Another one bites the dust.........
- Thread starter lawandorder
- Start date
Good enough reason
I was just thinking about a cracked S&W alloy frame.
Many years ago, a shooting buddy purchased a NIB model-12 with a 2" barrel. First time out, he decided to try a cylinder of +P ammo. Two shots resulted in one big crack.
Now days, I have +P rated Airweights and never hesitate shooting +P ammunition. I will examine them and keep a closer eye on them, but will continue to use +P.
Many years ago, a shooting buddy purchased a NIB model-12 with a 2" barrel. First time out, he decided to try a cylinder of +P ammo. Two shots resulted in one big crack.
Now days, I have +P rated Airweights and never hesitate shooting +P ammunition. I will examine them and keep a closer eye on them, but will continue to use +P.
Nothing to do with this thread, and I don't want to interfere with the sporting hand-wringing about aluminum frames but I thought it might give you a chuckle to know the last 640-1 I saw at the indoor range threw the front half of its barrel about 20-feet downrange. The shooter didn't notice it and fired another round before anyone could stop him. What he was using for a front sight as/is a mystery.
He was a young, inexperienced type who had brought along his own audience. Kind of put a damper on the fun for the evening. No harm to anyone but the gun. I've had two steel-frame S&Ws crack, a 29 and a 15. Never had an airweight crack yet, but i imagine my day in coming. I've been using them since the late '70s and find them very handy. I have had a Commander crack, but that's a different animal.
Sorry to hear of the old gentleman's misfortune. I hope S&W can help him out.
Nothing to do with this thread, and I don't want to interfere with the sporting hand-wringing about aluminum frames but I thought it might give you a chuckle to know the last 640-1 I saw at the indoor range threw the front half of its barrel about 20-feet downrange. The shooter didn't notice it and fired another round before anyone could stop him. What he was using for a front sight as/is a mystery.
I've had two steel-frame S&Ws crack, a 29 and a 15. Never had an airweight crack yet, but i imagine my day in coming. I've been using them since the late '70s and find them very handy. I have had a Commander crack, but that's a different animal.
Sorry to hear of the old gentleman's misfortune. I hope S&W can help him out.
Makes me think, i have a 1972 M12-2. A real junker.. Looks like it was stored in a salt water tackle box. I have never fired it, but i have also never looked for a crack. Magnifying glass coming out today.
EDIT: Just checked it out, good to go. Got some mid-range match ammo. Need to try this beauty out
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Oracle
US Veteran
I so very am happy I found this thread, I was just about to click buy on a Model 329PD.
HamHands
Member
Agreed! While I've never had anyone bring me a gun just to clean... for repairs, upgraded springs, fitting new triggers & sights, a re-barrel... for sure, all the time. But my brother has a side business deep cleaning firearms and charges $25 an hour and has 2-5 guns on his bench each time I go over there. He runs a muscle car warehouse and 90% of his side business comes from there. I don't understand it at all. He sends me anything that needs upgrades or repairs which is nice.
Hillbilly77
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If S&W decided to replace his gun, it'd be out of the kindness of their hearts. Back then they only offered a 1 year warranty.
I don't know offhand when the lifetime warranty started.
I've only cleaned another's gun a couple of times.
The first was when I was in the service, and a neighbor, an Army major, wanted to know if I would thorough-clean his WWII P.38, knowing that I had one. I did know how to completely take the gun apart, and was pleased to do as he requested. Nice thing was that he gave me a WWII-vintage G.I. "tanker" .45 auto shoulder holster in return for the favor. Those are quite valuable now.
The last time was for a neighbor who was well into his 80's, and had a Marlin model 60 .22 semiauto rifle that had never been cleaned, apparently. I had to look up how to take it apart, but I found a good reference and gave it a complete scrubbing. He died a few years later...
I see no harm in helping someone out - for me it's an enjoyable way to relax and do a favor for a friend.
John
The first was when I was in the service, and a neighbor, an Army major, wanted to know if I would thorough-clean his WWII P.38, knowing that I had one. I did know how to completely take the gun apart, and was pleased to do as he requested. Nice thing was that he gave me a WWII-vintage G.I. "tanker" .45 auto shoulder holster in return for the favor. Those are quite valuable now.
The last time was for a neighbor who was well into his 80's, and had a Marlin model 60 .22 semiauto rifle that had never been cleaned, apparently. I had to look up how to take it apart, but I found a good reference and gave it a complete scrubbing. He died a few years later...
I see no harm in helping someone out - for me it's an enjoyable way to relax and do a favor for a friend.
John
Some folks are perfectly capable of shooting a firearm. Some of those same folks are incapable of giving it a good cleaning and reassembling it correctly. I don't mind one bit doing things like this for folks in need. In fact, I enjoy it. Some folks pay others to change the oil in the car. Nothing wrong with that either.
Rosewood
Rosewood
Cal44
Member
Has anyone had a crack on a Scandium gun?
Perhaps adding Scandium to the alloy really does work.
Or maybe you don't see as many cracks because there aren't that many Sc guns out there.
Perhaps adding Scandium to the alloy really does work.
Or maybe you don't see as many cracks because there aren't that many Sc guns out there.
stonebuster
Member
The way I heered it was "If you give a man a fish, he can eat fer one day. Iffn' you TEACH a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat all day and drink beer."
Late 19th century, actually. American author. You are correct - it is post-Biblical.
Maimonides, in the 12th century, wrote about 8 degrees of charity. Number 8 is this:
"The person who helps another to become self-supporting by a gift or a loan or by finding employment for the recipient."
You can see how that leads to the oft-quoted teaching to fish maxim.
Y'all can look up the other 7 on your own time. Best way to learn something.
As for cracked frames, when I had a Model 12 I was afraid to fire it but I did take it to the range once. My 638 that was stolen was one of the most difficult guns to shoot well that I ever handled. My 642 wasn't too bad but one day I said to myself, "Self, you're being ridiculous, carrying that 642 when you have a M649 that you shoot better and it recoils less AND it weighs just a little bit more and you'll never notice it". Retired the 642. Have been carrying the 649 almost every day since. No big deal.
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HamHands
Member
Ohhhhhhhhh, that is bad, really bad! Thanks for sharing that pic!
I bought the wifey one of these to carry back in April after a scare she had. In fact we spent almost 2 hours at the range yesterday getting her doubly acquainted with its operation and on the finer points of target acquisition (simply putting the front sight only on center mass and pulling the trigger as quick and smooth as possibly), as opposed to yanking the trigger. She put 60+ rounds thru it and only complained on the last cylinder of hand fatigue.
I'm going to clean the snot out of it today and keep an eye on the area yours cracked at. We'll never put anything +P thru this Revolver even though the barrel is marked .38Special +P in light of your picture (thanks again for posting btw as it's eye opening.) With all the great standard pressure loads i.e. (Buffalo Bore's 150gr Hard Cast Full Wads), these are absolutely devastating on bone and soft tissue alike that I see zero need for anything +P to be carried in this particular snubby M642. YMMV...
Looking back and thinking about a particular wound channel of the aforementioned Buffalo Bore 150 HC-Wads from a 2" snub... it appeared to have come from a heavier caliber due to its projectile profile/full Meplate, and 850fps+ Muzzle Energy.
Pic of my groups (top bulls eye), and wife's groups (center bulls eye) yesterday at the range, 10 Yards out, 158gr S&B...
