Cor-Bons in my 642 - Odd problem

M

marca

New member
Yesterday at the range I shot 2 cylinders of .38 spl Cor-Bon 110gr +P rounds in my S&W 642. After emptying the spent shells from the second set of 5 rounds I could not get my cylinder closed. Nothing seemed bent or out of whack, and I couldn't see anything that would prevent it from closing, but it simply would not close, as though there were parts rubbing together. I set the gun down and shot another gun for a while. I was eventually able to close the 642. It seems fine. The trigger pull is still OK and all of the cylinder aligns with the barrel. After my range session I asked one of the range staff to take a look at the gun and tell me what may have happened. He said it looked fine. So my question is, what could have happened to the gun. It's rated for +P. I only put 10 rounds of +P through it. Probably put 15 or 20 rounds of 130 gr FMJ through it prior to the Cor-Bons. Could heat expansion have been the culprit? I'm lost!
 
IMHO, I'd telephone Customer Service at Smith & Wesson, describe the problem to their technician, and get their advice. If they think there's a potential problem, they will ask you to ship the gun back to them for inspection. Remember that revolvers can also blow up if abused - the "Kb!" factor isn't just for pistols... Ask the experts, and let them decide - it's a lot safer that way!
 
Whenever I get a cylinder that won't close the first thing I look for is some spent powder granules under the extractor star. The tolerances are very tight and often that's all it takes to keep the cylinder from closing smoothly.
 
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