So, there's this freaky "Line" on the cylinder of my new S&W 638....Help!

[win308]

Call Smith & Wesson and they will email you a UPS overnight label. Print the label on your laser printer and then re box the gun and take to UPS. Smith will have it the next day. Send only the gun...no manuals, parts, etc. or you may not get those back.

 

[Eightball]

Send only the gun...no manuals, parts, etc. or you may not get those back.

So, should I mail it back in the blue box (inside of another cardboard box) as it says in the manual, or...? And, if they email me a UPS label, does that allow me to drop off the box at the local UPS store, or do I have to drive to the major UPS hub at the airport near here?

 

[win308]

Blue plastic box inside another box is fine.

However, I have sent a couple off to S&W and put them wrapped in a small towel in a old card board box. They come back from Smith in a new card board box meant for a hand gun .....with foam lining. Nice second box, even if cardboard, actually.

 

[S&Wfan]

Wow!

Thank goodness for the internet! You guys just saved this fellow a possible catastrophe!

T.

 

[model of 1905]

Im just glad the OP

1. saw the crack

2. Posted pics and asked questions.

Good work.

 

[Master Blaster]

They are going to polish and re-beadblast it, I have never ssen a crack that you can put a machinist square against because it is perfectly straight.

If it was a stress crack from firing, it would be propagating from the inside.

But as other's have said its not worth taking a chance, best to send it back and S&W will take care of you.

As far as the turn line goes , I have a 642 with about 3000 rounds fired, its my dailiy carry gun and I practice about 50 rounds per month through it plus numerous dry fires. The cylinder has a beadblast finish. That finish shows scratches more than any other finish, the shiney drag line is normal for a beadblast cylinder, and appears rather quickly.

 

[JohnBT]

Interesting at 500% zoom.

 

[moooose102]

i have to agree with most of the guys here. with firearms, it is so much better to be safe than sorry. package that puppy up and send it back to S&W!

 

[BCRider]

Actually since the force from the round is trying to flex that part of the wall outwards the outside is exactly where a crack would first form.

My first thought was also "crack". Especially with the extension towards the hole on the end. However given the 500% enlargement it does look a shade more like a scrape. That doesn't explain why it extends around the end towards the center though.

But either way crack or scratch this is a new gun and the owner certainly deserves an unscratched and uncracked cylinder for something this new.

Also consider that even if it is just a tooling scratch the score mark is creating a stress riser point in the thinnest and most highly stressed point of the cylinder. If it's not a crack now it could easily soon turn into one.

 

[R.W.Dale]

They are going to polish and re-beadblast it, I have never ssen a crack that you can put a machinist square against because it is perfectly straight.

If it was a stress crack from firing, it would be propagating from the inside.

I have, again I work in the steel industry and I've seen such a delamination run straight and true down the edge of a 75 foot long plate. I'll wager that this particular part of the cylinder was machined out of the very edge of the blank. Much like a round wooden fence post that may have a little bark on one side


It's not really a crack it's a delamination or where the steel doesn't get fused during the rolling process, typically found on the surface or edges. When we find em at work we joke that it's a piece of a Dodge that couldn't fuse with the real steel.

 

[James T Thomas]

my responsibility

I would not fire that revolver either, but would return it to the factory!

This post has just reminded me how valuable the advice by Jim March is
on Revolver buying and checking.

I recently purchased a new one, and you know how you get overjoyed getting handed that new gun!

Instead of fondling it, I should have given it the IG inspection right there.
I did examine it, to my own credit, but upon retrospect, and this post,
I should have went over it in meticulous detail.

It is so disgusting to get a new one home, only to discover at the range, some problem.

 

[Eightball]

So I sent them an email over the weekend about this......should I wait until they send me an email back today, or call them right now before I go into work?

EDIT: Okay, called them at about 10:15AM, they said they'd email me a packing slip.....and it's still not in my inbox 15 minutes later; I'll check back at lunch.

EDIT II: Still nothing in my inbox, and when I call their customer support, all I get is their voicemail.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Hold on. You will get your email information that will tell you just what to do.

Believe me, I know. I went through this the end of October with a brand new revolver. My problem was the extractor rod was stripped and I could not reassemble it.

