.357 Magnum barrel cracks?

Coeloptera · 08-06-2007, 02:44 AM

I'm going to be picking up a Model 608 as soon as I find a nice deal on one in town (local gun show this weekend had way more knives than anything else), but a friend of mine, who has a lot of experience with firearms (CO in a local correctional facility) stated that a .357 Magnum revolver might be in danger of showing cracks in the barrel after you put a thousand rounds through it?

I've never heard of such a thing and I can't find anything online in reviews about this even potentially being a problem.

All I keep seeing is that a lot of shooters say the ported barrel reduces recoil phenomenally but that you will have to keep an eye out and pick the occasional bits of soft-metal jacket out of them every so. Oh, and the cylinder fit is very tight so it may seize if you don't clean it every 50 rounds or so until it wears in.

Anyone know anything about this? Or was he mistaken? I'll tell you, I like the S&W 686 but the 608 is cheaper and seems to be about equivalent in every way I can see (and chambers one more round).

- Coeloptera

DWARREN123 · 08-06-2007, 08:12 AM

Bad barrel or small bullets going super fast might damage a cheaper firearm but should have no problems with a quality firearm.
I do believe there were some problems with the barrels on a certain S&W run for correctional officers in a certain state but were corrected/repaired under warranty.

Coeloptera · 08-06-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWARREN123

I do believe there were some problems with the barrels on a certain S&W run for correctional officers in a certain state but were corrected/repaired under warranty.

Ah-ha...that might explain it. He mentioned it specifically as being a problem in a higher caliber firearm, but Taurus makes some extremely powerful wheelguns (I mean, the Raging Bull line chambers the .454 Casull) and I've never heard of any problems.

I'll go research S&W and see what I can find.

Thanks for the tip.

- Coeloptera

Cyrille · 08-06-2007, 03:36 PM

I recently put fifty rounds of .45 caliber LC ammo through a 460 S&W XVR 8 3/8 inch barrel loaded with 'cowboy' loads they were not maximum loads nor were they on the low end of the load scale.
Now as anyone who has read anything about the 460 knows the barrel has a 'gain twist.' To get to the point; I shoot the same loads out of my .45 Colt Ruger Vaqueros and have no leading problem. However I noticed a lead buildup on the venting port and the crown of the revolver. Could it be that the 'gain twist' of the XVR had sped the bullet up so much as to cause this leading at the exit point of the projectile?

Coeloptera · 08-06-2007, 04:46 PM

Well, the increased centrifugal forces encounted in a gain twist could potentially cause a round to begin flying apart before it exits the barrel. But I'd doubt that's exactly what's happening here.

My guess would be that the increased spin increases the friction between the round and the lands, leading to a buildup of particulate lead at the venting port faster than would otherwise be the case, since the escaping gases would likely clear the port normally with the .460 round, but the .45 produces a lot less gas pressure.

Again, this is just a guess, but you said you were using .45s in the .460. I'd imagine that the .460 round is designed to make sure the gases clear the port and the .45 less so. So maybe the .45 LC is too "weak" to properly clear the particulate lead out from a pistol designed to use a much stronger load.

Seems logical, anyway.

- Coeloptera

Triggerjerk · 08-06-2007, 05:39 PM

I have mentioned this on this site before, so excuse me to members who have read it. The dealers in my area do not stock Taurus products. They say that the autos are okay, but the revolvers are junk. (Three different dealers that I talked to.) What started the conversation was what I read on handgunreview.com. People like us can post reviews of handguns. The Taurus line sounded like there were QC problems. Kind of a "Hit or Miss" situation. Many complaints about Taurus Customer Service, too.

You may want to visit this site and give this some thought. One dealer who has gunsmithing facilities described to me shortcuts in Taurus internal parts compared to Smiths. Another dealer does carry new Taurus .38's because of the high price of Smith & Wesson snubbies. He does warn his customers that they have lifetime guarantees, and that they are responsible for dealing with Taurus. "Don't bring it back to me."

Calvin · 08-06-2007, 09:01 PM

I've got 7 Taurus .357's and have not had any problem with them at all. Not saying problems don't exist for Taurus, but I've been extremely hard on my twin 651's and have not had one single problem with them. Over 7,000 rounds apiece so far and still shooting great. They're my backups and off-duty carry weapons and I don't feel the least bit undergunned with them.
I've had two Smith .357's that gave me absolute fits all the time and had to send them back 3 times apiece. Never got the problem ironed out, so I sold them to a gunsmith. Figured he could maybe get something out of them.
Just my .02 worth here.....

