Talk about Lightning Striking Twice

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Cruiser RN

Cruiser RN

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A few years ago I was shooting my first Model 640 357 Magnum using 38 Special Factory Ammo and it BLEW UP.Smith and Wesson sent me a replacement Model 640 357 Magnum.After this experience I gravitated to Colt revolvers and it sat in my gunsafe.Well today I took it out and noticed a few hits to the slight right of center,which is atypical to me.I loaded up once again with S+B 38 Special Ammo,pulled the trigger,got 1st degree skin burns on my hands,and the barrel 50 feet downrange.Now the replacement 640 for the one that BLEW UP BLEW UP.Pictures are to follow shortly......Mike http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2885038640047709249tgJAkU http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2343152390047709249QfqCMW Being this happened twice I am not confident in the quality of Smith and Wesson newer revolvers.The prospect of losing fingers in a third mishap is very troubling indeed and I hope they will make this right
 
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I can't blame you at all for your reservations. This is one reason why I tend to purchase P&R models (mostly used-near mint) examples (to save some cash) when I can. I do have some new Smith & Wesson revolvers with the IL, but it is sad that the same model gun blew up twice.

Keep us posted on S&W's up-coming response.

TAKJR
 
So it blew up on the first round, or had you shot it a few rounds before it blew up (not clear from your post)?

Are your sure it wasn't the ammo??
 
Was it the same ammo that blew up the last gun or new ammo? Also what blew up on the old gun? Was it the barrel also?
 
While there is no question that the barrel shank fractured at the first thread, to characterize this as "Blew up" is exaggeration at best. So far as burns to your hands as a result, there is no reason for this happening any more with this event than when normally shooting any revolver. Again, somewhat of an exaggeration. Why?

There are several other things that cause curiosity. You say you received the gun and just put it away for several years? Where/when/why in that period of time did you polish the gun and paint the front sight of a gun you seem to have had little interest in?

Is there a particular reason you removed the stocks before taking the pictures? It fails logic to understand why this would have been done.
 
It wasn't the first round more like the 15th.It was factory 38 special ammo from S+B not 357 magnum ammo.This gun was shot approx 1000 rounds and never had a 357 magnum cartridge fired from it.The first Model 640 also had this happen using 38 special ammo factory Winchester without a single round of 357 Magnum fired from it also.The first gun had a separated barrel and cracked frame with this one there is no cracked frame just the barrel.In both cases it was fresh factory 38 special ammo,not 357 Magnum rounds or 38+P rounds.Being both are labeled 357 Magnun,and neither gun ever had anything other than 38 special ammo this shouldn't have happened once much less twice
 
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OK shank fracture is a proper term.I am not a gunsmith and this layman's term for what happened with "Boom,Flash,Burn,Ouch,and barrel 50 feet down range" I termed Blew Up.Next I can see the redness on both of my hands and am a Nurse with over 30 years experience in Critical Care so I am more than capable of assessing 1st Degree skin Burns.Next when I recieved the replacement gun from S+W I did polish it and after I shot it a few times I put the orange on the ramp.I then put it away and got to shooting the other guns in my collection.Finnally I took off my grips prior to taking pics because I was preparing it for transport to S+W for them to assess it.It is very logical to remove grips from a gun prior to shipment to a manufacturer if you want to see them again.I also wanted to take pictures of the entire frame because I figured that people would be interested in seeing the entire frame without the view being interupted by the grips.How this course of action is illogical I fail to see.I hope I have adequately answered all your questions.Michael D Casabianca NRA Certified Firearms Instructor,Chief Range Safety Officer,RN BSPA,CNOR
Alk8944 said:
While there is no question that the barrel shank fractured at the first thread, to characterize this as "Blew up" is exaggeration at best. So far as burns to your hands as a result, there is no reason for this happening any more with this event than when normally shooting any revolver. Again, somewhat of an exaggeration. Why?

There are several other things that cause curiosity. You say you received the gun and just put it away for several years? Where/when/why in that period of time did you polish the gun and paint the front sight of a gun you seem to have had little interest in?

Is there a particular reason you removed the stocks before taking the pictures? It fails logic to understand why this would have been done.
Click to expand...
 
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While there is no question that the barrel shank fractured at the first thread, to characterize this as "Blew up" is exaggeration at best.
Click to expand...

If that had happened to me, barrel fracture, you can bet I to would have stated my blank blank gun blew up. I think we can excuse a little Poetic license here.
 
It was the gun not the ammo.Standard factory fresh 38 Special Ammo,not a hot load,38 +P or 357 Magnum.Even if it were a "HOT" 38 Special round,which it was not,that was the exact reason why I bought a 357 magnum so you would have protection from a hot round if it came up.
 
Old Bear thank you for your comment.I described the event in laymans terms and thought the term was descriptive if not technically accurate.I also accurately described the physical injury that resulted as a result of this event.I answered all this posters questions.If someone has a question for me please ask it.If you are going to try to say I am exagerating or lying about a situation that occured where you were not present please keep it off the board and PM me.
old bear said:
If that had happened to me, barrel fracture, you can bet I to would have stated my blank blank gun blew up. I think we can excuse a little Poetic license here.
Click to expand...
 
Any chance that a squib round lodged in the barrel and caused this?

Ideas?
 
Nope the barrel has no bulge marks,no change or disturbance in rifling and there was no change in felt recoil or change in sound of previously fired cartridge.Furthermore I had opened cylinder and reloaded prior to it happening and the bore was clear.What I think was that with the previously fired rounds hitting to the right,somehow the barrel torqued to the right.What remained of the metal where the barrel and frame were once connected you can see that the fragments were bent to the right.Being the gun has a right hand twist to the rifling the barrel must have failed @ the connection between the frame and the barrel.I am no gunsmith so I could be wrong....Mike
 
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Hey Cruiser, can you get a up close clear picture of whats left of the barrel, inside the frame (looking back towards the firing pin) and looking into the barrel so we can see both broken edges?
 
"Blew up" ... "shank fracture" ... who cares? Debating definitions is semantics nonsense. The OP's 640s reacted to being fired in a negative and hazardous way ---> whether their barrel shanks fractured or they blew up is inconsequential when viewing the photos. The Factory should thoroughly look at this most recent pistol to determine where and why the failure occurred. Luckily for the OP, the injuries were not more severe. Minor burns will heal ... a hot shard of metal in the eye is a bit tougher to deal with.
 
Alk8944 said:
While there is no question that the barrel shank fractured at the first thread, to characterize this as "Blew up" is exaggeration at best. So far as burns to your hands as a result, there is no reason for this happening any more with this event than when normally shooting any revolver. Again, somewhat of an exaggeration. Why?

There are several other things that cause curiosity. You say you received the gun and just put it away for several years? Where/when/why in that period of time did you polish the gun and paint the front sight of a gun you seem to have had little interest in?

Is there a particular reason you removed the stocks before taking the pictures? It fails logic to understand why this would have been done.
Click to expand...

Well, IMHO, it fails logic to understand why you jump to the assumption that the OP is a deceitful liar, based off nothing but a desire to defend S&W, apparently. No picture of his hand was posted for you to have basis to say that his description was not accurate.

If the front half of my gun flew downrange and my hand was burned, I very well might refer to that as "blown up".
 
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