Model 624 Recall and "F" stamp

[g8rb8]

.....when I called on it they said send it in......off it went. In about 2.5 weeks I had it back. There were no marks anywhere to indicate it was magnafluxed. Not really any paperwork to verify it had a clean bill of health except and an invoice type form that listed the gun info. and a line that said tested.

Roughly 1-2 years ago a forum member put me in touch with a 624 LNIB and prior to acquiring it I wanted confirmation it was not faulty. The box had the red C in a circle stamped on the end label which would suggest it passed a test but wanting definitive proof I inquired at S&W via e-mail. I received a reply and was given a phone number to call. I talked with a fairly knowledgeable person at S&W however they could not answer all my questions so they asked if I could wait on hold a few minutes and talk with "our historian, Roy Jinks." I transcribed the discussion with Mr. Jinks and basically the problem was NOT faulty metal but that some of the .44 special cylinders were bored to .44 Magnum. The test performed at S&W was simply to try a .44 Magnum cartridge in the chamber to be sure a .44 magnum cartridge did NOT fit into the .44 special cylinder. A .44 Magnum cartridge will fit nearly all the way into a .44 special chamber but there's about an 1/8" sticking out the rear and it prevents the cylinder from closing. In addition S&W did not keep a record of the serial #'s on those guns that were tested and "passed" and does not have a record of the serial #'s that are definitely a problem. Mr. Jinks inferred the problem was rare.

Given the feedback I have seen a number of times from members like morale I suspect the first hand story from Mr. Jinks makes way more sense than the second hand stories about poor quality stainless steel.

After the rumors, gossip, and innuendo ........ well, everything else is just a lie.

 

[Ronbo]

Have a 624 that I bought used with the "C" marked box. Tried a 44 magnum for fit, slides in far enough to look like it is nearly seated but the cylinder will not close with a magnum.

 

[Nemo288]

That makes me wonder how I ended up with a 6" 629 that has a big red C on the box.
Were some of them mistakenly bored for a supermagnum?
(Too bad Charter Arms doesn't keep track of this kind of stuff as I can EASILY fit a magnum into my Bulldog.
It's as if the chambers were bored specifically for a magnum instead of a special.)

 

[g8rb8]

That makes me wonder how I ended up with a 6" 629 that has a big red C on the box.
Were some of them mistakenly bored for a supermagnum?
(Too bad Charter Arms doesn't keep track of this kind of stuff as I can EASILY fit a magnum into my Bulldog.
It's as if the chambers were bored specifically for a magnum instead of a special.)

Okay, but can you close the cylinder with a .44 magnum in a chamber of that Charter Arm?

 

[Nemo288]

Yep.
I have gone so far as to load some low loads in magnum brass
and fire them so as to avoid the ring around the chamber.
Look closely at the pictures.
You will see the ring from firing the too short specials.
The chambers are EXACTLY as those in most magnums.
I have no idea how that would have happened in a factory that does not make any 44 magnums.
I would return it if they paid for shipping.
I have done so already once as it came with so much excess headspace it would not fire.
It's a lemon and Charter's service sucks.
I cannot recommend anyone buying a new one.
I was considering contacting the BATF but I don't like them either.

 

[deuce03]

Just talked with S&W customer service about a 624, he said if the cylinder is marked F it was checked?

 

[S&WIowegan]

Just talked with S&W customer service about a 624, he said if the cylinder is marked F it was checked?

See post No. 61 You have either been spoofed by an employee tired of answering this question or the fellow was a pure idiot.

 

[deuce03]

See post No. 61 You have either been spoofed by an employee tired of answering this question or the fellow was a pure idiot.

He was reading it off a screen, when asked if any other way to check the cylinder, no just check for a F

 

[Nightowl]

The 624's were only marked with a red C in a red circle on the box. It is my understanding that the gun itself was not marked.
Recontact Customer Service and ask for Kate Fredette or send her an email. I believe that she is the CS supervisor and knowledgeable about the 624 recall.

 

[Nemo288]

I think this horse may be dead.

 

[Santafe66]

624 Saga

I guess my name is on a bunch of posts in this thread so I'd like to recap what I did with my nearly mint 6" 624 that didn't come with a box so the issue of the recall had to be solved.

I had the cylinder magna fluxed after testing to see if a 44 Mag round would chamber. It wouldn't. The magna flux was done in the back of a pickup when I met the owner of the equipment at a restaurant where he wanted me to buy his lunch for the effort. Took about an hour to set everything up and the cylinder passed with no tracks of any cracking. I bought him lunch and off he went.

I sold the 624 after shooting it a bunch.....great revolver and handled all factory and my reloads fine. Just didn't need it anymore and got what I paid for it.

I subsequently satisfied my desire for a custom 44 Spl by having David Clements make one for me out of a Ruger OM 357 Mag I found that was mint and cheap. Obviously, it cost a bunch but it's the best 44 Spl revolver I've ever shot. It was line bored and I shoot only factory or my lead reloads in it and it's very accurate and a delight to look at. David does truly excellent work and is very free with his advice on building reloads for it.

 

[BigBill]

My new m24- is ok it has the loc/mim.

 

[Duffer]

I bought my 624 new in '84 and sent it in for the recall back in the day. I didn't keep the box so there was no way to stamp a red 'C'. But the rear face of the cylinder does bear marks left by a hardness tester, put there as part of the recall:

 

[Jackcpat]

F

Just saw a Model 65-3 with an F on its cylinder in a Facebook post.
So that’s another model with an F

 

[Bruceboy]

I have a 624 3" no dash ser. # ALW24XX. Just wondering if your 3" had a close ser.# Just wondering if my ser# is close to Taroman. I just shoot .44 Spl. loads and have not seen any issues.

Al

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Whatever you think or hear on this forum, don't send your gun back to S&W. They no longer have any replacement cylinders and they won't send your gun back to you because it might be unsafe. Either keep it and shoot with mild .44 Special loads or sell it as is. That's way better than S&W scrapping it.

Your problem with calling S&W and getting various answers is a well-known situation. S&W almost went under during the Clinton years and most of the bright, motivated, experienced workers left. They are booming now and hiring whomever they can get. Some of the people on the phone will flat tell you wrong either because they don't know the answer or don't give a damn.

Ya know.........I got a 4 in 624 that that never went back for the recall. i have and still do shoot all manners of .44 spl through it........I AM NOT concerned over it.

 

[murphydog]

I have a 624 3" no dash ser. # ALW24XX. Just wondering if your 3" had a close ser.# Just wondering if my ser# is close to Taroman. I just shoot .44 Spl. loads and have not seen any issues.

Al

This is a 14 1/2 year old thread but the OP was last here a month ago. You might want to try sending him a private message. He may even still have the gun in question.