S&W K-frame Longevity

[ezekiel38]

Wow, NewService, thanks for the inside story. Having been a LEO and carrying a Model 19 or 66 during the 70s, your post explains volumes. When my SO ok'ed 1911s in 83 I immediately switched to a Colt Gold Cup for uniform wear and a LW Commander for plainclothes work. Many problems existed with K frame 357s that were brushed aside by the repair section of Smith on duty guns.

I carried a 1911 or for a couple of years until 1993 a Smith Model 29-2 4" with the old Remington FN 1,ooofps load due to so much hassle with carrying Magnums in the K frames.

In 1993 transitioned to working for the State of Idaho and was issued a Model 19 2.5" with 38+P ammo. In 96 we transitioned to Glocks. I purchased the 19 when it was offered by the company who sold us the Glocks. Still have the 19.

[bushog]

I re-read the OP again.

I was wondering if there could be a number or percentage given for "common" in regard to the forcing cones cracking?

[bradshaw]

coltnewservice45.... somewhere I have a photo of Tom Ruger with his PPC revolver built by Ron Power on, I believe, a Speed-Six (don’t think it was the adjustable sight model). Of course, Ron Power attached a pullman axle barrel and one of his winged-rib sights. Ron Power counted the Security-Six a fine development, but one that would take work away from armourers. Following the memorial service for Bill Ruger, Jr.----approaching three years ago----I met Jerry Moran over at the Rody brothers gunshop down the street from the Newport factory. Moran has extolled for some time the incredible slickness of the Speed-Six issued to the Navy. Hardly reflexive in leveling praise, Jerry Moran---whose Pythons podiumed in PPC as well as IHMSA silhouette----got on the Speed-Six subject with the Rody brothers. Wjhereupon, one of em brought out a cutaway Speed-Six. At some point I’ll post pictures of that gun.

While not exactly common, it was not un-common to see the Security-Six at early IHMSA matches. The problem was recoil, not durability, as a competitor could take just so much sustained fire with full loads. The .357 had it’s hands full against the 55-pound ram set full-foot @ 200 meters. Never saw a problem with the gun. Excellent accuracy of the S&W Model 19----also in 6-inch----could not earn it tenure. This time it was not just the shooter’s hand which rebelled; to spit a gas ring fairly seized M-19 rotation. S&W service later counterbored the front of the cylinder to swage in a new gas ring. I saw more barrel tenons split----as you note most often @ 6 o’clock----on the Colt Python that other revolvers in silhouette, but Pythons were shot hard and continuous. Bruised hands retired the Security-Six from silhouette. Fragility of the M-19, coupled to bruised hands, retired the K-frame from silhouette.

S&W tuned a number of M-19 and M-66 .357’s for this shooter, and they have been great performers, albeit living well away from full house loads. As S&W hemorrhaged under Bangor-Punta, I came to see some frightful examples of revolver manufacture. L-frames with barrel cocked to one side, M-29’s spitting yoke pins, spitting hammer & trigger pins, frightful cylinder/barrel misalignment, et cetera. A vice president hired by Bangor-Punta from Sony waved a magazine article in front of my face as I described CYLINDER FLOAT, my term for unlocking disease of an M-29 under recoil. "Smith & Wesson is great!” he shouted. “It says it right here!” Lower-level managers ducked when he walked down the hall. I could detect in this fellow no knowledge of, let alone interest in, manufacturing. A few years down the road he turned up to testify against the product in a lawsuit.
David Bradshaw

[taffin]

COUGER--SECURITY-SIX WITH COLT PYTHON BARREL BY MILT MORRISON