Smith M&P 340 .357 Draws Blood--ON ME!

[birch]

Well, my family is going on a vacation into blackbear\cougar country, so I bought myself something light to pack around. I decided on this Scandium 340CT.

I bought a box of cheap PMC 158gr jacketed soft point to see how mid level 357 would feel in a 13 ounce gun. I fired the first two rounds and found the recoil very manageable. I decided to some serious technique control to see what the groups look like, and on the third shot I felt a sting on my left cheek.

I turned around and my buddy said I was bleeding. Indeed I was.

This is a second hand gun, but it does not appear to have any issues out of the ordinary. There is almost no endshake, and the timing is perfect. I did find some carbon buildup in the cylinder that looks like the previous owner fired only 38 special loads. However, the carbon came out easily and there was no "burn" in any of the cylinders.

I put on some more protection and fired 30 more rounds with no felt cylinder gap blow by. There is a bunch of unburnt powder after ejection, but no more jackets slicing through my face.

Any suggestions?

[birch]

198463

[Harry O]

When checking if a revolver is spitting sideways, I get some heavy paper (like kids construction paper) and hold it about 3" or 4" around the cylinder then pull the trigger. If it is spitting lead, you will see it very clearly as small holes in the paper. Lighter paper will blow out with just gas. Being too close to they cylinder will blow out with just gas. Have several pieces of paper and shoot several times. If it is spitting, send it back to S&W.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

What kind of target / backstop and how far?
Might have been splatter.
CF

[arlon]

Why I wear good eye protection if there is anyone shooting within 100yds of me. What kind of target were you shooting?

[tazman]

I had that happen with a brand new model 28 decades ago. I found out when my arm started bleeding from the brass splinter embedded in it. I was shooting during a pistol competition at the time during a rapid fire stage. The man shooting next to me got one of them also during the same cylinder full. Neither of us was happy.
The revolver went back to Smith and they fixed the problem. Turns out the forcing cone had not been properly cut.

[birch]

All of the cases looked perfect after firing. They were however hard to extract. I bumped the ejector about 1/4 inch and then had to pull each case out individually. I attribute this to a carbon ring where the previous owner fired 38 special rounds instead of full length 357 mag cases. Once I cleaned the cylinders with hoppes and a brass cleaning brush, I then fired 30 more and experienced no more difficult ejects. I would have taken pictures of the brass if they were bulged or blown out in any way, but there was nothing to show. I put a mic on the brass and they were all uniform--nothing unusual.

As far as ricochet--that is not a possibility. The backdrop at my rage is an 80 acre field of winter wheat with the only backdrop being a hill about 250 yards out. I cannot figure out how a piece of jacket or lead made it to my face except that I have felt powder/lead spit before on a Colt chambered in 32/20 with excessive end shake. There is no end shake on this fun. The forcing cone looks normal and is not cracked or oblong/deformed.

[birch]

Maybe Tasman is correct with a forcing cone issue? Not cut correctly?

[birch]

..Gentleman by the name "Dusty Bannister" pm'd me and we have been chatting back and forth. This is his informed opinion, and it makes perfect sense to me:


"I do not recall your mention of a carbon ring in the chamber in the OP. Perhaps it was scraped loose when you chambered a round and then when fired, it bounced back from the frame as it was blown from the cylinder. At least it was a relatively minor injury, but more than likely not due to a gun issue, and less likely now with more information, to be an ammo issue."

[birch]

I found another thread with the same problem. I think the carbon ring is the culprit. I suggest reading this thread. It is informative, but about 6 or 7 posts down, it gets REALLY funny!! ...almost crying funny. It has to do with the guys original title that he was "forced" to change.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-200121.html

[Dusty Bannister]

I think Harry O has a very good suggestion to verify that there is no spitting taking place. If after several rounds there are no holes in the paper, that should fairly well suggest it was an isolated instance, and while perhaps never known for certain, at least it will not likely happen again. Then proceed as indicated. Good luck. Dusty

[birch]

thanks for the input everyone. I will report back tomorrow.

[9.3X62AL]

Dusty's theory seems like a sound one to me, too. Annoyances like those described above due to carbon rings is why I have only fired full-length cases in revolver chambers for at least 15 years. Carbon & crud rings in a wheelgun........NO MAS!

[birch]

I got a bunch of protection on this morning and fired the last 15 factory loads and 30 rounds of my handloads with no spitting.

It seems that carbon was the culprit. NO BUENO!