Mooseman684 · 08-06-2007, 09:54 PM

I will state again for the record...Taurus internal parts and machining are the worst I have ever seen in a firearm. I've had Several New Titanium( REVOLVERS) in for repairs that locked up, and/ or the Internal pieces fell apart after less than 1 box of shells. Sights that fell off during normal shooting,loose pins...Never have heard of a barrel cracking yet, just frames cracking !
I still won't own one for my personal use or to rely on in a self defense Situation. Calvin, all I can say is you are a LUCKY Man !
Rich

Coeloptera · 08-06-2007, 10:12 PM

Well, checked the review site, and no one seems to have anything bad to say about Taurus revolvers. That's an important distinction, I think. Every review I find on the 608 sort of gushes about it. I'd imagine their machining for wheelguns might very well be a lot better than their semiautos, especially since they do manufacture the "Raging" line (Bull, Hornet, etc) and all the reviews on those are also glowing, 4 to 5 stars, consistently.

Anyone starting to think it's a line issue? Taurus does fine revolvers but cruddy semiautos? I don't want to purchase junk, but whenever I check their revolver reviews...no problems. Anyone find any bad reviews for their wheelguns? I'd appreciate seeing them if so.

- Coeloptera

ruger22com · 08-08-2007, 12:50 PM

My carry piece is a taurus 7 shot .357 with a 4" ported barrel...I love it and the only problem I have had is the cylinder getting kinda tight...but a good oiling with breakfree fixed that.
and I have put over 2,000 rounds through it with no barrel problems at all.

Coeloptera · 08-09-2007, 08:56 PM

See, that's perfect. I'm getting a ported 6". Placed my order yesterday. It may be too big for CCW, but I'll see. If not, something else then, here in NV your CCW counts towards 2 weapons.

One thing I noticed is the scope mount and I swear it looks like it secures itself through the vents at the top. Is that right?

Taurus International Manufacturing Inc

- Coeloptera

gandog56 · 08-14-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triggerjerk

I have mentioned this on this site before, so excuse me to members who have read it. The dealers in my area do not stock Taurus products. They say that the autos are okay, but the revolvers are junk

My twenty one year old Taurus model 66 revolver that still makes cloverleaf groups begs to differ. And I've heard the total opposite, the revolvers are ok, it's the autos that are junk.

Triggerjerk · 08-14-2007, 11:40 AM

I just went back to handgunreview . com to see if I was mixing alcohol with my meds when I read the Taurus reviews. Nope! Still there! First two revolver reviews were one star reviews. Other reviews talked about jamming and in one case, the cylinder hitting the forcing cone. Slides cracked on the autos. Poor customer service. All there. Some of the reviews were four or five star.

Read what Mooseman said about his experiences. I was checking out a Taurus .22 revolver and the action was "gummy" feeling. That's what made me go on line to look for reviews. (Bought a new Ruger Mk II for the same price.) At best, I feel that Taurus quality control is inconsistent. I'd buy a (new or used) Smith or Ruger before a Taurus. Only my opinion...not Gospel fact.

gandog56 · 09-04-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mooseman684

I will state again for the record...Taurus internal parts and machining are the worst I have ever seen in a firearm. I've had Several New Titanium( REVOLVERS) in for repairs that locked up, and/ or the Internal pieces fell apart after less than 1 box of shells. Sights that fell off during normal shooting,loose pins...Never have heard of a barrel cracking yet, just frames cracking !
I still won't own one for my personal use or to rely on in a self defense Situation. Calvin, all I can say is you are a LUCKY Man !
Rich

Funny, since my 21 year old model 66 .357 mag is still going strong and shoots just as accurately as the day I bought it, which is darned good. The only problem I had was after 19 years a spring wore out. I think it cost me more to ship it than the cost of the spring.

And I"ve run a few MEGAloads through her, too

Not too shoddy for a 21 year old Taurus, eh?

Coeloptera · 09-04-2007, 04:05 PM

Well, I'll know very soon. it should be in this week, sometime. I'll be putting a lot of loads through it in both .38 and .357 Magnum and I'll definitely be posting my opinion here.

I just get the impression they do good large-frame wheelguns. Semiautos, not so much. I'll also be specific on the types of ammo I'll be using.