They had my gun a bit over 5 weeks. If you want any action/trigger smoothing done, now is the time to do it! While they have it, have S&W do any work you want done and you won't regret it!

 

[Eightball]

If you want any action/trigger smoothing done, now is the time to do it! While they have it, have S&W do any work you want done and you won't regret it!

The trigger seemed fine as it was, at least to me :/

Well, it's a good 10 hours later, and there's still nothing from S&W. I guess I'll call them again in the morning.

 

[average_shooter]

So I sent them an email over the weekend about this......should I wait until they send me an email back today, or call them right now before I go into work?

EDIT: Okay, called them at about 10:15AM, they said they'd email me a packing slip.....and it's still not in my inbox 15 minutes later; I'll check back at lunch.

EDIT II: Still nothing in my inbox, and when I call their customer support, all I get is their voicemail.

Well, it's a good 10 hours later, and there's still nothing from S&W.

Not trying to belittle you or insult your intelligence by any means, but be sure to check your spam box. I've made this mistake numerous times.

I've had similar things happen with firearms manufacturers; right when I was getting pretty upset about them not contacting me when they said they would I remembered to check my spam folder and that's where the message was, time-stamped when they said they sent it.

 

[MKEITH]

Krochus has it right, I'll bet.Work around steel long enough, and you can easily identify delamination. You are lucky it showed up as well as it did. I have seen parts go out to be sandblasted that you couldn't see anything wrong with, but when the sandblaster got hold of it,that steel will peel up like a bannana. Most times it goes deeper than just on the very surface also.

 

[Eightball]

Called them again this morning.....they said the email takes 48 hours, because it goes through UPS rather than straight to me. Seems kinda weird, but it kinda makes sense.

Ah well, now I wait.

 

[LTB15J]

relax, emails take time.

contrary to popular belief, the world does not run on the internet 24/7. there are other people that also need S&W's attention.. your revolver isnt the only one that has ever had a problem


if you think 10 hours for a packing slip is bad, you are going to have a helluva time waiting on that revolver to get back to you. if you smoke cigarettes i suggest you buy a few cartons

 

[Eightball]

This morning, the guy said the email takes 48 hours, because it's not a direct from Smith to me, but that it goes through UPS?

if you think 10 hours for a packing slip is bad, you are going to have a helluva time waiting on that revolver to get back to you. if you smoke cigarettes i suggest you buy a few cartons

I'm only in a major hurry to GET them the firearm--I go back to college on the 11th, and my folks can sign for the revolver when it returns home, but are completely in the dark about the "mailing" part of it.

And I don't smoke because of reasons exactly like this Well, I don't smoke cigarettes, anyhow...more of an occasional cigar or pipe, and this is not the occasion

 

[Eightball]

For anyone keeping up with the situation....called them just a second ago, got someone different on the phone. She looked up their records for Monday, and apparently the previous guy who was helping me said he would email me the label, but didn't even input my email address after I gave it to him :flames:. The guy said it could take 48 hours, since the email would come via UPS rather than from S&W directly, so I've been patiently waiting....for nothing.

So, the kind lady at S&W saw what was the matter, and quickly and courteously emailed me the label instantly (i.e. while I was on the phone with her); so, now I box it up and ship it off, probably later today.

Though, I do have a question......do I glue this label to the box, or tape it?

 

[FoMoGo]

2" wide clear tape.


Jim

 

[Eightball]

Well, it's in the mail; I'll update this when I know anything.

Thank you all for all of your help!

 

[BADUNAME37]

It will be BETTER THAN NEW!

 

[Eightball]

Alright, update:

The firearm arrived back at home this week; unfortunately, I'm at college out-of-state. My dad was able to sign for it, and he looked at the firearm, and said it looked like it should--that the line was gone. He also said there was a terse work order sheet that said that S&W replaced the cylinder completely.

So, it's back and ready.....but I'm not there. Ah well, it'll get picked up next time I head home, and it'll become my new "always" piece.

Thanks, all, for your help!

 

[BADUNAME37]

Like I said

It will be BETTER THAN NEW!

Good things come to those who wait!

Congratulations and enjoy that first cylinder-full for the Inspector!