44 special in a 44 mag cylinder

[dalea]

Before people start to make fun of me I know a 44 special can be fired in a magnum cylinder. I do it all the time in my 629 mountain revolver. My question though is this. I know after much firing a revolver can suffer from "flame cutting" where the top strap is eroded in front of the cylinder. I think at least one company puts a groove in this location from the start.  Now can repeated use of specials in a mag chamber cause this same cutting on the walls of the cylinder? As in maybe pitting or such making magnum case extraction sticky.

[Hazcat]

Damn!  I wanted to make fun of you but that is a good question!








We have a couple of machinists and gunsmiths on here that should be able to answer you.  Tombogan comes to mind.

[ellis4538]

I'm not a GS or machinist but it is my understanding from a lot of reading that the only problem in shooting spl. in a mag. gun is lead and powder fouling at the mouth of the case that might keep mag. ammo from seating fully in the cylinder.  A good cleaning keeps this to a minimum and is recommended anyway.  I have not heard anyone say they encountered gas/flame cutting at that spot.  Others might have heard differently.

Richard

[PegLeg45]

I think the flame cutting and erosion of top straps was/is due to the path of least resistance being blocked by the top strap at or around a 90 degree angle to the blast gasses.
You don't get the same erosion in cylinder walls (presumably) because the blast gasses and particles flow forward/outward, unobstructed except for being blocked by the top strap.
It's not that it's not happening to the cylinder walls, it's just that it is so much slower.

Kind of like water erosion.
Point the open end of a pipe with flowing water toward a concrete surface at around 90 degrees. The concrete will erode much faster than the pipe will.

I may be off the mark here regarding the physics. Maybe someone more learned than I may be able to enlighten us more.

Just my theory, along with two somewhat shiny pennies.

 

[TAB]

no thats pretty much dead on.


Flame cutting is only a really a prob if your really pushing the envolpe load wise.   

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

Flame cuting only happens on magnums and super-magnums and it's on the bottom of the topstrap, not in the chambers.

[dalea]

Thanks everyone for the answers. This concerns me only because I have some serious and some stupid OCD's and this is one of them. As good and accurate as all the answers and explanations are, the thought would keep me up at night. It has for that matter. There is actually only one soulution. I like big caliber wheelguns. Especialy those that start with a 4. Can anyone suggest a S&W wheelgun in .44 special that is light and concealable? That might be my only hope. 

[MikeBjerum]

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=11101&langId=-1&productId=67971&tabselected=tech&isFirearm=Y&parent_category_rn=15705

Take a look at this one.  Not sure of the size.  I have a hammerless J frame that I love in my pocket, and I have a 625 that there is no way to carry or use concealed (big and honkin snagger of a hammer).  This one has a hammer, but is a lightweight frame and five shot that should make it smaller.

[tombogan03884]

I'm late but as was said, Lead and powder build up are a concern in the cylinder, if you fire .44 specials (or 38's in .357 Mag ) clean the chambers before loading magnums, Flame cutting will not occur becuase the gasses blow out the front of the chamber.

[jaybet]

Nanny, nanny, boo, boo!!!
Now that I've made fun of you I will send my 2 cents...with 357s firing 38s the only problem has been fouling in the chamber at the rim of the 38 cartrige. if it is allowed to build up it makes it very difficult to load and eject the 357s. Regular cleaning, with special attention to the "business end" of the chambers should keep it from being a problem.