I wonder about it. It is not uncommon to hear concerns expressed about the issue of forcing cone erosion/cracking. I've read all sorts of comments on the subject. And it's gotten me to thinking (always a dangerous thing) about it.
I have been shooting the hound out of various S&W revolvers since 1980. I've not ever cracked a barrel, boogered up a forcing cone, etc. I have in that time however shot one 28-2 with hot heavy loads to the point that it was "old before it's time." That is the only revolver that I ever used so hard that it was seriously worn. I fired a pickup truck load of hot 125 gr. and 158 gr. jacketed handloads through that revolver. I wanted loads so hot that they'd slay anything in North America. I remember the throat on that revolver got to the point that it would fuzz patches when I was cleaning it. I guess nothing last forever. At the time I was not aware that there was any possibility of rebarreling a revolver. I assumed the revolver was worn out. So I took it down to the local gun shop and traded it off for something new.
It's about like shooting hot .22 centerfire rifle cartridges. The .220 Swift has a reputation for being hard on barrels/throats. Competitive shooters firing at long range deal with the erosion of throats, etc. With some intense calibers, a barrel may only last a few thousand rounds before best accuracy is gone. Setting the barrel back and rechambering is often a good fix allowing the barrel to be used further into the future. Some use less intense rounds at the same distances. On target results are often just as good or even better. But intense rounds will wear out barrels faster than standard calibers. That is just the way things work.
When I was a student in seminary I had a 03-A3 through which I poured rounds on a every Saturday basis, firing a cigar box or two of G.I. ball, homeloads, factory loads... whatever I could get my hands on. I had a little 130 gr. JHP load that was in retrospect scalding hot. With the rear sight bottomed out it was dead on at 300 yds. and would, in my first year of shooting, hold 10 shots inside 4 inches at that distance from a sandbagged rest. I shot that rifle hard, often getting the barrel so hot that the oil seeped out of the forearm of the stock. By the time I was ready to graduate, that barrel was in not good shape. A gunsmith rebarreled it for me using a surplus 03-A3 barrel. The rifle returned to shooting beautiful 1.5 MOA groups. He split the removed barrel and showed me the throat, etc. where the consequences of heavy use were very evident.
Today I shoot 03, 03-A3 and M-1 Garands rifles. I don't shoot them with the hottest reloads I can cobble up. I don't make a practice of shooting 10 round strings of rapid fire. I have even developed some "popper" loads that are more mid-range that long-range in nature. They are very accurate. But they are not suitable for shooting the Big Five down on the dark continent.
Recently I bought a 66-2. It's a pretty little thing. And... once I get moved to my new pastoral assignment, I'll be loading for it. I can see a few 125 gr. JHP's in it's future... and a lot of 158 gr. lead SWC's. I will not be subjecting it to a routine diet of heavy hot light bullet magnum loads. Why. Because no matter what I do, nothing last forever. And I've learned from experience that if I pound away with a revolver or rifle using hot heavy loads with light bullets, there will come a point sooner than later when I will have deal with barrel issues. I will not damage one of my precious 03, 03-A3 or M-1 rifles by such carelessness. And I will not do so to this 66-2. If I want to shoot the hot heavy magnum rounds, I'll do so using revolvers for which I can get replacement parts that are current stock rather than oddities for which I have to scrounge. (The foregoing has been brought to you by a half a pot of coffee, a prior late night of studying and my own bent to engage in a little "reflective" thought"). Sincerely. brucev.
I have been shooting the hound out of various S&W revolvers since 1980. I've not ever cracked a barrel, boogered up a forcing cone, etc. I have in that time however shot one 28-2 with hot heavy loads to the point that it was "old before it's time." That is the only revolver that I ever used so hard that it was seriously worn. I fired a pickup truck load of hot 125 gr. and 158 gr. jacketed handloads through that revolver. I wanted loads so hot that they'd slay anything in North America. I remember the throat on that revolver got to the point that it would fuzz patches when I was cleaning it. I guess nothing last forever. At the time I was not aware that there was any possibility of rebarreling a revolver. I assumed the revolver was worn out. So I took it down to the local gun shop and traded it off for something new.
It's about like shooting hot .22 centerfire rifle cartridges. The .220 Swift has a reputation for being hard on barrels/throats. Competitive shooters firing at long range deal with the erosion of throats, etc. With some intense calibers, a barrel may only last a few thousand rounds before best accuracy is gone. Setting the barrel back and rechambering is often a good fix allowing the barrel to be used further into the future. Some use less intense rounds at the same distances. On target results are often just as good or even better. But intense rounds will wear out barrels faster than standard calibers. That is just the way things work.
When I was a student in seminary I had a 03-A3 through which I poured rounds on a every Saturday basis, firing a cigar box or two of G.I. ball, homeloads, factory loads... whatever I could get my hands on. I had a little 130 gr. JHP load that was in retrospect scalding hot. With the rear sight bottomed out it was dead on at 300 yds. and would, in my first year of shooting, hold 10 shots inside 4 inches at that distance from a sandbagged rest. I shot that rifle hard, often getting the barrel so hot that the oil seeped out of the forearm of the stock. By the time I was ready to graduate, that barrel was in not good shape. A gunsmith rebarreled it for me using a surplus 03-A3 barrel. The rifle returned to shooting beautiful 1.5 MOA groups. He split the removed barrel and showed me the throat, etc. where the consequences of heavy use were very evident.
Today I shoot 03, 03-A3 and M-1 Garands rifles. I don't shoot them with the hottest reloads I can cobble up. I don't make a practice of shooting 10 round strings of rapid fire. I have even developed some "popper" loads that are more mid-range that long-range in nature. They are very accurate. But they are not suitable for shooting the Big Five down on the dark continent.
Recently I bought a 66-2. It's a pretty little thing. And... once I get moved to my new pastoral assignment, I'll be loading for it. I can see a few 125 gr. JHP's in it's future... and a lot of 158 gr. lead SWC's. I will not be subjecting it to a routine diet of heavy hot light bullet magnum loads. Why. Because no matter what I do, nothing last forever. And I've learned from experience that if I pound away with a revolver or rifle using hot heavy loads with light bullets, there will come a point sooner than later when I will have deal with barrel issues. I will not damage one of my precious 03, 03-A3 or M-1 rifles by such carelessness. And I will not do so to this 66-2. If I want to shoot the hot heavy magnum rounds, I'll do so using revolvers for which I can get replacement parts that are current stock rather than oddities for which I have to scrounge. (The foregoing has been brought to you by a half a pot of coffee, a prior late night of studying and my own bent to engage in a little "reflective" thought"). Sincerely. brucev.
