What are "two piece" barrels?
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patrick james
Member
I won't be buying any new Smiths but I like to know also.
Barrels made from two pieces.
Crazy K38
Member
cool I didn't know that
jed
Member
two piece barrels
Springfield manufactured some 1911 barrels that were two piece. This was a cost saving step. For this reason, I will not buy Springfield 1911s.
The two piece barrel is not obvious when looking at it.
jed
Springfield manufactured some 1911 barrels that were two piece. This was a cost saving step. For this reason, I will not buy Springfield 1911s.
The two piece barrel is not obvious when looking at it.
jed
Andy Griffith
Member
If you have ever looked at one of the Dan Wesson revolvers which had the interchangeable barrel system...
This accomplishes the same effect of being able to more easily assemble the revolver, but the drawback to the S&W system is the fact that it is non-user serviceable.
This accomplishes the same effect of being able to more easily assemble the revolver, but the drawback to the S&W system is the fact that it is non-user serviceable.
scooter123
Member
Dan Wesson revolvers were the first to use this type of contruction. However, they used a nut at the end of the barrel instead of a flange on the end of the barrel. With the Dan Wesson revolvers the procedure was to thread the barrel into the frame, set the Barrel/Cylinder gap using a gage provided, then place the shroud over the barrel, and then tighten the barrel nut at the end of the shroud using a special suppied wrench. There were several benefits to doing this. One is that it premitted the guns to have user interchangeable barrels, some kit were sold with 3 barrels of different lengths. Another benefit is that the B/C gap can be "tuned" for optimum accuracy, which was generally in the range of 0.003 inch and which did require cleaning of the front of the cylinder every 30 to 40 shots because with the gap that tight they would bind up. The final benefit was that the barrel is constrained from moving at both the frame and the front at the shroud. As a result of this, Dan Wesson revolvers basically dominatied Bullseye competitions for over 30 years, despite there being periods where the DW quality was so poor that they required "tuning" by an expert gunsmith right out of the box.
S&W has revised the process by replacingthe barrel nut at the end of the shroud with a flange that is part of the barrel. So, the B/C gap cannot be adjusted nor can the barrels be easily interchanged. However, these barrels are still supported at both ends and my experience with my 620 indicates that these guns can be shockingly accurate. Two weeks ago during a sighting in session, I finished by shooting a dime sized 3 shot group at 40 feet in single action off the bench. While that may have been a fluke, none of the groups I shot while setting the sights grouped larger than 3/4 inch.
So, any reports you see about poor accuracy with these guns is most likely due to the shooter, not the gun. However, there have been reports of some of these guns shooting the barrels loose. IMO, that is probably an issue mainly with the aluminum framed models because aluminum isn't quite as strong as steel, even if it is a scandium alloy. In addition, if it were a high incidence issue there is a very simple solution, that being the S&W go back to pinning the barrel into the frame.
Bottomline, I think that this is actually an improvment in how to build a revolver, not a defect. Back when the DW revolvers were being made I could never afford one. Now that I can afford a new gun I specifically chose the 620 over the 686 in large part because of the suspended barrel and it hasn't disappointed me a bit. Now if only I could shoot a cloverleaf in Double Action offhand. I know the gun can do it, now the rest is all up to me.
Added 7-2-2009 - a test chart for a Dan Wesson 360 revolver, NOTE THE TEST DISTANCE OF 100 YARDS. I should also note the 360 was an intermediate caliber between 357 Magnum and 357 Super Mag with a 1.41 inch case length developed for silhouette shooting that permitted heavier bullets than normal for the standard 357 Magnum. Which is why the chart shows bullet weights unfamiliar to most 357 Magnum shooters. If you extrapolate that 1.4 inch grouping down to the 25 yards we are used to, this means that a revolver developed for a suspended barrel is capable of shooting 0.30 inch groups. Think about that next time you hear someone deriding S&W's decision to start producing their own suspended barrel revolvers. I just wish they would go the full route and use a barrel nut like DW did so we could easily interchange the barrels. However, the DW revolvers do require a check of the B/C gap at every cleaning and a check for the barrel tightness, but the DW revolvers do have a reputation for shooting the barrels loose, so I really don't expect S&W to go in this direction. However, it would be nice to have a model 27 kit that offered a selection of 2, 4, 6, and 8 inch barrels that could easily swapped in the field.
