I have thought a lot about this thread.
I did some testing. I measured all my blued S&Ws. I measured in Rockwell B scale where the serial number is on the frame below the barrel. To soft for Rockwell C
1917 Brazilian 82RB
Mod 25-2 82RB
Mod 25-5 81RB
Mod 18-4 80RB
Mod 10 80RB
Mild steel is between 78 and 83 RB by the way and a couple points of RB is very very little.
Didn't measure the 629 as it is stainless
Don't have any blued "magnums"
Why would S&W use different steels for different revolvers?? It would make no sense at all. They all basically function the same and have close to the same parameters. The steel savings to use a cheaper steel for some would be very very minimal in the light of the cost of forging and machining. Plus, the headache of dual inventories of steel, tracking the steel and the resulting frames.
Same applies to the Heat Treat. Why would they give one model an inferior HT when the function is the same?????????? Time and steps in oven would be the same, just slightly different temps.
Besides, all carbon steels have the very same elastic modulus no matter what the Heat Treat. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. You can change it very small amounts by adding LOTS of chrome or nickle (stainless steels) You can change the failure point and type of failure through alloying and HT. Not the flexibility. That can only be changed by geometry. YES, I have studied metallurgy and if you don't believe me go get a book like the Fundamentals of Metallurgy.
Toughness and hardness are not the same though. Often toughness decreases as hardness increases for a given steel. Toughness is measured by the ability to stand up to a single impact. Tensile strength is another measurement. But, why make some frames inferior???
Why would it become a grenade? A K frame 357 cylinder will not suddenly become weaker in a model 10 frame. If a model 10 frame is so bad why don't the blow up when a squib then a live round if fired behind it???? Usually just bulges the barrel, might crack the thin part of the frame under the barrel. Never heard of them blowing up except for gross overloads that would probably do the same to a K frame 357.
In other words I believe ALK8944 and the answer he was given by the S&W tech. They are the same steels treated the same.
Why does S&W make the same guns in 38 and 357??? Why did Chevy make 396 and 427? Same block same metal. Bigger bore. Because we buy them!!!. How many have several of virtually the same gun in different calibers???? Because we want them.
How sure am I of my conclusions? I have a K frame 357 cylinder and yoke on the way. I will carefully fit them to my model 10. Timing alignment etc. I will not mess with the already replaced barrel. If I need to clearance the barrel cylinder gap, I will do it by carefully cutting down that area of the cylinder in my lathe. I will measure the frame and fire increasing numbers of 357s checking the measurements between say 6 then 12 then 24 etc. I will not fire any hot 357s and neither should anyone else with a K frame 357. I may or may not keep it as a 357 but will never give it a very big diet of them.
Do I recommend others do this? NO. Like mentioned above why. The difference between a hot 38 and a 357 is not that much and I can always go to a bigger gun. I consider sub 40 cal guns pretty much just paper punchers anyway. I want to shoot rabbits I will use my 22. Anything else a 45 or 44. I have a worked over 3" Charter Arms 44 Bulldog and a couple speed loaders to carry concealed.
I am a curious though and all my model 10 does is gather dust.
PS. I make very nice custom knives that sell for very good money. Except for the ones I use damascus on the steel and the HT are the cheap part. Even on those the $150 piece of steel is cheap compared to a fossil walrus ivory handle.
