What could be causing this wear on the cylinder?

[mick53]

Hi,

I bought this revolver, a Taurus Mod. 689, today. I have not shot it yet.

I did notice the marks on the cylinder while I was examining it but thought, "Eh, it doesn't look too bad."

But I looked at the area under a lot of magnification tonight and now I'm concerned.

As I said, it doesn't look bad to the naked eye but seeing it under magnification has me worried.

The area is not rough to the touch. It looks and feels as if something just took the blue off somehow.

There are no similar marks anywhere else on the cylinder. They're only in that one spot.

As you can see by the photos, it looks horrible under magnification but the area looked "acceptable" to me without any magnification this afternoon.

What could cause this?

Do you think the chamber in question is not lining up with the forcing cone and spitting lead back?

And if misalignment with the forcing cone is the cause, why are those marks only in one spot? I would think it would be on all six chambers.

I'm confused.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Looks like discoloration due to chemical exposure to me, with perhaps a bit of rust starting too.

Id clean it up with oiled steel wool and touch up the bluing.

 

[mick53]

Looks like discoloration due to chemical exposure to me, with perhaps a bit of rust starting too.

Id clean it up with oiled steel wool and touch up the bluing.

I'll shoot it tomorrow and if it checks out okay and I'm not getting any lead spit back at me, I'll buy some bluing.

What is the best kind for this type of small job?

Thanks.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Regular old Birchwood Casey cold blue on a q-tip. Follow the directions and you can kinda "blend" it into the rest of the factory finish without stripping the entire cylinder by polishing with clean steel wool between blue applications. It wont be perfect, but will look alot better.

Finsh off with a light coat of metal protectant like CLP, Remoil, RIG, or silicone spray on all exposed steel parts to prevent corrosion in the future, of course.

BTW, thats a nice Taurus, made during their best era of quality, far better than the new ones.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

That isn't evidence of lead spitting, IMHO. That would show as a smear of metal on one side of the outside of the forcing cone.

 

[mick53]

Col., what is the cause then, do you suppose?

 

[Col. Harrumph]

Col., what is the cause then, do you suppose?

It's a guess, but I think Nightlord gave you good advice.

 

[beag_nut]

Looks like rust/corrosion from being stored in a leather holster.

 

[JeffG]

Looks like rust/corrosion from being stored in a leather holster.

Bingo.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

The great mystery. Had this with my LCR. Cylinder had this all the way around. Sent back to Ruger, happened again, sent back again. Finally on the third time, they stripped off all the coating and Blued it. Have not had any problems since and the blueing looks so much nicer.

 

[243winxb]

There are no similar marks anywhere else on the cylinder. They're only in that one spot.

Cylinder lockup can be checked with a rod the diamater of the bore. Check all 6 chambers. Gap between barrel and cylinder face should be around .004" to .009" (S&W). https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...s/range-rods/revolver-range-rods-prod655.aspx See instructions. "LEARN"

My 5 S&W revolvers all have the drag mark around the cylinder. Normal to me.