Jerry Kiln
The problem with the K-frames was made worse
Friday, October 04, 2024, 09:26

by Smith & Wesson right at the same time in history that upper management decided to mandate training with .357 rather than .38Spl+P, which training was also rough on shooters in the lighter gun.

What S&W did at this time was briefly move the "gas ring"/cylinder bushing to the crane, which required them to cut away a lot more of the flat spot on barrel stub, where barrels immediately began cracking at low round counts. They ended up moving the gas ring back to cylinder but never stopped the cutting away of barrel, so the cracking continued.

Add to that the move from 158s with slower powder to wicked 125s with faster powder and you had a real problem.

Then at the intro of the L-frame, add to that a bunch of out-of-spec ammo supplied to assorted LE agencies with soft primers and primer sealant applied to bullets requiring over 350 lbs force just to pull a bullet on already hot 125s, with several agencies having primer flow tying up cylinders, S&W doing what seems a knee-jerk reaction to bad ammo by issuing a recall to install smaller diameter hammer noses and frame bushings in 1987, and it was a very messy time.

My no-dash/no-M-stamp(recall compliance) 681 works fine with in-spec ammo of either weight, and follow advice given since the magnum first came out, and test ammo for primer flow before carrying. I don't care for the wicked 125s as too limited to anti-personnel use, accelerated wear to throat/cone, and just plain wicked to shoot.