cracked forcing cone question

[pipeliner]

Purchased 13-3 3in. today at a gun shop and upon examination after cleaning and using a light found the gun had cracked forcing cone. I think the reason the forcing cone had problems was because a bullet had stuck in the barrel and another was fired behind it. The barrel had a very slight bulge on the bottom by the extractor rod. When you get old and cannot see you get in all kinds of trouble Ha Ha. Bottom line, will it be a problem firing .38 Special loads? Thanks for the input.

 

[hsguy]

I sure would not shoot the gun, I would try to return it for a refund!

 

[Art Doc]

Take it back pronto. That barrel is a no go.

 

[M29since14]

Purchased 12-3 3in. today... When you get old and cannot see you get in all kinds of trouble Ha Ha. Bottom line, will it be a problem firing .38 Special loads? Thanks for the input.

Yes, take it back. The dealer never should have sold it in that condition.

I know a fellow who shoots a cracked Model 13 (steel-framed gun) - and has for some time. I gather he only shoots light .38s. He showed it to me and asked me what I thought. I told him, "Why not just replace the barrel?"

 

[panamajack310]

pipeliner wrote" I think the reason the forcing cone had problems was because a bullet had stuck in the barrel and another was fired behind it. The barrel had a very slight bulge on the bottom by the extractor rod."

Hey I had the same problem on my 19-4...It was not caused because of a squib round and another being fired into the squib.,.If that happened you would not be holding a complete gun right now...

What happened was the forcing cone cracked and the someone continued to fire the gun..That is exactlly what happened to me. I was doing my anual qualification with my 19-4 2.5" as back-up gun. I fored 30 rounds and then the gun was a little more difficult to fire. I continued to finish the course. Once done I looked over the gun and discovered the cracked forcing cone. I also noticed a bulge in the barrel where the forcing cone split and put more pressure on the barrel whiile I continued to shoot causing the bulge...I changed out the barrel and I am still carrying the gun as a back-up to this day....

Do not shoot the gun in its current state with a cracked forcing cone...The K frame .357's were meant to be shot as follows...A steady diet of .38 special and a minimal diet of .357 mag...I currently will only shoot .38 special in my model 19 because barrels are very hard to find.

 

[Colhogan]

Yep. I'd have to agree with the other members on this one. The dealer who took it in in trade or sale in the first place should have seen the cracked forcing cone. Either he does not think it's a big deal,or he's hoping the buyer will not notice.
Take it back ASAP. Replacement .357 K Frame barrels are not as easy to find nowadays as they were about 5 years ago..

 

[roaddog28]

I agree with others. Take the revolver back and get a refund. The gun shop should know better. They probably did.
Regards,
Howard

 

[BoDog]

I agree with others. Take the revolver back and get a refund. The gun shop should know better. They probably did.
Regards,
Howard

Any good gun shop owner should make this good either by a refund or a new barrel at his expense. It is part of the business cost. I doubt he knowingly sold the gun in that condition, if he did a pox on he and his family.

 

[roaddog28]

Any good gun shop owner should make this good either by a refund or a new barrel at his expense. It is part of the business cost. I doubt he knowingly sold the gun in that condition, if he did a pox on he and his family.

I agree the gun shop might not know. But if the gun shop checked the revolver out thoroughly like they should then the shop should of spotted the problem. Hopefully, for the OP they will take care of the problem.
Regards,
Howard

 

[kbm6893]

I find it REALLY hard to believe the dealer did not see a cracked forcing cone and bulged barrel. Not all businesses are honorable. I'm gonna guess that if you bring it back, the guy is gonna say "you bought it. How do I know you didn't do it and are trying to pass it back to me?".

 

[retired 302]

If he is a honest gun dealer he will take it back if not put the word on the street about this business.

 

[andyo5]

Hopefully your gun show dealer will not say something like "No way I would have sold a gun like that! You must have done it yourself".
This is why I no longer cruise the gunshows. They are the perfect dumping ground for damaged or malfunctioning firearms. And the more the dealer swears how honest he is, the more likely he is to sell bad stuff.
So long as the frame is undamaged, it is not a write-off. You can simply have it rebarreled and accept a lesson learned.

 

[pipeliner]

Happy Ending

The gun store refunded my money and also gave me some gas money,because it was about 180 miles round trip. There are some good people left in this world.
If someone is interested in a .357 R.M. with box they have one the showcase. If anyone is interested P.M. me and I will give you their phone number. Thanks again for the info.

 

[nipster]

This is why I no longer cruise the gunshows. They are the perfect dumping ground for damaged or malfunctioning firearms.

That's why you bring a good mini flashlight, bore light, feeler gauges and a few extra zip ties so they cant use the "I cant cut the strap because I dont have any zip ties to tie it back up" excuse.

If you properly inspect a gun prior to purchase, things like cracked forcing cones, loose lockup, end shake, bent extractor rods, bent or missing(!) firing pins, bent hammers, incorrect timing, canted barrels, bulging barrels, rusty or fouled barrels, cracked frames, cracked or damaged cylinders, etc, etc. can usually be found. And then you can have fun bargaining with the dealer or walking away, depending on what the defect is. If it was me, and I found something that I knew could be fixed myself cheaply, I would point out the flaw. Chances are, he knows it's there anyway and cant hide/fix it. You can use that as leverage against him. You can even say if he wont deal with you, you will stand beside his table pointing out he is selling broken guns, maybe even report him to the ATF or state regulating authority.

Case in point, I found a pretty decent 28 no dash 6" at a pawn shop. It had a broken rear site leaf (that I know I can fix cheaply), and was dirty to the point the cylinder would not eject cleanly (again, fixable), I bargained him down so low, I am ashamed to mention the price I actually got it for. I think once I pointed this stuff out, he was happy to get it out of his store.

I took it home, cleaned and lubed it thoroughly inside and out (was FILTHY) and it is now in pristine shooting shape (with the exception of the rear site, parts on order). I got an absolute steal.