Flame-cutting on new 340SC - yikes!

[22luvr]

My Smith and Wesson 340SC .357 mag has flame-cutting scores around the front edge of the cylinder already. Folks, I've only put about 150 rounds of .38 spcl and .357 mag ammo through it, all of it 125 gr to 158 gr, as the owner's manual stipulates. Titanium may be tough but I've not seen a steel cylinder flame cut like mine. Mind you, it is visible with the naked eye and what's the gun going to look like when I get 500+ rounds through it? This piece didn't come cheap and I'm thoroughly disappointed in it's durability. I guess a call to Smith and Wesson is in order. I sure wish the handgun industry would subscribe to a "lemon" law similar to buying a new car. I'd drop this thing back on them like a hot rock. Anyone else having this problem?

 

[ChristopherG]

I'd like to know more about these marks. Can you describe them more fully or take a pic?
cg

 

[22luvr]

tough to take a picture of...

Looking at them under a large magnifying glass, they're small grooves or serrations that radiate out and away from the cylinder bores. I've owned several all-steel revolvers and have never seen this kind of erosion before. I'm fairly certain this is what is called "flame-cutting." What do you think?? At present, it does not present a problem but with repeated shooting, I'm concerned. Smith and Wesson treats the titanium cylinder with a "special" coating and the coating on the front of the cylinder face has obviously been eliminated with blast and heat.

 

[HSMITH]

Odds are very good that you have shot your gun more than most and S&W banked on that. For guys like you they will install a new cylinder every 3000-5000 or whatever rounds and the rest will live happily ever after.........

Some guns are meant to be shot a lot and carried little, some are the exact opposite.

 

[22luvr]

Hello Hsmith:

I bought the gun last November. 150 rounds since then is not exactly what I'd call shooting it apart.

 

[ChristopherG]

Here's a pic of mine. It, too has certainly been shot more than most scandiums; probably 1200 rds or so, I should guess. Does yours look significantly different (apart from all that lint!)?
cg

 

[ChristopherG]

Ah, yes, the pic. Here it is:

 

[22luvr]

Not exactly............

Mine has the same sooty discoloration that fans back from the front of the cylinder like yours but if mine were shown in a close-up photograph of about the same magnification, the ridges and furrows of flame-cutting fan out from all of the cylinder holes. I wish mine LOOKED more like yours! Other than my complaint here, the gun shoots just fine, has a great trigger, and oh, that light weight in the pocket.

 

[ChristopherG]

Hmm. How have you cleaned the cylinder? Any remote possiblity you've used something abrasive on the cylinder face and thus breached the coating on the titanium?

 

[FJC]

I recall reading that some of the earlier 340's did not have some treatment applied properly to the cylinder face, and that people were experiencing this - give S&W a call. If I'm remembering right they replaced the cylinders with properly treated ones and resolved the problems.

Try searching the older firingline forums, or the S&W forum (smith-wessonforum.com).

 

[Brad Johnson]

Make sure it's really flame-cutting and not lead spray. I had an SP101 that I was thoroughly convinced was having the same problem (it appeared to be cuts in a radial pattern around the cylinder mouth). It ended up being lead build-up. The best I can figure is that hot propellant gases were eroding the lead in the unprotected bullet base and spitting it out the cylinder/barrel gap. A little steel wool, some lead remover, and a little elbow grease took it right off.

Take the edge of a brass punch or brass-tipped screwdriver and try scraping at the ridges. If it's lead it will start to flake away.

Brad

 

[RON in PA]

This does not address your problem with the front of your revolver's cylinder, but I believe that "flame cutting" usually refers erosion of the top strap above the barrel-cylinder gap. I would call S&W and discuss your problem.

 

[Marko Kloos]

I'm fairly certain this is what is called "flame-cutting."

Flame-cutting refers to the hot gas emanating from the cylinder gap and cutting into the topstrap of the revolver, just above the cylinder gap. It'll progress to a certain point and then stop, since the hot gas basically surface-hardens the steel.

 

[22luvr]

I hope UR right !

Brad Johnson: I haven't had time to take a sample or inspect my "problem" beneath a powerful magnifying glass but you may be right. (sure hope so)

Leadslinger: What steel?? The frame is made of that thar scandium stuff. S&W has inserted a little blast deflector on the underside of the top strap which was probably a good idea.

I'll make a good inspection this afternoon when I get home from work and probably report back with a red face.

 

[Robert inOregon]

22luvr,

You used the wrong description of flame cutting in trying to explain your potential problem. Mr lendringser is only explaining what exactly flame cutting is. What you claim to be experiencing is called cylinder face erosion.

 

[22luvr]

Suspicions confirmed

I did a close scrutiny on the front of my 340SC's cylinder face using a very strong magnifying glass and a hardened steel probe. What I mistakenly labeled "flame-cutting" is actually "cylinder face erosion." There is no lead or by-products-of-combustion building up on the cylinder face. Those grooves and furrows that radiate out from the cylinder bores are indeed what I thought they were: they are cut into the metal material.

Again, it seems a little premature for that to happen after 100 rounds of 125 gr or 158 gr jacketed ammo, don't you think?

I guess a call to Smith and Wesson tech support is in order.

Thanks for all the assistance with this..................

 

[dude]

the S&W SC revolvers are NOT titanium

FWIW- my Taurus ti .357 617Tsnub (in the ever popular powder blue) has no problems with 'flame cutting' or any other erosion trouble after more than 1000 .357s & many more .38s

 

[Clemson]

dude:

The S&W SC revolvers have Titanium cylinders. They are lighter by a considerable percentage than the Taurus guns.

Clemson

 

[dude]

really......I did not know that. I 'asumed' the whole thing was SC.

I've got an idea! Just put a Taurus cyl on the S&W!!

 

[500swmag]

Actually Dude, taurus cylinders are effected the same as Smith Ti cylinders, they have a notice in their case that warns of using bullets lighter than 120 gr in a TT 357 magnum cylinder. If you do shoot, say 110gr bullets in either S&W or taurus, you WILL have ball end erosion. I tested two taurus guns with 110 gr mag loads and they both developed flame cutting erosion on the ballends of the cylinders.
BC

 

[22luvr]

Just got off the phone with S & W tech support.....

I explained my problem and they will send me a FedEx shipping label and they want me to send it to them for repairs. (I would assume the FedEx shipping label = free shipping (?) I'll let y'all know what transpires. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[ChristopherG]

Yes, the label means S&W is picking up the shipping, both ways; you'll get directions for how to have Fedex pick it up at your door, if you like. S&W will absolutely make it right for you (which means your invocation of the lemon law was a little premature, since that's designed for cases where the owner has tried to let the manufacturer fix the problem). Sorry to hear you had this problem--do let us know how it's resolved, okay? Thanks
Chris

 

[dude]

I don't shoot <120g .357mag rounds through my ti snub because Taurus says not to............nor has the guy with the 'flame cutting' problem who started this thread. My point was that my well used Taurus is not having any of the problems he was having with his S&W.