Link to full article. http://www.lasc.us/RangingShotDanWesson360Revolver.htm
All Testing & Groups At 100 Yards
Powder Primer Bullet Velocity Group
18.0 Gr. H110 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. LH cast 1438 2.2"
18.5 Win 296 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. LH cast 1316 1.5"
16.4 Gr. H110 CCI Mag Pistol 200 Gr. LH cast 1249 1.9"
16.7 Gr. H10 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Speer Silh 1262 1.72"
18.5 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Speer Silh 1432 1.60"
18.3 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Nosler 1435 1.7"
18.8 Gr. 296 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Nosler 1316 2.2"
19.0 Gr. H110 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Sierra Silh 1385 2.2"
16.4 Gr. 296 Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. SAECO 1291 1.75"
15.9 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 250 Gr. SAECO 1336 1.7"
17.2 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 200 Gr. RCBS 1371 1.7"
19.7 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 200 Gr. RCBS 1433 2.2"
16.5 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. Speer Silh 1312 1.64"
20.6 Gr. H110 Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. XTP 1352 1.42"
21.0 Gr.Lil Gun Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. XTP 1317 1.4"
S&W has revised the process by replacingthe barrel nut at the end of the shroud with a flange that is part of the barrel. So, the B/C gap cannot be adjusted nor can the barrels be easily interchanged. However, these barrels are still supported at both ends and my experience with my 620 indicates that these guns can be shockingly accurate. Two weeks ago during a sighting in session, I finished by shooting a dime sized 3 shot group at 40 feet in single action off the bench. While that may have been a fluke, none of the groups I shot while setting the sights grouped larger than 3/4 inch.
So, any reports you see about poor accuracy with these guns is most likely due to the shooter, not the gun. However, there have been reports of some of these guns shooting the barrels loose. IMO, that is probably an issue mainly with the aluminum framed models because aluminum isn't quite as strong as steel, even if it is a scandium alloy. In addition, if it were a high incidence issue there is a very simple solution, that being the S&W go back to pinning the barrel into the frame.
Bottomline, I think that this is actually an improvment in how to build a revolver, not a defect. Back when the DW revolvers were being made I could never afford one. Now that I can afford a new gun I specifically chose the 620 over the 686 in large part because of the suspended barrel and it hasn't disappointed me a bit. Now if only I could shoot a cloverleaf in Double Action offhand. I know the gun can do it, now the rest is all up to me.
Added 7-2-2009 - a test chart for a Dan Wesson 360 revolver, NOTE THE TEST DISTANCE OF 100 YARDS. I should also note the 360 was an intermediate caliber between 357 Magnum and 357 Super Mag with a 1.41 inch case length developed for silhouette shooting that permitted heavier bullets than normal for the standard 357 Magnum. Which is why the chart shows bullet weights unfamiliar to most 357 Magnum shooters. If you extrapolate that 1.4 inch grouping down to the 25 yards we are used to, this means that a revolver developed for a suspended barrel is capable of shooting 0.30 inch groups. Think about that next time you hear someone deriding S&W's decision to start producing their own suspended barrel revolvers. I just wish they would go the full route and use a barrel nut like DW did so we could easily interchange the barrels. However, the DW revolvers do require a check of the B/C gap at every cleaning and a check for the barrel tightness, but the DW revolvers do have a reputation for shooting the barrels loose, so I really don't expect S&W to go in this direction. However, it would be nice to have a model 27 kit that offered a selection of 2, 4, 6, and 8 inch barrels that could easily swapped in the field.
Link to full article. http://www.lasc.us/RangingShotDanWesson360Revolver.htm
All Testing & Groups At 100 Yards
Powder Primer Bullet Velocity Group
18.0 Gr. H110 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. LH cast 1438 2.2"
18.5 Win 296 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. LH cast 1316 1.5"
16.4 Gr. H110 CCI Mag Pistol 200 Gr. LH cast 1249 1.9"
16.7 Gr. H10 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Speer Silh 1262 1.72"
18.5 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Speer Silh 1432 1.60"
18.3 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Nosler 1435 1.7"
18.8 Gr. 296 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Nosler 1316 2.2"
19.0 Gr. H110 Win Sm Rifle 180 Gr. Sierra Silh 1385 2.2"
16.4 Gr. 296 Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. SAECO 1291 1.75"
15.9 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 250 Gr. SAECO 1336 1.7"
17.2 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 200 Gr. RCBS 1371 1.7"
19.7 Gr. LGn Fed Mag Pistol 200 Gr. RCBS 1433 2.2"
16.5 Gr. H108 Win Sm Rifle 200 Gr. Speer Silh 1312 1.64"
20.6 Gr. H110 Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. XTP 1352 1.42"
21.0 Gr.Lil Gun Fed Mag Pistol 180 Gr. XTP 1317 1.4"
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