Blown Primers Damaged My Revolver?

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Today I tried to shoot a box and about 30 rounds into the box my S&W .357 jammed. The firing pin was melted and fused to the primer.
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:eek: I had heard of worn firing pins or the frame bushing they pass through causing the primer to flow into the firing pin hole, but not that.

It turns out my ammo was not Winchester it was reloads. The primer melted my firing pin,
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That must be a seriously hot flame to melt steel.
 
While the 2 cases on the right definitely show signs of excessive pressure, the one on the left looks ok. What puzzles me is how your smith would know that they were handloads?

Is it possible given the amount of time span (5 Years) that (If) you roll your own you might have put your reloads in the Win box?? If not, make sure you document everything as far as date, time, copies of your receipt.
 
powell&hyde said:
While the 2 cases on the right definitely show signs of excessive pressure, the one on the left looks ok. What puzzles me is how your smith would know that they were handloads?

Is it possible given the amount of time span (5 Years) that (If) you roll your own you might have put your reloads in the Win box?? If not, make sure you document everything as far as date, time, copies of your receipt.
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as best I can recall, he said because 1) they didn't have any sealant around the primer (he showed me some rounds with red sealant) and 2) they were crimped and Winchester doesn't crimp.

It would be easier to explain if I knew anything much about ammo I think, but it must be apparent to you all that I don't really know that much......:rolleyes:
 
NCsmitty said:
It certainly looks like two of the three rounds have pierced primers and excessive pressure, but no reason to believe that they are reloads.
It looks to me like a QC issue with the Winchester ammo.
It's likely that your firing pin had the tip broken, as it would take a lot of pierced primers to erode or "melt" a firing pin.


NCsmitty
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what would break the tip of the firing pin?
 
what would it take to replace the firing pin? I'd rather not send it back to S&W if I don't have to.
 
newfalguy101 said:
Ammo purchased 5 years ago??


Nothing you CAN do except get on da innanet and post about your misfortune :uhoh:
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what bothers me is that I jumped to conclusions and badmouthed Sportsman Guide for selling me reloads instead of factory new ammo without really knowing what i was talking about...........
 
Wish I could figure out what’s going on. So far my possible choices are:

1) bad reloads
2) bad factory ammo
3) breech insert has a wide recess cut on it
4) firing pin protruding too much
5) none of the above

any votes on which of the above is the problem?
 
Rod, I don't see any primer crimp on these rounds. It is also unlikely that Winchester would have used primer sealant. I think your gunsmith is wrong when he says these are reloads.

Mizar I

s on to something in his post. Did you buy the gun new or used?
 
Rod, have you contacted Winchester with the lot number of the ammo to determine what may have happened? It could be:

- QC issues at the factory and that lot number was recalled
- Someone sold Sportsman Guide reloads packaged as factory rounds
- Perhaps you mixed up some "other" ammo and put it in the Winchester boxes (things happen over the years)

You could pull the remaining rounds down and weigh the powder charges for consistency. Good luck.
 
None of the above. Almost without exception, "pierced" primers are caused by failure of the firing pin to support the primer after ignition, with the result that the internal pressure blows back the hammer, then blows a disc out of the primer and into the firing pin hole, leaving a neat round hole in the primer.

I suspect you did some work on that gun in the way of backing out the strain screw, trimming down the mainspring (hammer spring), or lightening the hammer.

I also suspect the reason your gun won't fire is that a bunch of those little discs are jammed up in front of the hammer.

Jim
 
Rod, do you know of any reloaders near you? You can have them pull one of the unfired rounds apart. If there's soot on the inside of the case, they're definitely reloads. If not, it's unlikely they're reloads, although possible.

The outside of the cases does not show any visible signs of being reloaded, no sizing marks and no bullet stretch. Winchester does not put sealant on their primers, and they do crimp in the bullet, I don't know of any manufacturer of handgun rounds that doesn't use some type of crimp.
 
I think Mizar is on to it, the retainer bushing for the firing pin is not normal. It appears to have set back which would cause the the primer to flare out much like a rifle with headspace issues. I'm just going to hazard a guess that the bushing was not properly seated either at the factory or by a gun hacker. If you bought it new I'm sure S&W will take care of it. Those cartridges do not look like reloads to me. No variations in the reflection off the case showing that a die has ever been there, usually you can see a slight bend above the case web or tiny scratches in the nickel, I see none.

Good luck, I hope you resolve things.

P.S. Here's a recall notice just in case yours is one of these.
http://firearmsid.com/Recalls/FA_Recalls 5.htm
 
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I have seen the exact thing with the primer disks stuck in the firing pin hole a couple times. If you did not modify the revolver someone else may have done it before you got the revolver. Do you have a different "local" smith to take it to?? Not all smiths are complete experts with everything or every brand and your guy may be short in this matter. You may not want to take it apart yourself having stated your limited experience and an experienced smith would make short work of the job. One versed in the S&W K frame would know what the specs were to make sure it is returned to factory weight without need for the trip back to the factory. I also am thinking that the ammo may have been suspect as well so contact Winchester about it. I think that Jim K is on the money with the answer. Hope you can find someone local soon.
 
In 30 rounds? Ok, I doubt it, but maybe.
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Even the first leak can cause gas cutting.

Do it enough times and it just gets easier to see, but every one of the leaks can cause cutting.
 
S&W Primer Problem

Looking at the picture of the frame, it appears that the firing pin bushing is recessed below the recoil surface. If that is the case the primer does not have the support it should have and is letting the primers blow back out of the shell casing. Put a straight edge across the frame and you can tell if that is the case. Al
 
That bushing looks perfectly normal for the new Smiths. It looks like it should give problems, but it doesn't, or at least it hasn't on my guns.

Jim
 
IMtheNRA said:
Did you buy the gun new or used?
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i bought it new. And I never did anything with it except kept it loaded in a drawer for 5 years, then I ran a mix of ammo through it but not more than a few hundred rounds.
 
my invoice says S&W 686-6 purchased 7/23/05

I guess it is an L frame at that based on pics. here is mine , full view.
 

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Jim K said:
I suspect you did some work on that gun in the way of backing out the strain screw, trimming down the mainspring (hammer spring), or lightening the hammer.



Jim
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no I never did anything to the gun at all except fire it a few hundred times
 
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