Well sort of. We went out with a buddy and his brother who does not shoot a lot. He wanted to try the big 500 so I let him. He was so excited we filmed the shot. This was the first shot of the day with 1 round of Magtech 400 grain factory ammo. One shot and the barrel bulged and the finish cracked down the barrel on both sides. Sent it to S&W and they said "Nothing we can do , it is an ammo issue. Either a squib load or otherwise. Not our fault."
I explained that the shot was not a squib load and the weapon was totaly checked out the night before...nada. They will not hear of it. They want $357 (labore and parts) for a new barrel!

I am pissed!!! What would you do?

Call Magtech, tell them what SW said

I'm not trying to start an argument, but based on your description, it certainly sounds to me like there was some kind of obstruction in the barrel, which could have been a squib load bullet that didn't exit the barrel, dirt, a cleaning cloth, or even a dirt dabber nest. Personally I don't think a too hot load would do that type of damage to that area of the revolver unless there was something in the barrel.

I viewed the vid once...now it won't load anymore. I didn't see anyone saying OMG the gun broke, the barrel burst, etc. You must have seen some evidence immediately, no?

I know what mag tech will say it was a gun problem.

I know a fellow who blew up his model 29 smith final replaced it. He got the same andwser from smith and the same andswer from Winchester it was the other guys trouble.

Just don't take the frist no work on them a while.

I was not shooting the gun. The guy shooting it is not all that familiar with handguns so everything seemed ok. We did notice the bulge right after wards.
You can see it bulge in the video. Before /after.

Pay the money to have it fixed. Sell the gun. NEVER BUY ANOTHER S&@ OR ANY MAGTECH AMMO, EVER.

I have a memory, in some cases, like an elephant.
in about 1981 I bought the worst commercial ammo ever, Remington .44 Special. It cost 25 bucks for 20 rounds, in real dollars, that being 1981. Equals about 100 now. I shot that garbage. It was so slow you could see, it, the flash and bang so big it was absurd, and, at 7 yards, it wouldn't stay on a mansized target.

That is the LAST frigging dollar Remington ever got out of me, and, I'll go to HELL before they get another.

Vote with your dollars.

You could also hire an attorney. This is a classic case of a legal theory called Res Ipsa Loquitor. In other words, think: you went into surgery. You had 2 doctors working on you. When you wake up, you have a severe pain. An Xray shows a scalpel in your leg. You don't know which one, but, that doesn't mean the law will let them off the hook. Someone is going to pay...

quote:

Originally posted by GS:
Pay the money to have it fixed. Sell the gun. NEVER BUY ANOTHER S&@ OR ANY MAGTECH AMMO, EVER.

I have a memory, in some cases, like an elephant.
in about 1981 I bought the worst commercial ammo ever, Remington .44 Special. It cost 25 bucks for 20 rounds, in real dollars, that being 1981. Equals about 100 now. I shot that garbage. It was so slow you could see, it, the flash and bang so big it was absurd, and, at 7 yards, it wouldn't stay on a mansized target.

That is the LAST frigging dollar Remington ever got out of me, and, I'll go to HELL before they get another.

Vote with your dollars.

You could also hire an attorney. This is a classic case of a legal theory called Res Ipsa Loquitor. In other words, think: you went into surgery. You had 2 doctors working on you. When you wake up, you have a severe pain. An Xray shows a scalpel in your leg. You don't know which one, but, that doesn't mean the law will let them off the hook. Someone is going to pay...

The problem he'll have with a res ipsa claim is that the ammo and pistol were not under the exclusive control of their respective manufacturers up until the moment of the property damage. It could have been any number of user errors that caused the bulge. (I have no reason to disbelieve the thread starter, but it is technically possible that there was a barrel obstruction or that the ammo had been tampered with.)

Is the video working now? I couldn't get it to work earlier.

Look up the president of smith and wesson's name and send him a letter about your problem with customer service, include photos if at all possible.

I would call and ask to speek to someone in a higher position. Bottom line though is if you are using handloads there probably not going to be responsible and they worry about fixing something like that for free as if down the line you came back and said someone got hurt they by fixing it are admitting its there fault.

quote:

Originally posted by POP:
Well sort of. We went out with a buddy and his brother who does not shoot a lot. He wanted to try the big 500 so I let him. He was so excited we filmed the shot. This was the first shot of the day with 1 round of Magtech 400 grain factory ammo. One shot and the barrel bulged and the finish cracked down the barrel on both sides. Sent it to S&W and they said "Nothing we can do , it is an ammo issue. Either a squib load or otherwise. Not our fault."
I explained that the shot was not a squib load and the weapon was totaly checked out the night before...nada. They will not hear of it. They want $357 (labore and parts) for a new barrel!

I am pissed!!! What would you do?

The video won't play.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
I'm not trying to start an argument, but based on your description, it certainly sounds to me like there was some kind of obstruction in the barrel, which could have been a squib load bullet that didn't exit the barrel, dirt, a cleaning cloth, or even a dirt dabber nest. Personally I don't think a too hot load would do that type of damage to that area of the revolver unless there was something in the barrel.

