New 629 Forcing Cone Issue - Pics

[scruffy]

Brand new 629-6 shipped 3/22/23. Everything else checks out great on the gun, except this forcing cone, (perfect timing/carry up in S/A and D/A, zero end shake, vault like lock up, .004" B/C gap, good fit and finish, good barrel crown, etc).

Shot the first 75 rounds, a mix of factory SJHP .44 special and .44 Magnum and saw some copper/lead shaving. One bloodied my cheek, (always wear safety glasses). Took it home cleaned it up used a brass brush on the end of the barrel extension (?) and went back and shot another 75 rounds same ammo. Seemed better and no more shaving. When I cleaned it I noticed copper fouling in the rifling that is stubborn to remove. Accuracy was OK by my standards and limited to my own capabilities. Mostly shoot steel and not beyond 25 yds.

Sick about this and up in the air about 1) sending it back to S&W who may make things worse, 2) take it to a competent gunsmith and have them smooth out or re-cut the forcing cone or 3) continue to enjoy it and shoot it as long as there is no more lead or copper shaving going on. My typical range sessions with this gun are 50 of 44 mag - or 100 rounds .44 special max. Here are pics of the forcing cone. What would the forum do? Is this acceptable and the "new normal"? Thanks for any advice.

(Pics adjusted for sharpness and contrast. Does not look as severe to the naked eye).

 

[Protocall_Design]

The forcing cone needs to be recut to smooth it out. A slightly bigger mouth won't hurt anything, either. Damage to the bullet as it enters the barrel is probably causing some of the copper fouling. It would be good to clean the barrel thoroughly and lap it some to smooth out the lands and grooves.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Spitting, from the barrel-cylinder gap regardless of its size, has to be expected occasionally, especially with certain bullets & in magnum loads which typically have heavy powder charges which expel lots of burnt residue but it's not something to be overlooked as the norm or too excess.

All to frequently S&W forcing cones aren't the most elegantly done & could benefit from re-chamfering. I'd say yours looks "typical".

The copper fouling may be more a cause of the copper jacket's composition than the F-C.

If the timing/alignment are correct the inner diameter of the F-C could be checked for it's size, which ideally would be ~.449". It could be opened up & smoothed out if needed.

I've taken to resolving such issues myself only because I already have the tools.

Whether you have S&W address the potential issue or have a gunsmith do it is up to you & your situation but maybe shooting some more loads, especially jacketed bullets that you normally like to shoot, will either help the smooth out any roughness or help you decide which direction you need to go.

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[scruffy]

Thank you. The ID of the FC at the opening is .450" for approximately the first .093" before the tapering starts. I think I'll take your recommendation and continue to shoot it and try some different ammo. I still may have a gunsmith clean it up some.

Spitting, from the barrel-cylinder gap regardless of its size, has to be expected occasionally, especially with certain bullets & in magnum loads which typically have heavy powder charges which expel lots of burnt residue but it's not something to be overlooked as the norm or too excess.

All to frequently S&W forcing cones aren't the most elegantly done & could benefit from re-chamfering. I'd say yours looks "typical".

The copper fouling may be more a cause of the copper jacket's composition than the F-C.

If the timing/alignment are correct the inner diameter of the F-C could be checked for it's size, which ideally would be ~.449". It could be opened up & smoothed out if needed.

I've taken to resolving such issues myself only because I already have the tools.

Whether you have S&W address the potential issue or have a gunsmith do it is up to you & your situation but maybe shooting some more loads, especially jacketed bullets that you normally like to shoot, will either help the smooth out any roughness or help you decide which direction you need to go.

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