any advantage to a pinned barrel on a s&w revolver?
- Thread starter Fremmer
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None from functional standpoint, but the older guns were put together better. If you want to test this press cylinder of closed gun to the right looking from the front. In older guns there will be no movement between yoke and the frame not so in many newer guns where some movement is almost always present.
Vern Humphrey
Member
There is an advantage to the pinned barrel. The pinned barrel can be removed and replaced by a gunsmith. The non-pinned barrels are a crush fit in the frame and require special tooling to remove -- a cracked or worn-out forcing cone generally means the gun has to go back to the maker.
In addition, many crush-fit barrels have a slight but noticeable constriction under the threaded area, which has an adverse effect on accuracy.
In addition, many crush-fit barrels have a slight but noticeable constriction under the threaded area, which has an adverse effect on accuracy.
I liked the pin for as long as the pin was in place the barrel was not going to turn off.
Back in the 80's I was shooting at a local IPSC match and a Law Enforcement shooter talked about his recent service issue S&W M681, a fixed sight version of the new M686. This pistol had the crush fit barrel.
Apparently the barrel unscrewed itself. Must have lost the crush fit and could be removed by hand.
So the LEO decided to have fun with this.
He disassembled the pistol, put it in a paper bag, and took it to his unit armorer. He told the guy, “I was cleaning my pistol and can’t get it back together”.
While watching him put the cylinder, grips, on the table, the armorer started clucking like a hen. When he put the frame and seperate barrel on the table, the clucking changed to steam whistle noises!
Back in the 80's I was shooting at a local IPSC match and a Law Enforcement shooter talked about his recent service issue S&W M681, a fixed sight version of the new M686. This pistol had the crush fit barrel.
Apparently the barrel unscrewed itself. Must have lost the crush fit and could be removed by hand.
So the LEO decided to have fun with this.
He disassembled the pistol, put it in a paper bag, and took it to his unit armorer. He told the guy, “I was cleaning my pistol and can’t get it back together”.
While watching him put the cylinder, grips, on the table, the armorer started clucking like a hen. When he put the frame and seperate barrel on the table, the clucking changed to steam whistle noises!
ColtPythonElite
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X2 on the pinned barrel not turning... Recently, I had a unpinned barrel start to loosen. It took about 25k rounds to do it, though.
What makes S&W's "crush fit" barrels, and their loosening at times, so maddening, is that Colt, Ruger, and various rifle makers have used similar technology for years. I don't ever remember reading about a Colt barrel coming unscrewed from the frame.
The pin, after 1955, was pretty much extraneous. S&W changed the threading of the frame and barrel, making the revolver "crush fit" from that time forward. Ca. 1982, S&W discontinued the barrel pin. At the same time, they discontinued the recessed cylinder on center fire magnum calibers.
The pin, after 1955, was pretty much extraneous. S&W changed the threading of the frame and barrel, making the revolver "crush fit" from that time forward. Ca. 1982, S&W discontinued the barrel pin. At the same time, they discontinued the recessed cylinder on center fire magnum calibers.
ColtPythonElite
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Mine was a Colt...
bushmaster1313
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A pinned barrel and recessed cylinders will usually bring more $$$ when you go to sell it.
CajunBass
Member
The pin makes them look like a million bucks.
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