I'm almost certain there was an obstruction in the barrel. Add oil in the barrel or unburned powder from the previous round shot to the list above.
More likely a hot load would have caused damage to the cylinder area of the revolver.

quote:

Originally posted by Barutmt:

quote:

Originally posted by GS:
Pay the money to have it fixed. Sell the gun. NEVER BUY ANOTHER S&@ OR ANY MAGTECH AMMO, EVER.

I have a memory, in some cases, like an elephant.
in about 1981 I bought the worst commercial ammo ever, Remington .44 Special. It cost 25 bucks for 20 rounds, in real dollars, that being 1981. Equals about 100 now. I shot that garbage. It was so slow you could see, it, the flash and bang so big it was absurd, and, at 7 yards, it wouldn't stay on a mansized target.

That is the LAST frigging dollar Remington ever got out of me, and, I'll go to HELL before they get another.

Vote with your dollars.

You could also hire an attorney. This is a classic case of a legal theory called Res Ipsa Loquitor. In other words, think: you went into surgery. You had 2 doctors working on you. When you wake up, you have a severe pain. An Xray shows a scalpel in your leg. You don't know which one, but, that doesn't mean the law will let them off the hook. Someone is going to pay...

The problem he'll have with a res ipsa claim is that the ammo and pistol were not under the exclusive control of their respective manufacturers up until the moment of the property damage. It could have been any number of user errors that caused the bulge. (I have no reason to disbelieve the thread starter, but it is technically possible that there was a barrel obstruction or that the ammo had been tampered with.)

Is the video working now? I couldn't get it to work earlier.

You are right. I stand corrected.

Again: Try going up the ladder, but, get the gun fixed, sell it, and never buy another. Also, keep pictures and, whenever possible, post them in gun related forums when S&@ wonderful customer support comes up.

I had a similar issue with a 360PD that 'autolocked' after about 150 rounds, and 3000 dry fires. I asked for a refund, and, never heard a word from them.

I decided to keep the gun, since it fits into a unique category, but, I'll never buy another S&@ unless I get a great deal on a 500 I can make into a short barreled carry gun, similar to a packing pistol.

I think it was the ammo. That big case, when used with the wrong powder, and not enough of it, can lead to explosive high pressure detonation, or double detonation. I'd pull the bullet on another round from the same batch, see how much powder is in the case, and, if they are using a small powder charge, it's possible they double charged a round. Either would have done in your gun.

All that said, look at the bright side: no one got hurt, the gun held together and didn't really blow up, and you all went home safe.

Will somone please explain to me why S&W should fix this gun free if indeed there was a barrel obstruction? I can certainly understand POP wanting to get it fixed free, but why are we assuming that it is someone else's fault ie. S&W or MagTech. I saw the video and it certainly looked like a squib load to me. Certainly not what I was expecting a MagTech load to be like. I always thought they were loaded up close to max.
Peter.

The gun was cleaned months before this happened and put in the safe. This was the first and only shot of the day. The bullet left the barrel. Unless something "crawled" in the barrel...........

I think we'd all appreciate a couple closeup pics of the damage.

Smith has the gun.....

Looks like I am going to get "it was the other guys fault : rtoutine. Oh well...break out the checkbook!

Sell it when it gets back, and get a .475 Linebaugh BFR. Couple hundred cheaper, if you don't mind SA's.

quote:

Originally posted by POP:
The gun was cleaned months before this happened and put in the safe. This was the first and only shot of the day. The bullet left the barrel. Unless something "crawled" in the barrel...........

Pop, did you verify trhe bbl. was clear of any obstruction before firing? it's amazing what I have found in bbl. of some of my guns. A spider once built a nest in my house gun I kept in a holster on the back of the nightstand. I now check my house gun once a month. You could have left a small piece of patch or somethin. Having a bbl. bulge like that is just odd. Were there any other shots fired before that? COuld have been a jacket stripped & left in the bbl?

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:

quote:

Originally posted by POP:
The gun was cleaned months before this happened and put in the safe. This was the first and only shot of the day. The bullet left the barrel. Unless something "crawled" in the barrel...........

Pop, did you verify trhe bbl. was clear of any obstruction before firing? it's amazing what I have found in bbl. of some of my guns. A spider once built a nest in my house gun I kept in a holster on the back of the nightstand. I now check my house gun once a month. You could have left a small piece of patch or somethin. Having a bbl. bulge like that is just odd. Were there any other shots fired before that? COuld have been a jacket stripped & left in the bbl?

No I did not verify. Just took it out of the safe put it in its case and let the kid fire it. I know there was nothing in the barrel from the cleaning for sure. This was the first shot of the day.
All I know is I am $375.00 poorer. Oh well!

