A sad day yesterday.

[Mag357]

It's been a while since I have posted I got in to casting two years ago and finally got a lode going for my 357mag Aster.
And so I was sighting it in for deer season and it jam on me the wheel still goes around like it should, fires like it should, but just won't open.
So I got home and 2 or 3 good wacks with a soft rubber screwdriver ( could not find the soft hammer) got it open and took a good look at it and the throat for the berrle was crack .
I have slug it and all my cambers are .356 and so is my barrel I have size my boolits down to .357.
any exclamation on to why this happened?
And it did not appear to have been out of tune.

[Mag357]

[Thin Man]

There could have been any of several reasons why this happened. At this point the cause is less important than the fact that you should not fire this revolver again until you have corrected the problem. If parts to make this repair (minimum a barrel, perhaps more?) are not available you should retire the firearm. Sorry for your bad luck.

[jaguarxk120]

Is it a "K" frame sizes revolver? The M19's were known for forcing cone wear with
short bullets loaded very hot.

[starnbar]

I have seen that 2 times before both were revolvers used for cadet training and had more rounds through them than S&W has made firearms since they started. I am talking close to 4,5 hundred thousand. S&W fixed them both we got em back and the only thing that wasn't replaced was the frame itself the only thing charged for was the shipping that was back in the day when makers stood behind the product

[Bookworm]

It's hard to decipher, but I think the OP has an Astra revolver. If so, good luck finding a replacement barrel.

The S&W K-frames have a history of cracking the barrels of the 357 Mag revolvers, most think it's a result of shooting the light (125gr) bullets at Magnum velocities.

S&W used to repair those revolvers, but many years ago ran out of replacement barrels.

[robg]

m19 split cone was caused by people shooting lead loads leaving lead on cone then shooting hot jacketed loads .

[Mag357]

I didn't know if it is a K frame or not it's a Astar
And yes I do agree with you Tin men it's a paperweight for now or maybe I can make a shadow box for it.

[303Guy]

I would never have suspected that such a thing could happen. I know what I would do with it. Something that rimes with light and plinking.

[lar45]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/871573096
Astra 357 barrel on GunBroker for $45

[sutherpride59]

Yup time for a new barrel and a competent Smith, I would suggest to take the time and find a barrel set up you really like. Like a slabbed Clark custom or any other number of match barrel manufactures out there.

[Mag357]

Thank you lar 45 been out on fires lately and could not look in to anything.
I am also thinking others barrels sutherpide 59.
Just got to find time now lol