- Coeloptera

SilverRun · 09-04-2007, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coeloptera

Well, I'll know very soon. it should be in this week, sometime. I'll be putting a lot of loads through it in both .38 and .357 Magnum and I'll definitely be posting my opinion here.
I just get the impression they do good large-frame wheelguns. Semiautos, not so much. I'll also be specific on the types of ammo I'll be using.
- Coeloptera

You shouldn't have any problems - I agree with your earlier satement that Taurus makes good revolvers and some bad pistols. I have had issues with a couple taurus pistols, but no problems with their revolvers. Unfortunaltley, I think you are going to find the 6" barrel to be too long for good CCW. I think you will have to buy a 4" or less for that - I know you hate to have to buy another gun!

Coeloptera · 09-10-2007, 11:33 AM

Well, it's arrived. BG check is in progress and I pick it up Wednesday.

One thing I did notice was how light it felt when I handled it. It's only 51 ounces unloaded. I'll be hitting the range the day after I pick it up (have to go very late in the day to get it) and I'll have a report by this weekend.

- Coeloptera

08-06-2007, 02:44 AM	#1
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	.357 Magnum barrel cracks? I'm going to be picking up a Model 608 as soon as I find a nice deal on one in town (local gun show this weekend had way more knives than anything else), but a friend of mine, who has a lot of experience with firearms (CO in a local correctional facility) stated that a .357 Magnum revolver might be in danger of showing cracks in the barrel after you put a thousand rounds through it? I've never heard of such a thing and I can't find anything online in reviews about this even potentially being a problem. All I keep seeing is that a lot of shooters say the ported barrel reduces recoil phenomenally but that you will have to keep an eye out and pick the occasional bits of soft-metal jacket out of them every so. Oh, and the cylinder fit is very tight so it may seize if you don't clean it every 50 rounds or so until it wears in. Anyone know anything about this? Or was he mistaken? I'll tell you, I like the S&W 686 but the 608 is cheaper and seems to be about equivalent in every way I can see (and chambers one more round). - Coeloptera

08-06-2007, 08:12 AM	#2
DWARREN123 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: BETWEEN TN & KY Posts: 748 Trader Rating: (0)	Bad barrel or small bullets going super fast might damage a cheaper firearm but should have no problems with a quality firearm. I do believe there were some problems with the barrels on a certain S&W run for correctional officers in a certain state but were corrected/repaired under warranty. __________________ Have a nice day!

08-06-2007, 05:39 PM	#6
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	I have mentioned this on this site before, so excuse me to members who have read it. The dealers in my area do not stock Taurus products. They say that the autos are okay, but the revolvers are junk. (Three different dealers that I talked to.) What started the conversation was what I read on handgunreview.com. People like us can post reviews of handguns. The Taurus line sounded like there were QC problems. Kind of a "Hit or Miss" situation. Many complaints about Taurus Customer Service, too. You may want to visit this site and give this some thought. One dealer who has gunsmithing facilities described to me shortcuts in Taurus internal parts compared to Smiths. Another dealer does carry new Taurus .38's because of the high price of Smith & Wesson snubbies. He does warn his customers that they have lifetime guarantees, and that they are responsible for dealing with Taurus. "Don't bring it back to me." __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

08-06-2007, 09:01 PM	#7
Calvin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 1,991 Trader Rating: (0)	I've got 7 Taurus .357's and have not had any problem with them at all. Not saying problems don't exist for Taurus, but I've been extremely hard on my twin 651's and have not had one single problem with them. Over 7,000 rounds apiece so far and still shooting great. They're my backups and off-duty carry weapons and I don't feel the least bit undergunned with them. I've had two Smith .357's that gave me absolute fits all the time and had to send them back 3 times apiece. Never got the problem ironed out, so I sold them to a gunsmith. Figured he could maybe get something out of them. Just my .02 worth here..... __________________ I've gone to look for myself. If I should return before I get back, please ask me to wait.

08-06-2007, 09:54 PM	#8
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,250 Trader Rating: (0)	I will state again for the record...Taurus internal parts and machining are the worst I have ever seen in a firearm. I've had Several New Titanium( REVOLVERS) in for repairs that locked up, and/ or the Internal pieces fell apart after less than 1 box of shells. Sights that fell off during normal shooting,loose pins...Never have heard of a barrel cracking yet, just frames cracking ! I still won't own one for my personal use or to rely on in a self defense Situation. Calvin, all I can say is you are a LUCKY Man ! Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM! Last edited by Mooseman684; 08-07-2007 at 01:38 AM.

