I have a new 929 which shoots absolutely fine, but the muzzle/crown is pretty horrible. I have contacted Smith with these pics and they are sending a label. My questions to those with a 929: Is your this bad? If I do send it back, will they clean it up or say it is in spec and nothing needs to be done? Any insight appreciated. Also, I have other Smith revolvers and the muzzles on those are all correct.
929 Muzzle/crown
- Thread starter Smoke52
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
muddocktor
Member
Good Lord Almighty!!! That looks absolutely terrible. If they say that is in spec, then you need to ask them for a refund so you can buy from some other company! 
There is no way I would live with such a sorry looking finish to the crown on any pistol I own. Looks to me like they finished it on a bench grinder!
There is no way I would live with such a sorry looking finish to the crown on any pistol I own. Looks to me like they finished it on a bench grinder!
fouldude.44
Member
Looks like carbon build up to me. Should scrape right off.
I agree that it looks dirty, but the crown is VERY irregular and rough. Should it not be smooth? I cleaned it prior to use and clean after each range trip, there are perhaps 300 round through it now. I will give it another cleaning, but think that the roughness makes it an issue. This is a PC gun and all.....
howiema
Member
Isn't there supposed to be a compensator on that ?
Before you send it back - you say it shoots fine so I presume you're getting very satisfactory grouping with it. If so, I wouldn't touch it.
If its scattering the shots then by all means return it.
If its scattering the shots then by all means return it.
Yes, there is a compensator and an additional cap that is not a compensator for the barrel. Right now the muzzle is sitting in a cup with some Hoppe's in it. Seems to be carbon fouling is the problem, DING DING DING! as a bronze brush is helping to reduce the roughness and remove the buildup. Perhaps having the compensator on there focus' the carbon and produces more buildup than on a non-comped barrel? Non of my other revolvers have this as an issue.
I will post some pics when it is all clean. Now, what to use to help to keep it clean and make clean-up easier?
Pizza Bob
Member
In addition to carbon, it may be lead - depending on the ammo you're using (cast, open base jacketed). If the Hoppe's doesn't do the trick, you may want to try soaking the cap/comp in white vinegar (acetic acid) but don't leave it too long.
Adios,
Pizza Bob
Adios,
Pizza Bob
9mmsubgun-m11
Member
Just looks dirty-like mine.
JonnyB686
Member
When I received my 929 about 3 months ago I was interested to see that, on removing the comp, it didn't seem to be crowned. The rifling just ends giving a very uneven look to the muzzle. I love the gun and it shoots OK but my next trip to an S&W smith will include a request to crown the muzzle properly. This is my first PC gun and sharp burrs around the outside of the barrel, no proper proper muzzle crown and a terrible trigger (compared to my 686) leave me wondering what the PC price premium gets the buyer over a non-PC gun purchase ?
Well JonnyB 686 and you other guys too. Since my last post I took the advice and cleaned the muzzle to pristine. Hoppe's and a bronze brush over a 12 hour period got off all of the carbon. Never had/saw this much build-up on a muzzle before, so I thought it was a bad manufacturing job. Must be the compensator that concentrates and collects all that carbon? Anyway it is clean and smooth now, but like JonnyB686's, there is no crown at all, just a flat muzzle with a small lip around the outer edge of the barrel. Will shoot it again tomorrow and check on the carbon build-up. The action on mine is great, my only concern is the semi-rough muzzle.
What is a good product for removing carbon? The Hoppe's and brush was way too time consuming.
What is a good product for removing carbon? The Hoppe's and brush was way too time consuming.
Alk8944
US Veteran
There is a lot of misunderstanding as to what constitutes a "crown". The crown is nothing more or less than simply the muzzle end of the barrel, just like the bow of a boat!
What you mean to say is the barrel crown appears un-finished! As long as it is at least faced off square and flat, and that is the way the manufacturer intended it to be then it IS finished. The purpose of the conventional forms of muzzle crowns is to protect the end of the rifling. In the guns with compensators, or the alternative muzzle cap, this attachment serves to protect the rifling.
What you mean to say is the barrel crown appears un-finished! As long as it is at least faced off square and flat, and that is the way the manufacturer intended it to be then it IS finished. The purpose of the conventional forms of muzzle crowns is to protect the end of the rifling. In the guns with compensators, or the alternative muzzle cap, this attachment serves to protect the rifling.
I use a Q tip and some cleaner to clean the barrel crown area on my 627 V comp with the non compensated muzzle cap on shooting lead. It gets some carbon and lube in there but isn't particularly hard to clean. I pulled it off after 300-400 rounds or so just to give it a little more detailed cleaning, but probably wasn't necessary.
One word of caution though.. I shot 50 rounds of lead with the compensator on, and it made a royal mess !! The inside of the comp was LOADED with lead. I won't be doing that again any time soon!. Jacketed only with the compensator on.
One word of caution though.. I shot 50 rounds of lead with the compensator on, and it made a royal mess !! The inside of the comp was LOADED with lead. I won't be doing that again any time soon!. Jacketed only with the compensator on.
Thank you for the info! My 4 other Smith revolvers all have a beautiful, smooth rounded muzzles, with a slight conical bevel at the rifling. This is the only revolver with a compensator, and since it is a PC gun, was expecting a similar finish. Would certainly make cleaning the carbon deposits easier if 'twas smooth. I will shoot it and enjoy it. It is a fantastic firearm!
Only jacketed ammo has been through this.
Last edited:
I use my 929 for USPSA competition and have been using the non-compensator end cap. I clean it after each match removing the end cap and it does have carbon fowling. I shoot only lead and was told that lead bullets would indeed make a mess with the compensator end cap. I've run about 3000 rounds through it and no problem as long as I clean the carbon off after each match. At this point I'm going to just leave the cap off. I don't think it will impact ballistics but I'll run a few rounds through it before the next match.
