Picture of a cracked forcing cone on a model 65 or 66?

[dogdoc]

Happens but way way way overstated on internet. I have been trying to crack one on a model 66 I have since 1984. Shoot many magnums but most are 158 grain.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Your 100% spot on , the shorter bullet does not allow all the hot gases to be sealed off exposing the forcing cone to those still burning fakes of powder.

Never shot any 110's or 125's through my gun......Only cast bullets.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Happens but way way way overstated on internet. I have been trying to crack one on a model 66 I have since 1984. Shoot many magnums but most are 158 grain.

My 66 bought along the same time as my 19 has never has a problem either.

 

[Warren Sear]

The forcing cone on my new Model 19-4 broke after a few months of steady .357 ammo. S&W fixed it under warranty. Lesson learned.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

The forcing cone on my new Model 19-4 broke after a few months of steady .357 ammo. S&W fixed it under warranty. Lesson learned.

Your reloads or factory ammo? Grain weight and how many rounds?

 

[Warren Sear]

My ridiculously hot loads using data from the old Speer manual. Blue Dot powder. 158 grains, IIRC (but not positive). Somewhere around 750 rounds fired.

 

[Geeorge]

Bought my first model 19 in 1980, feed it hundreds and hundreds of full magnum loads, never any damage. only time I have seen a S&W revolver get damaged was from some magic hand loads

 

[Warren Sear]

Yeah, that worked for me.

 

[Lonegle57]

Know that the crack can happen with 38's as well. I bought a used 64
at a show a person was carrying around. Was dirty but looked good otherwise and locked up well with good timing. While cleaning forcing cone
area I found a crack, yes in the flat. Bought a used barrel and had S&W replace the barrel at a price. I had/have never seen a 64 or heard of one with a cracked forcing cone before, lesson learned.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

The rule of thumb for all J & K frame Magnums is to keep the magnum loads to a minimum and on the rare occasion they are shot - stick with 158 grain projectiles. That rule should preserve your J, K frame and prevent it from cracking or chipping.

Only S&W L & N Frames are truly designed for everyday sustained magnum use, IMO.

Bill Jordan was the father of the Model 19. He wanted the perfect cop gun-a .38 special sized Smith that you could practice with .38's and load up .357 for duty.
Skeeter said that the 27's only fault was that it was too big.
Voila-the L frame.

 

[Brian Parrish]

Correct.

Isn't it the 125 grain that gets the blame for this? The shorter bullet allows more hot gas to escape because it clears the cylinder sooner?

I don't know if I'm remembering right but I do know someone will quickly correct me if I'm not!

You understand that we had been led to believe in the "one shot stop" power of the Federal 125 grain SJHP round. It is a great round no doubt. My best man was an EMT and he said when somebody was shot with that, there was nothing he could do for them. The bullet is so short that escaping gases enter the forcing cone ahead of the bullet hence much greater pressures at that spot. I would just shoot a 158 grain load and be fine. We also now know that the methodology used in the "one shot stop" statistics was flawed and invalid.

Something else that may contribute which also applies to my Model 696 44 special. We used to shoot a lot of LSWC magnum loads in the 19/66 during a range session for practice and toward the end shoot a cylinder of copper jacketed ammo to "clean the lead out of it". Those hollow points are expensive ya know? The current thinking is to do the opposite of this. Shoot your SD loads and practice your SD drill first. Only the first cold drill counts for real life. Then follow with the lead loads and clean the leading out with a correct solvent procedure.

Kind Regards,
BrianD