SW 340 PD - scratches on cylinder face?

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druryj

In Remembrance / Dec 27 2021
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The SW 340PD is a Scandium/Alloy framed J-Frame with a Titanium Cylinder. It is a .357 Magnum although only Chuck Norris and maybe The Incredible Hulk can fire more than a few hot .357 rounds through it, and most people carry .38 spcl +p's in them anyway...(I would). I have shot it's sister gun, the 360 PD with full house magnum rounds, and it is quite the painful little fire-monster to shoot...so....it will be .38's only for me with this little thing.

This little revolver is ultra strong and ultra light, it only weighs like 11 ounces. The manual says don't use .357 mag ammo lighter than 120 gr 'cause the gases created by the faster, lighter weight magnum ammo can erode the face of the cylinder and also, don't use any kind of cleaner with an abrasive or ammonia in it as it can damage the cylinders protective coating.

It was dirty when I got it, and after a thorough cleaning using just Breakfree CLP and a soft toothbrush, I discovered these tiny scratches on the muzzle end of two of the five cylinder holes. I didn't use anything to try to remove the carbon, no picks, no scraping with a screw driver tip, nothing. Nothing touched the gun except my fingers, a soft brush, and an old cotton rag.

So what do you guys think? Is this bad? Is it safe to shoot this gun? The scratches are tiny, and they are only around two of the five holes...is this erosion, or do you think it's just scratches on the finish?


340pd 1.jpg
340pd 2.jpg
 

dlbleak

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Can’t really tell from the pics but has the ejector rod backed out. I believe that one would be reverse thread. Also looks a little like lead spatter.
 

druryj

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No, ejector rod is as it should be. Rounds slide in and out easily. I'm a little concerned about the cylinder gap, the spacing now, am I gonna blow my dang hand off if I shoot this thing?
 

Mack45

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From what I can see, it does look like some erosion. With the cylinder being made of titanium, I wouldn’t worry about it blowing your hand off. Maybe allowing a little more than normal gas to escape and lend to erosion of the top strap above the forcing cone. I’d shoot it and keep an eye on the top strap.
 

Shadowrider

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No you're not going to blow up. And keep cleaning it just like you did. This is why they tell you to not scratch the cylinder face and not to shoot the light bullet screamers in it.

TI cylinder.jpeg


If it's truly eroded and not just lead splatter/buildup you might call S&W. I don't know if they'll warranty it, they may claim wrong ammunition and not cover it. TI cylinders in the 625s last thousands and thousands of rounds, so lower pressure .38s should be fine.
 

dennishoddy

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Check the gap between the cylinder face and the barrel on all cylinders. I’ve seen several including one of my S&W’s where some of the cylinders did not have the proper gap, but they were always adjacent to each other. It appears your cylinder has a skip between the two.
I believe it should be a .006 gap easily checked with a feeler gauge.
 

druryj

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Thanks Guys. I'm going to go shoot it the range Tuesday. I'll post back here how it went. Appreciate the feedback from you fellas.

If it gives me any crap, and S&W won't warranty it, I may just replace the cylinder with a stainless steel one. I'd end up with the equivalent of an M&P 340...still, a couple ounces lighter than the avg Airweight. We shall see.
 

druryj

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You been holding out on me, where did this come from?

Awww, it was gonna be a surprise for when we go shoot Tuesday. I just got worried after I cleaned it and discovered these marks. I'm throwing it in my range bag along with some .38 boolets now. I'm not worried anymore. It will be fine.
 

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