New S&W M29 odd wear marks

[THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR]

I just returned from a range trip with my new model 29, and I've noticed some strange wear marks on the cylinder.







I've never seen this before, as I said the gun is brand new and the marks weren't there this morning when I left for the range. It's almost as if a screw for the rear sight is hitting the cylinder:



But the screw is quite secure. I was shooting American Eagle 240 grain hollow points and some 200 grain .44 specials, can't quite remember the brand.

The gun is crazy accurate, I was hitting an 8" steel plate at fifty yards with little trouble. I very much like this gun, but these marks worry me. Any advice? If I have to I will take it back to the gun shop where I bought it for service, but I'm about 150 miles away for the summer so I'd like to hear what you guys think before I head up there.

 

[rcmodel]

I believe it is just leading from the .44 Spl's splashing off the screw in the top strap and sticking to the cylinder.
Note the same leading on the top strap around the screw end.

It should clean off with a little powder solvent on a patch.
And maybe a little rubbing with a bronze bore brush.

rc

 

[Kp321]

There is not much clearance between the cylinder and the top strap and it looks like there is a small burr on the front sight screw that could be hitting. Take a fine file or stone and work on the burr. That is if it doesn't wipe off as rc suggested. Hope he is right, usually is.

 

[THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR]

Kp321, although it's hard to see in the picture that front sight screw is recessed into the frame, so I'm pretty sure it isn't actually hitting the cylinder unless recoil is somehow moving it out.

rcmodel, I take it that a bronze brush won't affect the bluing? I used a plastic brush to clean it earlier out of a fear of scratching it. I'll take another run at cleaning it tomorrow and let you know how it went.

 

[Jim K]

Maybe I am looking at the wrong things, but there are two different marks. One, the irregularly shaped "dots" toward the front of the cylinder, are simply lead wash; lead sprays out the barrel-cylinder gap, bounces off the top strap and ends up on the cylinder. It is very normal and easily cleaned off.

The other marks are scratches in the cylinder, seen in all but the last picture. It looks like the gun was laid down on a bench with sand on it, or put into a holster or case with sand or dirt in it that scratched the cylinder.

Jim

 

[murf]

make sure the ejector rod is tight.

murf

 

[Jim Watson]

Agree with Jim K, it is fouling left by the normal flow patterns of gas and crud across the cylinder gap. I saw a lot of it when I was shooting revolvers regularly.

 

[THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR]

Jim K, I believe those other scratches are just minor surface imperfections brought out by the camera flash. The bluing looks great in normal lighting conditions.

murf, the ejector rod is tight enough that I can't budge it by hand; I'm assuming it's still at factory specs.

Thanks everyone for the quick and helpful responses, this was my first time shooting jacket-less lead bullets in a blued revolver so I learned something today!

 

[Drail]

You should see the residue buildup that occurs if that screw is removed. I agree that it looks to be lead splash coming off the screw hole edges. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[ljnowell]

In that first picture it almost looks like there is some preening occurring on that cylinder.