Mod 67 primer marks on recoil shield

[tacotime]

Saw a 67 with round primer marks visible around the recoil shield. Have not see marks like that before. I assume some high pressure rounds were fired creating cratered primers that marked the shield as other rounds were fired?

The gun is tight, very little endshake, good lockup, excellent bore.

What do you think?

Photo attached. I'm referring to the primer marks, not regular case marks. Not much in the way of regular case marks showing. Unfired primers wouldn't make these small circles in my opinion.

 

[MichiganScott]

Sounds simply like a gun that was shot a lot. Recoil drives the case head back against the shield.

Pictures?

 

[Kframes4me]

No expert here, but I have a mod 66 x law enforcement issue that's been shot to death and has the same markings. It's one of my favorites and can't find anything wrong with it. I am interested to hear if I am missing something.

 

[H Richard]

Just normal marks you get when you actually use your revolvers.

 

[gtoppcop]

It's completely normal and is indicative of a revolver that has been shot quite a lot. It's from the thrust of the shell casings hitting the recoil shield under recoil. If there's little to no endshake, it's harmless.

Enjoy the 67. I have one too and love it. Hard to kill one...

 

[Sgt 127]

If they are "around" the recoil shield, I think that is more indicative of a gun that has been carried, a lot.

I have several old police guns (particularly blued guns) that show those little circles all around the recoil shield. And, the guns are tight. No real signs of being shot alot, just well worn on the outside and, the recoil shield.

Those rounds bump and wiggle with every step.

 

[tacotime]

Pic added.

 

[Alk8944]

That is not normal, and is definitely not simply from carrying and shooting. This appears to be actually cut, how or why I have no idea. If it was what the others gave said it would appear at the 6 o'clock (Left in picture) too. there are other issues too. Those two spots are surroulded by 3 circles, where there should be only two, the primer annulus and the case rim. The bolt pin should also be flush with the breech face, I suspect the gun is s bit harder to open than it should be.

Looks like "Bubba" has had a time with this gun. Nothing that can't be fixed. I would replace the bolt and polish the face of the breech to be sure there are no burrs standing around those two shallow divots.

FWIW, without the photo I would have answered the same as the others did!

 

[tacotime]

There is a shallower divot at 6 o'clock, just harder to see.

I suppose Bubba may have done it, although Bubba was a policeman.

Still my theory of cratered fired primers rotating around the shield while other rounds are fired, has not been shot down as of yet.

 

[Sgt 127]

Maybe somebody cleaned the chambers with the cylinder closed? With a bronze brush on the end of a drill?

That's strange. Never seen that before.

If it was high primers, they were hard enough to divot steel but not make drag marks?

 

[tacotime]

My cratered primer theory is still intact - the cratered primers would not necessarily leave drag marks but would impact the shield on firing, wearing in a circle over time.

I thought about the cleaning theory, but that would not explain the divot at 6 o'clock, which can not be accessed with the cylinder closed.

 

[CajunBass]

If they are "around" the recoil shield, I think that is more indicative of a gun that has been carried, a lot.

I have several old police guns (particularly blued guns) that show those little circles all around the recoil shield. And, the guns are tight. No real signs of being shot alot, just well worn on the outside and, the recoil shield.

Those rounds bump and wiggle with every step.

My EDC is a Model 12-2 that I believe was unfired when I got it. I haven't fired it myself all that much, but it has those little round marks beginning to show around the recoil shield. I also believe they come from carry.

 

[butchkent]

I believe you are on the right track. I have shot some of my M19's with heavy magnum rounds, my reloads, for 40 years but have no such marks from the primers. I don't load to the point of flowing primer metal back down the firing pin hole. When that happens with a new load I back off. A previous owner apparently pushed the envelope often. But as had been stated, if the gun is tight, keep on shooting. Personally, I don't like flowing primers. It can make the revolver lock up and then you're a dead duck. IMHO.

 

[Aticus]

Guys, I have a question. Most handgun ammo consists of a brass case with a malleable primer cup. If the marks on the recoil shield were made from the slamming of unfired ammo into the recoil shield what kept the primer from firing? If the mark came from fired ammo how did the softer metal of the empty case and primer mark the shield with out leaving a similar gouge from the case? I see the mark from the brass of the case but no gouge. I'm assuming these marks are circular gouges in the shield not raised as though the case were driving the shield into the primer pocket.

I'm no metalurgist or engineer so I don't know how a softer metal could gouge a much harder metal. This is just some thoughts I had.

 

[butchkent]

I don't believe they are gouges, just spots polished by the high spots on the primer.

 

[PatriotX]

I don't believe they are gouges, just spots polished by the high spots on the primer.

Could the pistol being stored loaded in a high-vibration environment account for these marks/spots ?

 

[scooter123]

Those marks are unlike anything I've ever seen and I have a 67-1 that I've personally put at least 5000 rounds downrange with. Yeah, I do like shooting my 67. All it has on the recoil shield are case head "prints" with the primer area showing as sort of a void.

At first I though those marks could be a result of the use of a lot of crimped ammo that left the primers sitting a touch "high" in the fired cases. Then I realized that those marks are on the UNFIRED side of the firing pin bushing. Kind of rules out that idea.

So, I haven't one single reasonable idea as to the cause of these marks. So, since flights of fancy can sometimes be fun I'm going to propose the cause is the same as those that cause Crop Circles, it's ALIENS!! Yeah, that's the ticket, Crop Circles.

 

[tacotime]

Still a mystery, with bad snap caps or cratered primers leading the theory pack.

Gun functions fine though.