 66's blow during matches, shooting bullseye loads with 148 wc rounds. Both were classic looking blowups; topstrap seperated at the barrel and bent back,and. the top of the cylinder blown off. This was almost thirty years ago and I don't know if cone splitting or frame cutting had anything to do with what happened. Both guns were duty guns. Possibly double charges of BE.

Julian

Here's a Model 19 with a cracked forcing cone:

Attached Images

crackedm19forcingcone3yw0.jpg (222.8 KB, 266 views)

I agree, the topic is overdone. I did not mean that if you see flame cutting the revolver has a problem. Every revolver will have some flame cutting. But if I was looking at a revolver to buy I would inspect the forcing cone and the top strap. If you see a lot of wear on the forcing cone and more than normal about of flame cutting to me it means the revolver has had a lot of 125G ammo shot through it. The weakest part of the K frame magnum is the lack of metal on the bottom of the forcing cone. Also the bottom of the forcing cone on K frame is machined flat. A L frame is not. A lack of maintenance and not using 158g factory ammo is probablity the most common cause of wore or split forcing cones.

I just bought a 66-4 two months ago. I inspected the gun to make should there was not a worn or cracked forcing cone. This revolver is in good condition. With prices being at a premium on K frame magnums you need to be careful buying one that has been abused.

I love that picture. I can't imagine shooting any revolver enough after there was a crack to get it that wide. I would think somone would notice. The hairline crack in my 66 was enough to bind the cylinder.

Mike-

The cartridges are "a bit small in feel for me?"

Ya, that's the way mine looked on my M19-6 when it cracked. It bound the cylinder up as well.
Cary

The model 19 was designed to be used with 158 gr ammo. Anything less can possibly crack the frame at the forcing cone. Much has been written about this.