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fourarmed
10-01-2007, 03:17 PM
I was running some cast bullet loads through my wife's blue Detective Special and my nickel Chief's Special. The DS was outshooting my Chief's by a significant margin. I tried pushing a bullet into the chamber throats of the two cylinders, and it appears that the throats on the nickel Smith are at least .002" smaller than on the blue Colt. I got to wondering if the thickness of the nickel plating was responsible for that.

Anybody else have experience with the dimensions of nickel plated revolvers?
chunkum
10-01-2007, 04:45 PM
We have two blued S&W Centenial 38 specials. Both of them have undersized throats (about .355" as best I recall). Anything larger that above the crimp won't chamber. I realize your question was about nickel plated revolvers but these two are not so plated and still share the undersized throat you've described in yours.
Best Regards,
Chunkum
MT Gianni
10-01-2007, 06:28 PM
I shot a 592 PPC score (600 possible)with young eyes and a "pimp gun" nickel Model 19 4". That was in the late 80's and the gun was 6-8 years old then. I wish I had it back. Gianni
PatMarlin
10-01-2007, 08:24 PM
Is the nickle the same as an air weight? Mines a model 37. Accurate little snub nose.
S.R.Custom
10-02-2007, 01:30 AM
...Smith are at least .002" smaller than on the blue Colt. I got to wondering if the thickness of the nickel plating was responsible for that.

Not to any appreciable degree. The nickel plating is only 2 or 3 ten-thousandths of an inch thick.
fourarmed
10-02-2007, 01:00 PM
Last night I got out the pin gauges and checked the Chief's. (It's a M36 - steel frame, not an airweight.) All throats were .355" as Chunkum mentioned, so it appears that the nickel plating is not the problem. I honed them out to .357", and will shoot it again this weekend.

I have a 4" M19 that I shot also. I was shooting at a 50' indoor pistol target set at 33 yards, and I couldn't see any bullet holes. I finished shooting the 6 rounds and walked down to the target. All 6 were in the bull - one of those rare pleasant surprises. Now if I can just get the M36 to do that.