Titanium cylinder erosion (340PD) with 125gr factory ammo

[alexrex20]

My 340PD has been misbehaving again. I just noticed that the trigger pivot pin has moved in the frame. It's now slightly recessed.

I really hate sending guns back, especially my EDC. Is this really an issue? I mean, the pin can only move so far before it bottoms out in the side plate right?

Ugh.

 

[Gpsman]

Which 125gr Magnums are you shooting?





Thanks, I considered them, but couldn't find any locally or for a decent price online. My online shopping cart has a weird tendency to grow larger and larger to offset the shipping cost...





I'd like to see a 125gr+ .38 +P that gets 1200fps out of a snubby. Do you shoot your .38 +Ps without ear protection? It will ring your ears just like a .357 Magnum will.

Check out Underwood Ammo.
They have a .38+P 125 grain Gold Dot at 1250 FPS.
It is HOT!
And very accurate.
It's what I carry most these days.
Like all Underwood Ammo, it is very very very good.

 

[HarrishMasher]

How many rounds do you have through your 340PD? I have several PDs and have shot them a fair amount, even with 357s and have never had any of these issues.

The erosion could also be from improper cleaning.

 

[alexrex20]

The 340PD has never had a brush to it, let alone any harsh solvents. The extent of my cleaning is Ballistol and a wash rag. Same with all my guns. The erosion was definitely not my fault.

I've put about 600 rounds through it, most of them .357Mag. Almost half of those are post-repair and the cylinder is just fine.

I guess I just got a lemon...

 

[regalsc]

I only use hoppes elite on my ti cylinder guns. It's mild & has not caused a problem yet. I don't know what is in ballistol maybe someone here knows.

 

[Hondo44]

I have little faith in TI cylinders. When I read in the manual that aggressive cleaning could compromise the TI cyl finish in my 296 .44 Spl, which gives the cyl part of its strength, I thought forget it! The alloy frame is light enough so I bought a 696 SS cyl. It dropped in and I never looked back.

I can now shoot heavier bullets and they don't pull under recoil.

 

[alexrex20]

BTW, after sending it in for the loose trigger pivot pin, S&W decided to replace the gun. They actually offered me the .500 S&W but I got the 340PD again and sold it as soon as I got it back. The trigger pull on it was terrible. The star was so poorly fitted that the trigger would basically lock up as the hand tried to override the star on two of the charging holes. Instead of dealing with another hassle with warranty, I just sold it, got my money back, and bought one at the LGS - one I could put my hands on before pulling the trigger....

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

 

[gnystrom]

Just for the record, I have owned a 340pd for a dozen years. Very few 357's but a lot of 125gr handloads. No special care while cleaning and other than some holster wear, the gun looks like new. This is a great carry gun and if it ever becomes a problem I will immediately replace it with another.

 

[Gary1911A1]

Threads like this are why I'm getting the 627 instead of the 929 for USPSA Revolver Division. The titanium cylinder of the 929 is giving to many problems.

 

[kaaskop49]

BTW, after sending it in for the loose trigger pivot pin, S&W decided to replace the gun. They actually offered me the .500 S&W but I got the 340PD again and sold it as soon as I got it back. The trigger pull on it was terrible. The star was so poorly fitted that the trigger would basically lock up as the hand tried to override the star on two of the charging holes. Instead of dealing with another hassle with warranty, I just sold it, got my money back, and bought one at the LGS - one I could put my hands on before pulling the trigger....

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

So I'm not the only shooter encountering these exact same problems straight from the box. For a while there, I thought I was marooned on a desert island. A shame to have to deal with these issues!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[ScandiaTitan]

Titanium revolvers

I have over a dozen J, L, N models and never a single problem except for...
One I bought on GB with known problems.
Sent to S&W and told them I bought it used/abused but they fixed it for free anyway.

 

[Kingpros1326]

I just sent back my 340Sc back to Smith & Wesson after discovering minor cylinder erosion. I shot nothing but Speer Gold Dot 38+P 135g JHP ammo since this was the ammunition authorized by DHS/ICE for this revolver. The 340Sc and the 340PD were authorized weapons for ICE Investigations at that time. The S&W Customer Service technician asked if I shot ammo with bullets less than 120 grains. I said no. They sent me a return shipping label and an RMA number.

 

[JimCunn]

"The star was so poorly fitted that the trigger would basically lock up as the hand tried to override the star on two of the charging holes".

Takes an average of about five minutes per chamber to fix this. I usually do it during the commercials while watching television.

I've got three 637-2 Airweight J-frames. Each has one stainless and two titanium cylinder assemblies (cylinder, yoke, extractor, extractor rod, and cylinder pin) for a total of 3 stainless and six titanium assemblies. Three of the titanium .357Mag cylinders are rechambered for 9x19mm, which is what I usually shoot. I don't use anything lighter than 147gr, and so far, so good, knock wood. No erosion (I do get a lot of practice timing extractor stars

 

[murphydog]

I really wish I could find the magnums "in stock" somewhere.

Here they are - they only have two cases (20 boxes total) but maybe they will break up a case if you ask?

200 Round Case - 357 Magnum 135 Grain Gold Dot Hollow Point GDHP Personal Protection Short Barrel Ammo - 23917GD | SGAmmo.com

 

[JimCunn]

That's interesting performance from the Gold Dot.
135gr at 990fps is 298 ft-lb.
147gr 9mm at 946fps is 292 ft-lb.

Less difference than I expected.
I'll have to try some in my .357 cylinder to see if there is much difference in the perceived recoil with my 9mm cylinder.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Jeff460]

Titanium cylinder erosion problems and solution

I have a Model 329PD 44 Magnum and to prevent putting up with erosion problems I bought a Model 629 stainless steel aftermarket fluted cylinder with extractor, from Brownell's online. It cost about $150.00 and I switched it out and have a titanium spare cylinder for my revolver now.
I love the look of it and it is not such a rare occurrence. Even Smith and Wesson came out with a scandium-frame snub nose 44 magnum called an Alaskan Backpacker and used a stainless steel cylinder in that. It adds a few ounces of weight over the titanium but it is proven durable. It is still a very light to carry six-round 44 magnum versus the five-round Model 69 that weighs about 34 ounces. Hope this solution helps out. It worked for me.

 

[delcrossv]

I switched to nylon brushes for my Ti cylinder guns. No issues with wear on the coating (yet).