I am afraid that I am as guilty as the next guy about taking a gun out of the safe taking it to the range and shooting it (without checking the barrel). I certainly plan on doing that in the future! I did run a patch through a rifle barrel once and no pacth came out at the other end. If I had not been certain, I would not have seen it in the barrel. It came out when I ran a brush through. Now, I am still uncertain about the cause of POP's mishap, but it doesn't hurt to check all the obvious things first. Having said that, I certainly do NOT check the barrel after every shot to make sure that no pieces of jacket were left in the barrel!
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
I'm not trying to start an argument, but based on your description, it certainly sounds to me like there was some kind of obstruction in the barrel, which could have been a squib load bullet that didn't exit the barrel, dirt, a cleaning cloth, or even a dirt dabber nest. Personally I don't think a too hot load would do that type of damage to that area of the revolver unless there was something in the barrel.

That's my take too. Something had to have been obstructing the barrel. What did the gunsmith say?

S&W maybe at fault here, maybe not, but I think their quality has slipped. I always assumed a revolver is ultimately the most reliable handgun type because you can just pull the trigger again. Then I purchased a recently made Mountain Gun in .44 Mag. I had a punctured primer and it locked it up big time. I took it to a local gunsmith and it took quite a while of alternately pushing a dowel rod down the barrel and against the case and working it forward with a screwdriver. Finally he got it to open. It took lots of Hoppes #9 to flush all the fouling out of the floating firing pin to get it to stay in the frame where it is supposed to stay. Bad primer? Too long or too sharp a firing pin? I don't know, but my faith was shaken and I got rid of it. If I get another Smith, it will be an older one with the firing pin on the hammer. I know I could've pulled it out of the primer myself right there in the field and not held suddenly useless hunk of metal in my hands.

Pop,
No scarcasm intended, but $357 is a small price to pay considering what might have happened to the shooter. Count your blessings.

Stepchild

Oh Absolutely, no doubt.

I hate playing this card... but have a lawyer write a letter asking for the gun back un-repaired, stating your intentions are to seek a remedy through the courts...

just see what happens. Best of luck

POP have you got the gun back yet? Did they comment at all?
Thanks, Peter.

Yup got it back 3 days ago. Looks brand new. No explanation other than the initial telephonic/verbal when they claimed that it was a squib load....which was NOT!

Obstructed barrel? maybe but for the life of me, I know I cleaned it and if something did get in the it must have happened while the gun was stored in my safe. Go figure. I would pay to find out what happened. Honestly I am so vexed by this I am actually afraid to shoot it as if it were haunted or something.

Still got the magtech ammo......

POP. did you ever contact Magtech? Send any back?
Peter.

Well I got the 500 back from SW after the barrel bulge. My 13 year old Stephan and I went to test fire it today. After a cleaning and checking the barrel for obstructions about 10 times (each of us) we fired it. Stephan is a bad ass. The kid shoots 454 casulls for fun, and he does it well!! Well all went well and he shot it a couple of times too.

The gun




Me shooting it.



Steph first time



All is well!


Steph 2nd time

POP, what loads were those? They seem reasonably mild. Were they reolads or (gulp) Magtech?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
POP, what loads were those? They seem reasonably mild. Were they reolads or (gulp) Magtech?
Peter.

Peter, consider the length of the barrel and the weight of the revolver and even hot loads don't move it that much.

I give Stephan credit for not only shooting that beast, but being able to lift it! You're teaching him right, POP!

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
POP, what loads were those? They seem reasonably mild. Were they reolads or (gulp) Magtech?
Peter.

The same full power factory magtech ammo that the barrel bulged with. 400 gr sp.

I guess there must have been an obstruction......

POP I think that was what I was getting at. I was trying to compare the recoil in the recent videos with the recoil in the pictures you posted earlier. Whitworth, you are correct about the barrel length and the weight of the gun, however I have seen videos of other 500's where the gun seemed to rise a lot more. Of course it is hard to compare with different grips, stances etc.
Peter.

Magtech Sport Ammunition 500 S&W Magnum:

400 Grain Semi-Jacketed Soft Point Box of 20.

Muzzle Velocity: 1608 fps; Muzzle Energy: 2297 ft. lbs

Geez! My 475 Linebaugh shoots a 400 grain at 1300 fps. That is a serious step up. Having said that, I am not sure that I need it! Maybe I am just getting old! Nice gun!
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:Geez! My 475 Linebaugh shoots a 400 grain at 1300 fps. That is a serious step up. Having said that, I am not sure that I need it! Maybe I am just getting old! Nice gun!
Peter.

That is the speed I can get with Lilgun and the 700 grain T-rex bullets from Alaska. That will wake you up!!!

quote:

Originally posted by POP:

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:Geez! My 475 Linebaugh shoots a 400 grain at 1300 fps. That is a serious step up. Having said that, I am not sure that I need it! Maybe I am just getting old! Nice gun!
Peter.

That is the speed I can get with Lilgun and the 700 grain T-rex bullets from Alaska. That will wake you up!!!

Ah, but herein lies the rub. Every .475 Linebaugh is a much smaller and lighter framed handgun then the X-frame Smith and the long-cylinder BFR. I have yet to meet a .500 Smith in an X-frame that beats me up as badly as my .475.