Abnormal Wear

M

marca

New member
I have a new S & W 642. I've put 110 rounds through it. I'm already noticing what appears to be abnormal(?) wear and tear as shown in accompanying photographs listed below:

Image 1 - http://www.funyet.com/images003/groove1.jpg

A fairly deep groove is appearing in the path of the latch that holds the chamber closed (don't know the technical name for this part).

Image 2 - http://www.funyet.com/images003/groove1.jpg

I notice that an abrasion is appearing all of the way around the chamber. It seems to be the result of the chamber rubbing against the pin/latch that holds the chamber in place each time it rotates (just above the trigger). Again, sorry that I don't know what the latch is called.

Is all of the above normal wear? All of my other guns are semi-autos, so I have no concept of what's considered normal for a revolver.

Thanks!
 
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Seems to be wearing a bit rapidly.

Stainless is relatively soft and the grove in the recoil plate is normal, yours is appearing sooner than normal tho.

The cylinder stop should be timed so that it doesn't touch the cylinder untill just before dropping into the notch in the cylinder.

Recent production stainless guns do often display what you have shown.

If under warrenty, try getting smith to do something about it.

Sam
 
OK, the first thing you mention (pictures), the ejector rod head rubbing against the recoil shield.

Some grooving is normal over time, but I'll agree with Sam, this is looking like it might be excessive for such a small number of rounds.

Is the gun hard to open with the thumb latch? Does it bind or grate when you push the cylinder out? That can be a sign of an ejector rod head that is too high.

The second thing you mention, the drag line around the cylinder, is completely and totally normal on a Smith & Wesson revolver, as it is with just about every revolver from every manufacturer, and isn't a warranty issue.

Sam -- timing the cylinder bolt so that it only releases when the cylinder is lined up is pretty much impossible due to its design.

Even my S&W's from the 1920s have a cylinder drag line, and they used a different cylinder bolt design.
 
I believe that your 642 has an alloy frame. I don't think that the photo indicates anything unusual at all. You have a steel center pin, under spring tension, bearing down on an anodized aluminum recoil shield. If the cylinder does seem a bit stiff in opening, you can have a smith cut a few coils off of that center pin spring for you.

Mike beat me to in on your cylinder's 'ringing'. Perfectly normal.
 
That wear mark on the recoil plate is perfectly normal. So is the line around the cylinder. Shoot the gun and enjoy it. You will probably have to have it tightened up after 25,000 rounds or so.;)
 
Sam -- timing the cylinder bolt so that it only releases when the cylinder is lined up is pretty much impossible due to its design.
Click to expand...

My "just before" was unclear. A quarter inch or so of light drag line prior to the notch is pretty good. Timing the latch is not impossible, very time consuming tho and often not worth the trouble.

Two of my very high round count smiths, a 19 and a 29 have very short tracks, and so light that they have not gone through the blueing. These are both 100,000 round guns.

Others of mine have nearly continuous tracks but have not worn through the blueing.

My point was that Marca's gun is showing abnormal amount of wear......especially considering the very low round count.

Sam
 
The properly operating S&W revolver will begin to withdraw the cylinder stop bolt immediately as the trigger is pulled.

When the trigger is through 1/8 to 1/4 of its normal travel, the cylinder stop bolt will drop below the level of the bottom strap.

By the time the trigger is through 1/3 to 1/2 of the normal pull range, the cylinder stop bolt will pop back up and drag on the cylinder body until it locks the cylinder.
 
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