08-06-2007, 03:36 PM	#4
Cyrille Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 1,737 Trader Rating: (0)	I recently put fifty rounds of .45 caliber LC ammo through a 460 S&W XVR 8 3/8 inch barrel loaded with 'cowboy' loads they were not maximum loads nor were they on the low end of the load scale. Now as anyone who has read anything about the 460 knows the barrel has a 'gain twist.' To get to the point; I shoot the same loads out of my .45 Colt Ruger Vaqueros and have no leading problem. However I noticed a lead buildup on the venting port and the crown of the revolver. Could it be that the 'gain twist' of the XVR had sped the bullet up so much as to cause this leading at the exit point of the projectile?

08-06-2007, 04:46 PM	#5
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	Well, the increased centrifugal forces encounted in a gain twist could potentially cause a round to begin flying apart before it exits the barrel. But I'd doubt that's exactly what's happening here. My guess would be that the increased spin increases the friction between the round and the lands, leading to a buildup of particulate lead at the venting port faster than would otherwise be the case, since the escaping gases would likely clear the port normally with the .460 round, but the .45 produces a lot less gas pressure. Again, this is just a guess, but you said you were using .45s in the .460. I'd imagine that the .460 round is designed to make sure the gases clear the port and the .45 less so. So maybe the .45 LC is too "weak" to properly clear the particulate lead out from a pistol designed to use a much stronger load. Seems logical, anyway. - Coeloptera

08-06-2007, 10:12 PM	#9
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	Well, checked the review site, and no one seems to have anything bad to say about Taurus revolvers. That's an important distinction, I think. Every review I find on the 608 sort of gushes about it. I'd imagine their machining for wheelguns might very well be a lot better than their semiautos, especially since they do manufacture the "Raging" line (Bull, Hornet, etc) and all the reviews on those are also glowing, 4 to 5 stars, consistently. Anyone starting to think it's a line issue? Taurus does fine revolvers but cruddy semiautos? I don't want to purchase junk, but whenever I check their revolver reviews...no problems. Anyone find any bad reviews for their wheelguns? I'd appreciate seeing them if so. - Coeloptera

08-08-2007, 12:50 PM	#10
ruger22com Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mobile Alabama Posts: 723 Trader Rating: (0)	My carry piece is a taurus 7 shot .357 with a 4" ported barrel...I love it and the only problem I have had is the cylinder getting kinda tight...but a good oiling with breakfree fixed that. and I have put over 2,000 rounds through it with no barrel problems at all. __________________ www.CheapGunParts.com http://ruger22.com/art/banners/tiny.gif Home of the "YELLOW JACKET" Bolt Buffer and Takedown Bolts! Free Shipping & Lifetime Warranty!

08-09-2007, 08:56 PM	#11
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	See, that's perfect. I'm getting a ported 6". Placed my order yesterday. It may be too big for CCW, but I'll see. If not, something else then, here in NV your CCW counts towards 2 weapons. One thing I noticed is the scope mount and I swear it looks like it secures itself through the vents at the top. Is that right? Taurus International Manufacturing Inc - Coeloptera

08-14-2007, 11:40 AM	#13
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	I just went back to handgunreview . com to see if I was mixing alcohol with my meds when I read the Taurus reviews. Nope! Still there! First two revolver reviews were one star reviews. Other reviews talked about jamming and in one case, the cylinder hitting the forcing cone. Slides cracked on the autos. Poor customer service. All there. Some of the reviews were four or five star. Read what Mooseman said about his experiences. I was checking out a Taurus .22 revolver and the action was "gummy" feeling. That's what made me go on line to look for reviews. (Bought a new Ruger Mk II for the same price.) At best, I feel that Taurus quality control is inconsistent. I'd buy a (new or used) Smith or Ruger before a Taurus. Only my opinion...not Gospel fact. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

09-04-2007, 04:05 PM	#15
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	Well, I'll know very soon. it should be in this week, sometime. I'll be putting a lot of loads through it in both .38 and .357 Magnum and I'll definitely be posting my opinion here. I just get the impression they do good large-frame wheelguns. Semiautos, not so much. I'll also be specific on the types of ammo I'll be using. - Coeloptera

09-10-2007, 11:33 AM	#17
Coeloptera Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,525 Trader Rating: (0)	Well, it's arrived. BG check is in progress and I pick it up Wednesday. One thing I did notice was how light it felt when I handled it. It's only 51 ounces unloaded. I'll be hitting the range the day after I pick it up (have to go very late in the day to get it) and I'll have a report by this weekend. - Coeloptera