442 No Lock w/Stainless Barrel?

[Croesus]

Gentlemen,

I ran by my local gun store last week to fill out some forms and say hello.

They had several new 442's in stock without the lock and wearing the new style rubber stocks. Each was fresh from their distributor and in the plastic case. As I examined these revolvers, I noted that about half of them had barrels marked with an "S" on the flat under the barrel.

So my question is: are these stainless barrels, and if so how are they colored or coated to match the rest of the gun?

Your input is appreciated. I'm not in the market for one of these, but the marking did make me curious.

 

[lwt210]

What were they asking for them?

 

[Croesus]

They were asking around 450.00 as if memory serves. They were interesting pieces. The rifling in the barrel looked very different from my old 649. The interior of the bore was mirror like, but unlike my older Smiths, the shoulders on the lands and grooves were not a clear pronounced line.

 

[Sonny Crocket]

It was figured out on here last year sometime when these first hit the market. Yes, the barrels are stainless. Don't know what coating, maybe melonite? The cylinders are carbon steel though. Don't know why they are done this way, just that they are. Its the way mine is done. They are also marked as -2 (w/lock) instead of -1 (w/o lock). The 642 no locks are -1 and not -2 though....go figure.

 

[Croesus]

Can always count on an informed answer from the forum. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

 

[Jerry in SC]

I think that S&W uses some new technology to cut the rifling on the new guns. The edges of the lands are rounded, very obvious with a borescope. I suppose using stainless for all the one-piece barrels simplifies manufacturing. The front sight looks a bit different as well, I noticed a more pronounced "cut" at the top of the blade.