My 28 is not shooting good part 2

[Idaho Ron]

Last year I made a post about my model 28. I had to put it off for a year but I sent it back to S&W. I talked to them today. I am not going to remember everything but the forcing cone was eroded so they set the barrel back I think, and re-timed it,,, I can't remember. I wish I would have paid more attention. What I heard the best was it would only cost 95 dollars with shipping to fix. I was giving a CC number so fast I forgot what they said. I knew something wasn't right.. I am glad they will get Grandpa's 357 shooting again. The fella did say that they didn't have a new barrel for it. It sounds like they will do as much as they can.  Ron

[jro45]

I sent my 357 back to S&W and they charged way to much in my opion. You see it needed a new barrel The forcing cone had a large crack in it.  From now on I'll take to a gunsmith For a new barrel.

[Mikey]

Hey fellas - I've had two handguns go back to S&W for re-barrel and have never been happier with the results.  One was a M28 Highway Patrolman that cmae with a 6" bbl and the other was aM29-2 that came with the 6.5" bbl.  I got tired of long barrels after 20 yrs of having them wear a hole in my hip every time I went afield with them.  So, I sent'm back for re-barrel.

The M28 now wears a 3.5" M27 bbl and is blued to match.  It is one beauteous chunka blue steel in my book, favors cast 200 gn semi-wadcutters and goes with me for 50-60 yd shots when I hunt whitetail. 

The M29 now looks like a 4" Highway Patrolman.  I wanted the narrow, tapered barrel of the M21 but S&W said that would illegally change the caliber designation and the only other barrel that was narrow and tapered was for the M29 Mountain Gun.  They said they could install it, bead blast the whole revolver and blue it to match - it now wears a field perfect black matt finish (in my opinion).  This one prefers cast 295-300 gn semi-wadcutters and is more accurate that I am. 

I do not remember the cost but the service was well worth it.  If S&W tells you you have a cracked forcing cone and need the barrel replaced I would believe them.  If you think you can get a better job elsewhere for less but with the same quality workmanship and guarantees, go for it - but I really don't think you're gonna find it. 

If your forcing cone is cracked and you don't want it to happen again, have it relieved to 11 degrees - that helps greatly reduce the initial shock of the slug entering the rifling and allows the bullet to introduce itself on a truer course down the barrel, giving better accuracy.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Mohawk]

  WOW!! A cracked forcing cone on an N-frame........Them must have been some hot loads!!!!!!!!

[Mikey]

Mohawk - ya know, I wonder if some of the 27/28s didn't also suffer from the forcing cone failures that some of the 19s did when they started using the high speed jacketed bullets.  While it is true the N-frame is much beefier than the K-frame I wonder how much thicker the forcing cone areas may be with the larger revolvers, if at all, and whether they would not also suffer from the use of continued hot loadings.  I know the N-Frames will take the continuous use of the original factory loadings for the 357 in 158 gn weights but I wonder, on rare occasion, if they wouldn't suffer some of the same failures the K-Frame 357s did.  Just a thought.  Mikey.

[Mohawk]

 I agree Mikey. Those hot 125 grainers were hard on the k-frames. I have not personally seen an N-frame have many problems at all with the exception of it being damaged in some sort of accident such as the one I owned that was beat to death. And that one still worked great in single action!!! lol. It even ran factory loads well with the front ejector rod lock missing, I found out later. That was an original M28 no dash. But you're right, N-frame steel can erode just like K or L-frame steel. Good point. But man, they are great revolvers!

[Tom C.]

I have a Model 27-2 and the forcing cone is pretty massive, unlike the Model 19. I suspect that to get a forcing cone failure, you would have to aggravate the situation with cylinder misalignment, resulting in the bullets hitting the forcing cone off center.

My 27 is very accurate, has one of the best box stock triggers I have seen, but it is semi-retired. I now have a stainless 627PC. It has a 5” barrel compared to the 6” barrel of the 27 and is stainless. It is probably the best revolver I have seen. Seriously accurate. Terrific trigger. It is now my standard heavy .357.

[S.B.]

I think the problem with the 19s forcing cone was the flat ground on the bottom of the barrel for the crane to clear while opening or closing it?

[Mohawk]

  I hear ya' SB, but the three I saw were cracked at 3 o'clock or 10 o'clock. I often wondered the same thing about the crane clearance on the K's forcing cones. My best theory, and that is all it is, was that the designed was build to handle, basically swaged lead bullets as opposed to jacketed variety. A soft HOT 158 grain SWC at 1550fps might produce different characteristics than a 125 grain jacketed at 1450fps. The modern milder 158gr jacket bullets run aroung 1250fps, which the cone might be able to handle. Don't know but it makes you wonder.

[Tom C.]

Test your Model 28 when it comes back and report the results.

This weekend, I took my Model 27-2 out, along with two 627PCs, a 686SSR, a Ruger NMBH (.357), a 25-2 (.45 AR), and a 625JM (.45 AR) and the 27 out shot all of them (off a bench).