I’ve been looking at some of Smith’s Scandium frame revolvers and was wondering how well these hold up when chambered in a magnum cartridge: .357 or .44 ?
Yes they are a joy to carry and they do hold up well. I have a 340PD a 360PD and had a 4in 44 Mag . I have a few thousand rounds through the J frames, not all mag loads but very warm 38spc, and they look and lock up like new. The 44 I shot with hot special loads and so does my friend that now owns it and it is still tight.The main ingredient of these “scandium” framed revolvers is aluminum. They don’t hold up really well (particularly in the case of the 329 PD - .44 Mag). They were meant to carry more than shoot and they are a real pleasure to carry.
Yes they are a joy to carry and they do hold up well. I have a 340PD a 360PD and had a 4in 44 Mag . I have a few thousand rounds through the J frames, not all mag loads but very warm 38spc, and they look and lock up like new. The 44 I shot with hot special loads and so does my friend that now owns it and it is still tight.
Yep meant to be carried and if you intend to be proficient shot a lot. Just because they are chambered for magnum rounds doesn't mean you are required to use them all the time. I have no problems with mags in the J frames but the .44 is brutal with mags but a joy to shoot with hot special loads."Hot Special loads." Not hot Magnum loads. Again, they were meant to carry, not shoot a lot. But, if you are going to lean on any firearm to save your backside, you will want to be really intimate and competent with said firearm and with the loads you intend to use to save your bacon if need be, so that rules out the 329 PD for me. The 329 PD is notorious for frame stretch. Model 29s and 629s stretch from heavy use, so the aluminum doesn't really stand a chance. Just a reality. Great for carry, not guns you want to shoot a lot.
It is indeed an alloy and the amount of actual Scandium is relatively small. But as a Rare Earth Element, it's kind of cool and thus gets too billing. The alloy used is almost certainly Al20-Li20-Mg10-Sc20-Ti30 (Aluminium, Lithium, Magnesium, Scandium, Titanium) although it could contain even less Scandium. The Scandium is, in effect, a strengthener, especially in areas subject to heat stress, and an anti-brittleness agent. This alloy is essentially as strong as Titanium, but cheaper than pure Titanium.
In other words, it's plenty strong.
In fact, Cyberdine Systems is developing a number of key components for its Skynet defense system from this alloy...
S&W says they are Scandium Framed revolvers and then their description will say what the cylinder is made of. Some models use a stainless steel cylinder, some a carbon steel, and yet others use a titanium cylinder. There are no S&W revolvers with a scandium alloy cylinderCan anyone comment on LRDGCO's formula for the alloy S&W may be using in its Scandium line of revolvers? And is the cylinder a different alloy, as labnoti's post (#9) seems to suggest? Thanks.
S&W says they are Scandium Framed revolvers and then their description will say what the cylinder is made of. Some models use a stainless steel cylinder, some a carbon steel, and yet others use a titanium cylinder. There are no S&W revolvers with a scandium alloy cylinder
My understanding is that the alloy is like.2% scandium. That's all that is required to sufficiently strengthen the alloy
For more on Scandium Aluminum alloys: :https://aluminiuminsider.com/aluminium-scandium-alloys-future/