Posted on 02/13/2005 5:08:03 PM PST by ladyrustic
I took my brother and his girlfriend (her first time, and she had a great time, and she's a lib, too) shooting today and as we finished up something weird happened with my S&W model 686 .357 mag pistol which I need advice/info about:
We were shooting it with 38 specials at first, then .357 mag rounds after that. When my son's last turn to shoot came, he went to load it with .357's and the cartridges would not fit all the way into the chamber anymore. They almost fit all the way but not quite-- about an eighth of an inch sticks out.
We wrapped up and came home, and when everyone left I cleaned the gun carefully, and examined it (everything looks fine), and tried again but the cartridges just won't fit (and I tried cartridges from 2 different makers.)! What could possibly have happened? Why can't I fit the 357 rounds all the way into my 357 pistol?
Ohhhh. Thanks, I didn't know that. Will do that next time.
Ok, you got me. I had to look up scarmabling and even though there's no such word google came up with some hits! Guess who? That's right, Free Republic was one and it's in the tag line of AirForce mom. I'm guessing that's where you saw it. Anyway, you've had me scarmabling all over the place to find out what the heck you're talking about! ;^)
"I didn't know that" You are not alone! ;)
At one time it was pretty much accepted that revolvers were more reliable and it was probably true.
Today, with a couple of caveats, I am not so sure. Sig's, Ruger P series, Browning HP, Beretta 92's, Later model Glocks, using high quality ammo are probably more reliable than revolvers. They are pretty darn close to 100% reliable.
There are a lot of things which can bind a revolver and when they do bind, they take a lot more to clear than removeing the mag and racking the slide.
Some things are: timing off, too narrow cylinder gap, bent crane (happens fairly often), empties caught under extractor star, sometimes on Smith's short shucking the action on DA can jam the action. There are probably a lot more that I haven't thought of.
Like I said tho, I like revolvers.
Sounds like it.
Lead and powder buildup in the cylinder. You didn't clean it very well. Get a brass brush and go to it. There's nothing wrong with the gun.
That is a very tough revolver(pistol is usually a reference to an autoloader)that is not at all ruined. As many have told you already, the chambers are fouled from the .38 SPL you shot in it first. It is very important to clean your chambers after shooting the shorter ammo before firing the .357 MAG ammo, as high pressure could result from the crud squeezing down on the case mouth holding the projectile too tightly. In the .454 Casull revolvers by Freedom Arms it is imperative to clean the chambers after using .45 Colt ammo before firing the full length .454 ammo through the gun. Even their fine and very strong revolvers could blow up if misused like that.
"Even their fine and very strong revolvers could blow up if misused like that."
Yikes, that is a scary thought. I'm going to buy a brass bore brush tomorrow. And I will never shoot both types of ammo again, unless I've first brushed out any build up.
Thanks!
Thank you all for your helpful replies.
Thank you for your efforts. I find that when I can take someone shooting, much of their anti-gun edge immediately disappears. It is a wonder how much myth and hype a little real world experience can dissolve.
As for the problem with the .38/357, as noted, it should be pretty easy to clean up. I shoot .38s in my .357 all the time and after cleaning them, with a little extra attention to the chambers, have no problem.
Attagirl. And...aren't gun threads fun?
I have the 454 Casull SRH which also shoots 45 Colts. I load mild to wild and never fire 45 Colts for this very reason. A hot 454 load being shot after 45 Colts are not unknown to blow up due to the pressures created between the longer case wall and the bathtub ring left by the shoter brass. I've never heard of a 357 blowup, but it is sure possible.
If regular brass brushes don't get it, try a Lewis (spelling?) Lead Remover. They are patches of brass screen that are forced down around a rubber mandrel. If there is still fouling this will get it.
If you want to continue to shoot lower powered rounds, save your .357 brass and handload them with a lighter load. Use a reputable reloading guide for a good recipe.
"I load mild to wild and never fire 45 Colts for this very reason."
Good policy. You can always load revolver ammo down in the full size case. A little charge of Bullseye under a cheap cast bullet can get a lot of shooting done real cheap.
"I've never heard of a 357 blowup, but it is sure possible."
Sure hate to be the first on record to blow up a nice L-Frame Smith like hers. I know it probably would not happen, but you can bet there is excessive pressure in those chambers. If that is one of those 7 shot models, the chamber walls would be even thinner. At the very least, when a gun explodes, it's destroyed. At worst, people get killed. A pretty serious consequence for negligence.
You have fouling as others have said.
You don't need a brass brush or a Lewis Lead Remover.
Cut about a 1" square from a new piece of Scotch-Brite (the green scratch pads sold in the Supermarket for scrubbing out pots & pans). Use this to clean the chambers by pushing it through with your cleaning rod. Solvent is a help here.
Next time, inspect the chambers and the bore by looking through them at a light or at a piece of paper held to catch the light. You will see whatever crud has been left behind by ineffective cleaning.
Many have given you the answer before me. Shoot the 3.57 mag rounds first, then switch over to the .38's. The powder residue will most definitely cause this.
As also noted, before shooting the 3.57 and after .38's, running a bore brush though the cylinder is an option as is a boresnake.
Also Remington blitz cloth will remover fouling including metal, quicker than just solvent and a patch. Don't use it on blueing tho as it will remove it if used very hard.
I hang my SS 686 on a clothes line to dry. I love the fresh smell of sun dried steel. I shoot hblwc's for fun. If you load them backwards you have the ultimate hollow point!
I used to have a 686 and shot lots of cheap 38 special rounds through it and never encountered this problem. Of course I was a fanatic about cleaning and would often stop and wipe the gun down during target practice. I found doing that gave me time to think about my target shooting.
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