Dings inside the frame?

A

AID_Admin

New member
I have my "new to me" Mod. 66 for about three weeks or so and it's been on the range five or six times. I put about 500 rounds through it, mostly 38 Specials, but also some 357 Magnums. It functions great!. I am also using a recommendation on taking it easy with cleaning, although I have to confess it's a hard task, because a part of me want to restore it to a shiny-new condition every time I'm done shooting :rolleyes:

Anyway, I have noticed that the inside of a frame developed some dings. I think there were a few when I got the gun, but there is definitely more now. Please take a look at the picture . There is a number of dings on the inside-top of the frame and a few around forcing cone. I even circled a few larger ones. Is this a normal development for a gun after such a low count of shots? Should I do something differently, or is this a normal part or "tear and wear"? Thank you.

inside_frame.jpg
 
I checked several S&W's including some with a pretty high round count, and don't see anything like that.

It sounds wild but it almost looks like blow holes from welding.

Ideas, anyone?

Jim
 
So, do you think they were there all along and I just did not notice them till today? Now I am not sure... Like I said: there were definitely a few of them when I received the gun initially, but somehow I feel like now there are more...
 
is there a raised edge on the edge of the dings? almost looks like you pushed to hard with the end of a cleaning rod/jag. or you somehow had something hard between the cylinder and frame when firing.


it doesnt look like the finish is scratched, otherwise id swear it was pitting on a stainless steel piece.

i have seen something similar on NIB revolvers at gun store a few times.
 
I doubt this is from cleaning and there is no raised edges. I am using standard Brownell's bronze brushes. I can't see how they can penetrate stainless steel. The only questionable matter here if all these dings were already there when I got the gun and I just did not notice how many there were... or if the number of them increased since I got the gun.

Here are some as-close-as-I-could-get under different lighting...

dings.jpg
 
Being as the pits have the same finish inside the pits as the frame in general, I say they were there when they left the factory. If you feel your revolver is about to explode, just ship it to me, along with 10,000 rounds of new ammunition, and I will TTD for you at no charge.
 
I've got to say that you take pretty darn good pictures!

My guess is that those marks were all there before you got the gun. Short of blowing a cylinder apart, they are located in a spot where NOTHING ever happens and nothing but the caretaker who scrubs the gun will ever get near. That area is not a working area where things happen. It's a bridge connecting parts. Certainly, there is a lot of -BLAST- going on all around and particles may be thrust upon it, but the pictures so terrific detail of what just seems to be random machining.

I don't see a threat or problem there.

I will agree that I am not familiar with those visible ridges inside the breech end of the bore. Without having that revolver in my own hands and seeing with my own eyeballs, I'm just not quite sure what I'm seeing -- but it doesn't look like what I'd expect to see. :confused: I'd like to see opinions of folks who have more experience with what you might see there.
 
Sevens, thanks for a reply and thank you for complementing my pictures. Believe it or not I am not even using a camera - they are taken with a basic Samsung Galaxy S phone. Which once again shows that it's not all about fancy equipment, it's about knowing how to use the tools at hand ;)

I have no idea about the ridges on the forcing cone (great, another thing to worry about!), but the gun seems to be pretty accurate. I was able to stay within 2.5in in a group of 5 from about 20-25FT on my last range trip. Considering that I am still new to revolver shooting, I think these results could not have been obtained if there was an issue with a gun.
 
Ok, would you, older members, just stop messing with a newbie? :D:D:D What gas cutting under the barrel? :D:D:D And I just spend last half an hour researching the "ridges on the forcing cone". Of course there are not ridges, they are machine marks that look like ridges because the picture is a lot larger then a real thing. Apparently they are perfectly normal in newer guns. There is a tread on it on S&W forum and even here, on this forum:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=464480
 
:p Yeah, the gas cutting is normal and will stop when you either stop shooting the revolver, or it snaps in half. KIDDING! It is normal, however.
 
Sevens, please be kind enough to inform our newbie that the gas cutting
can be slowed, even stopped, by placing a Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid over the cut.:)
 
Are you sure they are "dings" or just imperfections from casting?
Click to expand...

That's the thing: I thought they were dings, but now I am not sure. The consensus is that they are imperfections from casting. Since I took these pictures I put another 100 rounds of 38 Special and 50 rounds of 357 Magnum. I took a picture after cleaning and compared them. Looks about the same.

before_after.jpg
 
This is not something I'd give a second thought to. Although I agree the forcing cone is suspect.


Are you sure they are "dings" or just imperfections from casting?
Click to expand...
Seeing as how S&W's are forged I don't think it's from casting. ;)
 
S&W continues to maintain that those are forged frames, but sometimes the external finish CAN look very much like a casting.

AID,
You know you do tend to over think & over worry about your guns too much, this would be another one. :)
Denis
 
DPris, I wish my over thinking was limited to guns! But in general there is a good side of it: if I get into something I usually don't stop until I know almost everything there is to know about the subject. I think it's a good habit, but it misfires a lot in the process. Ops, did I say "misfires" :eek:
 
Take gun.
Take ammunition.
Shoot gun.
Have fun with gun.
Clean gun.
Put gun away till next time.
Don't worry about gun.

Sooooo many more important things to put your worries into. :)
Denis
 
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