Rodan
Member
Depends a lot on the snake...
Smith & Wesson Mod 14-3, Burned in Car Fire, Can it be saved?.
- Thread starter RealReglarGuy
- Start date
Inusuit
Member
Location, location, location. A rattlesnake in my backyard will probably be dispatched before the next visit from the grandkids. Half a mile from the house, let him live to deal with pocket gophers and ground squirrels.
Even the one in the backyard might be considered for transport elsewhere.
Snakes do a great deal of good in the ecosystem, no reason to kill them all.
I would not sink any money into the gun. Especially if you cannot do the work yourself. There are some guys here on the forum that do their own work, and have cigar boxes full of parts. I might offer it up for parts or for a project gun at some very reasonable modest price. Then go buy a nice shooter
larryofcc
Member
A few years ago, my wife came running into the house with our 18 lb. cat in her arms. There's a rattlesnake under the tree in the back yard.
Being a person who likes snakes, I got my snake stick and went up and captured it. Near 4 1/2 foot long with 14 rattles.
It looked strange, a sort of green color. I looked it over real good and went to my computer. Well, bless my soul, it was a Mojave Green, the deadliest of all rattlers. I took the little feller for a ride about 5 miles away, and let him go. Never to return.
I have never been afraid of snakes and have picked up my share of rattlers. Those are the only poisonous snakes we have in the West Desert of Utah. Big Larry
Don't think I could sell a gun to anyone knowing it could possibly come apart. I don't think I could shoot one either.
Short of it being a family heirloom I would just move on and buy a nice used gun. There are no parts of my body worth risking for a tool.
Might sell the cut frame to a grip maker and put the internals up for sale.
Short of it being a family heirloom I would just move on and buy a nice used gun. There are no parts of my body worth risking for a tool.
Might sell the cut frame to a grip maker and put the internals up for sale.
I had a 1970's Marlin 1895 .45-70 lever-action rifle that was burned in a fire and had a terrible replacement stock. I only bought it (cheap) for some gunsmithing practice...making replacement parts, cold rebluing, etc. However, I never intended to shoot that beast after it had been burned up because I didn't trust it. Several years later, I took that rifle to a local police gun buy-back campaign and turned it in for a nice gift card! That may be something you want to consider for your 14-3! Just sayin'.
To bad you do not have the springs as they would tell you a story about the heat. Springs are hardened, then tempered at about 800-850f. If they got hotter than that they would quit being springs and take a permanent bend or in the case of a coil spring compress and not return. S&W frames are tempered at a higher temp than any spring and are actually relatively soft. If the springs are fine so is the frame. Same goes for the cylinders. Hardness does NOT necessarily equal tough or mean a higher yield strength. If you took a piece of 4140 chrome moly steel and made it into a fully hardened cylinder you would have a grenade until you tempered it. A 5160 leaf spring fully hardened will snap right off if you bend it much, temper it to 425 F and it will bend and return, use it tempered at 425f as a car spring and it will crack fairly fast, temper it at 800f and it will last for 50 years if you never over load it.
If I knew the springs still functioned I would rebuilt the gun. I would stick in another cylinder. It is the critical part and you can find K frame 38 cylinders with extractors for $50-70.
I had a CA 44 Bulldog sitting on a shelf by the TV in my bedroom when my house caught fire, in the bedroom in fact. The holster shrunk up stocks were nasty and by the time I could enter the blue was a mess from the humidity from the fire hoses blasting water everywhere. The TV screen had popped and the plastic was all distorted. Gun operated fine when cleaned up
and the grips sanded out. I fired a couple boxes of 240 gr lead reloads from it before my brother bought it. He knows all about it. In fact he is a welding inspector and understands metal and is not a bit concerned.
The grips/ stocks whatever. Wood (depending on type) starts to smolder and burn at 392-482 degrees Fahrenheit, which at the high end would take some temper out of a good knife blade and wreck a file. 2nd phase burning can go up to 800f and and you need to be above that to effect springs, a full on wood blaze is around 1200f unless it has forced air. Those temps would wreck everything.
If I knew the springs still functioned I would rebuilt the gun. I would stick in another cylinder. It is the critical part and you can find K frame 38 cylinders with extractors for $50-70.
I had a CA 44 Bulldog sitting on a shelf by the TV in my bedroom when my house caught fire, in the bedroom in fact. The holster shrunk up stocks were nasty and by the time I could enter the blue was a mess from the humidity from the fire hoses blasting water everywhere. The TV screen had popped and the plastic was all distorted. Gun operated fine when cleaned up
and the grips sanded out. I fired a couple boxes of 240 gr lead reloads from it before my brother bought it. He knows all about it. In fact he is a welding inspector and understands metal and is not a bit concerned.
