Anyone ever see a revolver do this? (UPDATED) X2

It looks like the cylinder was not machined down enough. My 340PD cylinder outside diameter measured between the flutes and lock up grooves is 1.308. Do you have a dial caliper?

Jim
 
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setxn is right, that is a normal profile for a 5 shot. The flute is on the bottom. Everything looks right except the marks.

I hope the shame on me for shooting it too much, was in jest, I think if your going to carry it you should put ammo thru it to make sure you are up to snuff with it and with a super light gun like this when you start getting older it is also a test of yourself and your strengths. I will however probably reduce the 357 use to 135gr Gold Dots and the handloaded equivalent. (A fairly light 357 or maybe better discribed as a very hot +P)

I will let you all know how this comes out.

Thank you all for your thoughts.
Warren
 
Pull the yoke and look it over before you ship it off!

I'm curious if there is slop or flex in the yoke, or perhaps if the yoke is even CRACKED????
 
This is one of those times you need a highspeed movie camera to take pictures of it being fired-Now THAT would be cool!!!
 
I shipped it already, I did look close before I sent it, I didn't see anything stretched or bent and no cracks. I did look extra close at the yoke, and the ejector rod and cylinder spun true. We will soon see, the last gun that went to the hospital was back in a week.
 
I'm curious, does the gun shoot high, or at least higher than it did when it was new? I'm guessing those wear marks are due to the frame flexing.
 
I just got a call from S&W saying that they X-Rayed it and found no cracks and that the Scandium mixed in with aluminum gives it memory. Said it is not unusual for them to flex like that and they have high speed film of them doing just that.

I asked him to please give that to me in writing so I could post it here and also incase the thing came apart in my hand. He said he would. He said the 44 mag version does it too, I will most likely never get first hand experience with that one and I doubt I will push too many more full power thru this one either.

I will post the letter when it come in.
 
I have a 329 that shows marks from the blast shield, don't know if the cylinder is flexing up or the blast shield is coming down but it is hitting
 
my 360 pd has a little of those marks... guess i should stick to +p, or +p+ only. don't much like shooting the full power .357 in this 'lil 11 oz shooter anyhow.
 
Some years ago, I read an article somewhere that went into a lot of detail about the Scandmium guns....Author said that the alloy had a tremendous flex factor and stated that at THAT time, in the proofing of the cylinders, the test was to block each chamber at the muzzle end and fire a TRIPLE charged load in each one....Photos were taken that showed the chambers/cylinders actually expanding and returning to their original specs during the demonstrations. IIRC no cylinders fractured, cracked, or blew.

This type of reaction, repeated over and over, seems to be the cause of the "rub" IMHO.
Says a lot for the strengh of same.....
 
roundgunner said:
I hope the shame on me for shooting it too much, was in jest, .......
Click to expand...

Absolutely it was!

Selling a gun good for a couple thousand rounds of rated ammunition is like selling a car good for 10K miles of hard driving. Unacceptable without prior notice/caveat. Is Smith going to do anything for you?
 
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ol' geeser said:
Some years ago, I read an article somewhere that went into a lot of detail about the Scandmium guns....Author said that the alloy had a tremendous flex factor and stated that at THAT time, in the proofing of the cylinders, the test was to block each chamber at the muzzle end and fire a TRIPLE charged load in each one....Photos were taken that showed the chambers/cylinders actually expanding and returning to their original specs during the demonstrations. IIRC no cylinders fractured, cracked, or blew.

This type of reaction, repeated over and over, seems to be the cause of the "rub" IMHO.
Says a lot for the strengh of same.....
Click to expand...

This sounds right to me.
 
Fellas I've said it in the past and I'll say it again..
Smith quit making .357 K frames which are bigger than .357 J frames. I do not now nor have I ever thought that the J frame was an appropriate frame for a .357 (and that is the steel framed ones). Shooting .357's out of a snubby J frame makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when you can shoot +ps out of them with much lower pressure and with that 7 yard range the guns were made for, not a discernable difference in terminal performance. Dead is dead,a miss is a miss and dinner is ready.

Want a small frame snubby for a .357? Go with an SP100 or a 66.
 
ol' geeser said:
Some years ago, I read an article...

Author said that the alloy had a tremendous flex factor and stated that at THAT time, in the proofing of the cylinders, the test was to block each chamber at the muzzle end and fire a TRIPLE charged load in each one...

...no cylinders fractured, cracked, or blew.
Click to expand...

You're kiddin' me. :rolleyes: So let's say this "triple charge" generated 120- or 150,000 PSI, or some such. We're supposed to believe a comparatively thin-wall chamber withstood that with no immediate escape for the generated pressure? Holy cow!

Well, the cylinder is a Titanium alloy and the frame is an Aluminum alloy with a bit of Scandium. Two different things, but I would not be happy with that explanation from S&W if that was my gun. Sure the frame flexes (they all do), and sure the point of the Scandium in the alloy is to allow flex while lessening the attendant fatigue, which is one of the most common failure modes for a flexing Aluminum component, but if that thing is flexing around that much, I would have serious reservations about reliability. I just don't see that much flex as a logical explanation for what we see going on there. Why is Roundgunner's gun doing that when others aren't? (Like mine, for example, and ditto for my 329PD.) There has to be more to the story.

So Roundgunner, you have been pretty quiet in today's post and since. Anything more to add to this story? Have your loads been "heroic?" Assuming not, I think S&W's answer is unsatisfactory. I must be alone in this... :confused:
 
ltxi said:
Absolutely it was!

Selling a gun good for a couple thousand rounds of rated ammunition is like selling a car good for 10K miles of hard driving. Unacceptable without prior notice/caveat. Is Smith going to do anything for you?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. If I understood the CS rep they are sending it back to me as is and I should keep on shooting it.
 
M29since14 said:
You're kiddin' me. :rolleyes: So let's say this "triple charge" generated 120- or 150,000 PSI, or some such. We're supposed to believe a comparatively thin-wall chamber withstood that with no immediate escape for the generated pressure? Holy cow!

Well, the cylinder is a Titanium alloy and the frame is an Aluminum alloy with a bit of Scandium. Two different things, but I would not be happy with that explanation from S&W if that was my gun. Sure the frame flexes (they all do), and sure the point of the Scandium in the alloy is to allow flex while lessening the attendant fatigue, which is one of the most common failure modes for a flexing Aluminum component, but if that thing is flexing around that much, I would have serious reservations about reliability. I just don't see that much flex as a logical explanation for what we see going on there. Why is Roundgunner's gun doing that when others aren't? (Like mine, for example, and ditto for my 329PD.) There has to be more to the story.

So Roundgunner, you have been pretty quiet in today's post and since. Anything more to add to this story? Have your loads been "heroic?" Assuming not, I think S&W's answer is unsatisfactory. I must be alone in this... :confused:
Click to expand...

I think my asking for this explanation in writing may have CS take another look at it. I mentioned it coming apart in my hand and he did pause. I,m not sure what to think. Like I said before I carry it with mildish 357 Speer 135gr Gold Dots.
 
roundgunner said:
I doubt it. If I understood the CS rep they are sending it back to me as is and I should keep on shooting it.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh...I think I'd have to call them on that.

I'm not a real fan of lw J-frames with exotic metallurgy. But if Smith sells it they really need to man up when the problems occur.
 
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