Random thoughts on various types of guns and shooting, primarily handguns, usually outdoors, in all kinds of weather. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays this shooter from the swift delivery of his pointed rounds (and wadcutters, too)." Other non-gun stuff will be added on occasion, when it suits my fancy.
Cracked forcing cone photos, for those who have never seen one...
The gun in question is a S&W model 19 .357 Magnum. No idea how many rounds were fired through it, or what types of rounds (.38s, heavy- or light-bullet magnums, etc.) they might have been. A friend bought it as a junker with the idea to re-barrel it someday, or have S&W do it for him.
At some point, the barrel cracked at the thinner bottom edge of the forcing cone. This thin spot is machined into the barrel to provide clearance for the cylinder crane/yoke.
It's not just a surface crack, as you can see in this photo:
And finally, a slight close-up to get a bit more detail:
You can see drag marks on the tip of one of the cracked edges where it began rubbing on the cylinder face and/or central shaft.
This type of damage was what inspired S&W and other manufacturers to make slightly beefier .357s, with larger frames that safely accepted larger holes in the front for larger barrel shanks which allowed for thicker forcing cones.
Anyone else have similar photos or experiences relating to cracked forcing cones? I'm all ears...
At some point, the barrel cracked at the thinner bottom edge of the forcing cone. This thin spot is machined into the barrel to provide clearance for the cylinder crane/yoke.
It's not just a surface crack, as you can see in this photo:
And finally, a slight close-up to get a bit more detail:
You can see drag marks on the tip of one of the cracked edges where it began rubbing on the cylinder face and/or central shaft.
This type of damage was what inspired S&W and other manufacturers to make slightly beefier .357s, with larger frames that safely accepted larger holes in the front for larger barrel shanks which allowed for thicker forcing cones.
Anyone else have similar photos or experiences relating to cracked forcing cones? I'm all ears...
Total Comments 4
Comments
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Looks like a KaBoom in that S&W's near futureIf I'm not mistaken, Smith & Wesson honors a lifetime warranty on all of their handguns.
They repaired that same piece of the barrel on my S&W Model 66 .357 Magnum. They also installed a new factory set of rubber grips when I mentioned to their representative that I thought the grips had worn a little smooth. IMHO - make a call...  |
Posted 03-19-2008 at 18:11 by pupcuss27
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I thought I'd heard there's a cut-off on that policy for older guns, but if so, I don't know what it is. How old is/was your M66?
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Posted 03-20-2008 at 01:26 by DJ Niner
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I was told the cut off was at Bangor Punta. I bought a used model 66 about 2 years ago that was a LE trade. The frame had cracked right in the area as the crack that you show on the barrel. Damn shame, pistol looked almost new. Lucky for me the dealer let me exchange it for another one.
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Posted 04-04-2008 at 18:03 by shadow_dog
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I have an S&W 19 that has a 2nd barrel in it. I have the original with an almost identical crack as yours. It took about 9K rounds of full power loads to crack it. I paid $75 to replace the barrel over 20 years ago and have since lightened my reloads and started shooting a lot of other guns, so it still is fine.
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Posted 12-21-2008 at 19:34 by Mikie
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Recent Blog Entries by DJ Niner
- Ricochet hazards (05-28-2008)
- Importance of ammunition inspection before use (04-05-2008)
- Cracked forcing cone photos, for those who have never seen one... (03-19-2008)
- Skygazing, with a high-tech twist (03-02-2008)
- .22 rimfire revolver speedloaders (02-23-2008)