The grips/ stocks whatever. Wood (depending on type) starts to smolder and burn at 392-482 degrees Fahrenheit, which at the high end would take some temper out of a good knife blade and wreck a file. 2nd phase burning can go up to 800f and and you need to be above that to effect springs, a full on wood blaze is around 1200f unless it has forced air. Those temps would wreck everything.
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OP
RealReglarGuy
Member
Guys, I've made up my mind after reading ideas, suggestions, etc about this pistol.
I'm going to stick it back in the drawer, maybe if someone wants it for parts or something I might sell it with a written disclaimer for liabilities.
Then, I'm going to find a shooter grade K38 or Mod 14-3 with 6 inch barrel.
I've got a few S&Ws (I really like them) but do not have any .38s with a 6 inch barrel.
So that's my plan. What do you think?
Thanks for the help!
I'm going to stick it back in the drawer, maybe if someone wants it for parts or something I might sell it with a written disclaimer for liabilities.
Then, I'm going to find a shooter grade K38 or Mod 14-3 with 6 inch barrel.
I've got a few S&Ws (I really like them) but do not have any .38s with a 6 inch barrel.
So that's my plan. What do you think?
Thanks for the help!
Sounds great!
Smart plan.
larryofcc
Member
If you would ever like a 357 magnum, let me suggest a M19-3. Pretty much like a M14-3 as it will shoot .38 Specials and 357's
with extremely good accuracy. Much better to get your $$$ back should you want to resell. Big Larry
with extremely good accuracy. Much better to get your $$$ back should you want to resell. Big Larry
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I think discretion is still the better part of valor.
If you ever decide to get into making grips or holsters you've got a good model.
Send it to me. I will clean it up and refinish and load up some wadcutters to shoot in it. I ain't skeered.
Being under the seat, that is probably the coolest part of a fire (heat goes up). I doubt the temper was hurt. Too bad he didn't leave the springs in. If they still rebound, that might tell you it didn't get hot enough to damage temper.
Rosewood
Being under the seat, that is probably the coolest part of a fire (heat goes up). I doubt the temper was hurt. Too bad he didn't leave the springs in. If they still rebound, that might tell you it didn't get hot enough to damage temper.
Rosewood
While I believe it could be salvageable, I also believe that it should be checked for a couple things. It would not hurt to have the frame hardness tested. While hardness is not the whole story it would give you a clue. The barrel to frame alignment should be checked. The tip of a rod that just fits down the barrel should hit center on the firing pin bushing. The yoke alignment should be checked using a similar method. I would replace the cylinder, it is what contains the pressure and K frame 38 cylinders are in plentiful supply. Then there is the cost of a replacement rear sight or the blade, screw, plunder and spring and what ever else is gone, plus a full set of mechanism springs. cylinder stop spring, main spring, front lug spring, hand spring, SA sear spring, etc. $4, $5, $15, $3, $24, $3, $3, $65 here there and everywhere plus shipping and hey it starts to become real money. Most people would be better off just buying one of those "parts kits"
I sometimes forget this when I post because a got a pretty good supply of pieces. I also already have more 38 specials than I need
I sometimes forget this when I post because a got a pretty good supply of pieces. I also already have more 38 specials than I need
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Model19man
Member
There are a whole lot of them for sale in online auctions. Really nice ones sell for $750 - $850.
It’s the law of diminishing returns, no brainer hang it on the wall. Some guys are like old ladies rescuing stray cats. Definitely not worth the expense or the time. Sell it to one of them and let them make a shooter out of it. Take the money and put it and what you would have spent on decent K38.
OP
RealReglarGuy
Member
Big Larry, that is a way better plan!
I'm hunting for a M19-3 now.
Good thinking!
PS: I've got a Smith & Wesson 686 but it's a little too big and bulky to carry around mowing grass and stuff.
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Jims home for wayward Smiths. LOL
Some recuses
1917 with hot much finish and no barrel
15-2 with ugly cylinder and barrel
becomes
a J&G gunsmith special 10-7 becomes a K32
A Brazilian becomes a 45 colt
WEEEEEEE
Model19man
Member
I think that's a good plan. I would be looking for any dash number M19 up to a dash 5. Any of them will do anything that the M14 would and more. Cost is a couple hundred bucks premium depending on the dash number.
You will find that shooting full wadcutter 38 specials in a M19 is great fun.
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