342......

[SuperMan]

Stopped at a friend's in Colorado this past week who showed me a his consecutively serial numbered pair of AirLite .357s... He wears one all the time and the other is his house gun. Total round count is less than 30 of Plain Jane .38 Special RNL rounds.

He wears his concealed gun in a very nice leather IWB holster. When he takes the gun off for the night he usually just unsnaps the holster from the belt and puts it in it's night spot.

After dinner he pulled the gun out to show me and the only thing sicking out from the front of the frame was the ejector rod....



The barrel shroud was in the bottom of the holster....



The barrel was nowhere to be found....



Have no clue how S&W screws the barrel into the frame once the shroud is in place but they definitely need some better LocTite...

My friend called me later the next day when I was on the road to Idaho stating he had called S&W and they had sent him a prepaid shipping label to return the gun....

Bob

 

[Broker50]

The "new" S&W Saf-T-Lock Hardware Company doesn't instill much confidence, does it?

 

[Cal44]

Maybe S&W should consider putting a pin through the barrel threads to keep it from unscrewing.

 

[Iggy]

Mebbe so them old timers had something with that thar pinned and recessed bidness after all.

New ain't always good, but then I din't think them caplock guns would catch on neither.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Wow! That is sickening to look at. Even more sickening is the thought that your friend was relying on it for personal protection. Maybe Taurus isn't so bad - huh?

Please try to keep us updated on the results of this.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[diyj98]

At least it's super compact for concealed carry now!

 

[pmosley]

Wow! That is sickening to look at. Even more sickening is the thought that your friend was relying on it for personal protection. Maybe Taurus isn't so bad - huh?



Please try to keep us updated on the results of this.



Thanks,



Dave

This would be more effective - would've at least elicited chuckle from the bad guy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Shooter 9]

I was gonna say looking at that photo, doesn't look like you could fit a BB out of that little tiny barrel.

 

[riverrat38]

Looks like something that would have gotten a laugh on the "Sledge Hammer" show.
It gets more serious when we remember that, in many instances, that is the" back up gun"!

Best,
Rick

 

[adwjc]

Wow!

I'd have to say your friend may want to re examine his manual of arms.

That could have been one embarrassing moment if he ever drew that revolver to use it.

What ever happened to inspecting and wiping down your carry gun at the end of the day?

I'll leave the nit picking to the experts....

 

[NZshooter]

GREEEAAT..... I carry one if these. And I have a spare in case anything happens too the one. Great carry gun because the weight but this is troublesome.

What ever happened to inspecting and wiping down your carry gun at the end of the day?

Aluminum and titanium, what's the point? Well, NOW I see the point

Glad I have a bunch of all steel S&Ws, too.


ETA: wait a minute, RNL is that round nose lead?? I KNEW there was a reason they say to use jacketed bullets in these guns!!

 

[shouldazagged]

That's got to play hell with accuracy.

 

[eveled]

Other than accuracy, is that gun safe to shoot? If he pulled it out to use it would it have gone bang, or boom? What about when the barrel was half out? Any thoughts?

In a real defense situation, it is likely in my opinion that he never would have even noticed something was wrong with the gun. It is a belly gun after all.

Your friend is very lucky he found it, before he needed it. Ed.

 

[SuperMan]

I am sure it would have fired and at close range hit the guy....like under 5 yards.. If the barrel had been 1/2 way screwed out that would have been interesting... Not sure with the sudden loss of pressure from a 1/4" cylinder gap if the bullet would not have stuck in the barrel.

Once saw an 1800s vintage Colt SAA made up with no barrel and a very short cylinder pin....but it was .45 Colt.

Bob

 

[John R]

There is no way that barrel came unscrewed, it can't spin with the ejection rod in the shroud.
Looks like the threads just broke off.

And I think it would fire just fine like that.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

WOnder how lokg he has bben carrying that around like that
Good thing all he shot was 30 rounds of Plain Jane .38 Special RNL rounds as I do not think those 342's are rated for .357's
Takl about coming out of the bathroom with only your Richard in your hands

 

[shouldazagged]

I was being facetious about the loss of accuracy. That's outrageous.

 

[b_san]

Now that's a real Snubby!

 

[riverrat38]

Its been a really bad day.
You have gotten into a gun fight.
Then, your primary has become "hors de combat".
But, fortunately, you always have your reliable, lightweight revolver handy.
Five for sure!

Best,
Rick

 

[M29since14]

Hey you guys! ... "If you can't take a joke..."

 

[SuperMan]

There is no way that barrel came unscrewed, it can't spin with the ejection rod in the shroud.
Looks like the threads just broke off.

And I think it would fire just fine like that.

That is a two piece barrel. The frame has a key and the barrel shroud a cutout where the key fits into. The barrel then screws into the threads of the frame locking the shroud to the frame. It isn't like a regular barrel. The shroud doesn't ever turn, only the rifled barrel.

Bob

 

[SuperMan]

Now that's a real Snubby!

...I think this would be named a "Stubby"....

Bob

 

[riverrat38]

I don't think it ever had a barrel? Look at the carbon on the front of the frame where the barrel should be. I think somehow the barrel shroud was stuck on the frame somehow? JMO

It is kind of suspicious that the barrel was not found. Maybe it was never there. The only thing that would have held the shroud on would be friction. The barrel acts like a bolt to keep it all together.
The only other reason for a missing barrel would be if it left the shroud/frame when the gun was fired, heading down range with a bullet inside.

Best,
Rick

 

[Fchewy]

Got to fall under the "carried alot shot a little" mantra.

 

[SuperMan]

I assure you the barrel was at one time there...the barrel is screwed into the frame which holds the shroud on...no barrel, no shroud. More than likely the barrel fell through the opening at the bottom of the holster within the last two weeks. My friend wears his pants loose so he probably didn't even feel it fall down his pants leg. I'll write him in a couple of weeks if I don't hear from him to see if there is any update...

Bob

 

[harley46580]

Even without the barrel it still would have fired and worked in an up close situation, but I bet the accuracy past say 3 yards would be a bit off!!

 

[RevolverDen]

Didn't know there was a takedown model out in the 342 series?

 

[NE450No2]

Just another reason I avoid the "new made" S&W revolvers...

Do not even get me started on the "new" plastic S&W autoloaders...

 

[SuperMan]

Emailed with my friend yesterday...the gun is back and like new again...no charge from S&W....

I asked if there was any indication from S&W what had happened and he said he didn't ask....he's not sure if they could have really told what happened anyway...

So it ended well and my friend still has a consecutive set...

Bob