642 Problem

[flieger]

Optical illusion? Not this one...

I am told elsewhere and on this forum that what you see here is normal, or isn't "broke". I think otherwise. Three of the five lands are so shallow as to be considered smooth.

Retrieving a fired 148 Gr. HBWC confirmed this. Two grooves on one side of the bullet, and smooth the rest of the way around.

And the "crown" is the worst I have ever seen. Of course I have only been shooting for 40+ years so there may be worse ones out there. I just haven't seen them yet.

The piece will be going back to S&W for "evaluation". I sure hope they make it right. If I hadn't purchased it online, I would have rejected it out of hand.

Thanks for listening. Rant off.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

Mr. Flieger,

I didn't mean to imply this was "normal", just (possibly) an artifact of the two-piece barrel. I agree that the crown is certainly ugly, and I'll take your word for it on the depth of groove issue.

There are a lot of techniques S&W are using today that I feel take away from the quality that the name once stood for. In fact, I hadn't planned on buying an S&W with a lock, MIM parts, or two-piece barrel; Eventually my desire for a lightweight pocket revolver overrode my traditionalist side. I may still look around for an original 642 (sans lock); we'll see.

FWIW, it appears I'm wrong: I asked about the two-piece barrel over on the S&W forum and got a response that indicates S&W would have changed model numbers (from -2 to -3) had they changed from one piece to two.

So apparently they've just taken to making such ugly barrels we'll want them to go to two-piece...

I for one am very interested in what you hear (or get) back from S&W on this.

-- Sam

 

[sm]

I was not going to say anything about them newfangled guns, with some newfangled ideas about muzzles, quality control or nothing.
But I got elbowed by a lady, and if I don't post, she liable to elbow me again.

Old boy come out with some kinfolk, with one of them guns.
Now this old boy, can shoot. His idea of fun is to shoot one wing off a bumblebee just to watch it fly in circles...then crash land.

I heard 'em shooting, mosey-ed out, took note of the target.
He had a funny look on his face, "disgusted" if you will.

I look at the target and suggested he try a different brand of shotgun slugs...
"Now that target you <expletive> this one! <he points>
"That is the target I am talking about" I reply
"You <expletive> I am shooting a handgun, not a shotgun testing slugs!"

Kinfolk sent the gun it , got it sold when it comes back.
They run across a fellow needing a MasterBlaster 2000 , had a OLDer Model 36 he was needing to get rid of to get the money so they tossed $150 down and then eased out in a real darn hurry!

That 36 one puts all the same loads in the same spot every time.

Handguns are not supposed to "pattern" like that...

 

[Iggy]

Has S&W started using MIM barrels???