360PD cylinder erosion?

[megatronrules]

Well I took my 360PD to the range tonight. Shot some 125gr magnums through it. Remington golden saber,speer gold dot and hornady critical defense. All 125gr bullets.

Well I get home and start to clean it and I notice what looks like the dreaded cylinder erosion. I bought the gun used but it wasn't like this before tonight,I shot maybe 50 rounds of the above mentioned ammo.

I've never cleaned the cylinder with anything abrasive and I've never shot any ammo other than 125-158gr stuff.

Does this look like cylinder erosion? Could this really have been caused by 50 rounds of ammo? If so is the gun safe to shoot? Is it like flame cutting where it only goes so far then stops? I plan on calling S&W tomorrow and seeing what their take is on this. Thanks for any help in the meantime. View attachment 233986

 

[sgt127]

It looks like lead spray. And, it also looks like erosion. It's really hard to tell on a 2 dimensional photo...

Can you run your fingernails into the blasted areas?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Looks like lead to me, too

 

[megatronrules]

Sgt127 yes if I run y fingernail over that area it feels like it's gouged into the metal.

 

[edwardware]

This is really kind of a trick question since you've provided a photo but no info on what happens when you scrub it. Erosion vs lead deposits are hard to differentiate in a picture. So. . .

SCRUB IT! Anything harder than lead and softer than steel; brass bristle brush, bore brush, or copper Chore Boy (my preferred), or even. Ten seconds later, you'll know for sure.

It would be rather embarrassing to mail a pistol to S&W for lead deposits, so you really should scrub it first to make sure.

 

[pezo]

If it's a stainless steel cylinder. Get a "lead away" cloth and clean it. That's leading. If it were me I'd just clean with a brush and make sure the cylinder isn't instructed with debris enough to cause any binding.

 

[megatronrules]

Hey guys thanks for the replies. I didn't try scrubbing it I kind of feel like a moran now. It's does feel like it's gouged into the metal though. I just can't believe if it is erosion that this could happen after 50 rounds of ammo.

I'll scrub and report back.

 

[sgt127]

Hold up, please.

That's a titanium cylinder. You are not supposed to really use anything aggressive to clean the cylinder face.
I seem to recall it has some kind of coating on it that's very thin. For now, just Break Free and a nylon brush or something.

If you bought it used, I wonder if the previous owner did an "extra good job" cleaning it before he sold it.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/149542-cleaning-titanium-cylinder.html

CAUTION:TITANIUM & SCANDIUM REVOLVERS The titanium cylinder used in your AirLite Ti and AirLite Sc revolvers weighs approximately 60% of what a similar stainless steel cylinderweighs and yet is able to withstand the same operating pressures.Care and cleaning of the revolver’s titanium cylinder consists of normal gun cleaning procedures using high quality gun oil and cleaning solvents when necessary.However, under NO circumstances should the cylinder’s chambers (charge holes) or front face be cleaned with an abrasive material such as sand paper, Scotch Brite™, Crocus Cloth, etc. To do so will disrupt it’s protective surface layer and greatly reduce the cylinder’s service life because of excessive erosion that will take place while firing and will void your revolver’s warranty.

 

[340PD]

Contact S&W and send them the pictures. Do not tell them that you are the second owner unless they ask. If my memoryu serves me correctly S&W did replace some Ti cylinders with steel replacements.

 

[243winxb]

See post number 8 Titanium alloy cylinder.

 

[beag_nut]

Whoa! That's the front of the cylinder, correct? And you fired jacketed bullets, correct? If so, it cannot be lead, and you should likely be receiving a new cylinder from S&W. I will be forwarding those pics to my BIL, who has the same revolver.

 

[Cannibul]

Lead would be raised above the face of the cylinder. Erosion would be below the face of the cylinder.

Be very careful what cleaning products you use on that titanium metal. Anything containing chlorine or fluorine will cause huge problems.

 

[JFrame]

Due to the vulnerabilities in the exotic metal S&W's (I have a 360PD and 337PD), I just use gun oil, a plastic jag, and cloth patches, do as decent a scrubbing as I can, and call it "good."

I once had the Clear Coat finish start peeling off on the muzzle of a S&W 317 kit gun (after firing maybe a couple hundred rounds). I sent it back to S&W for a re-coating, and got a tongue-lashing from the service rep for daring to use a little Hoppe's #9 (and we're talking a dab -- I don't soak my guns in the stuff).

After that, it was oil only for any gun not made of steel...

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