Trade Titanium for Scandium???

[branrot]

I've got a S&W Titanium 342ti. Excellent shape. Maybe 100 rounds throught it. I'm considering trading for a NIB S&W Scandium of the same type (the 340, I think). I spoke to a guy at the gun show who will take my gun and 200 bucks. I offered him my gun and 175, but he turned it down. Unfortunately, that was the only Scandium gun at the show.

My question is: politics aside, should I have given him the 200? Is the Scandium worth it? I know firing a .357 out of a 12 ounce gun won't be comfortable, but I'd like to have that option.

 

[M1911]

Well, more power to you. Personally, I don't see the reason. I find 158gr +P .38 Spcl out of my 15 oz 642 to be quite unpleasant. 10 rounds through it and I'm done with it. It seems to me that .357 out of a 12 oz gun would not only be painful, but your time for follow up shots would be very long. And would you really gain much, ballistically, given that short barrel?

It seems to me that all you'd be doing is converting dollars into recoil.

M1911

 

[bountyh]

"I know firing a .357 out of a 12 ounce gun won't be comfortable, but I'd like to have that option."

Then why do you want it? Any snubbie that weighs less than about 20 ounces is a bullet-puller for any cartridge weights above about 125 grain. If this is a carry gun, I recommend 115-grain 38 +p. Accuracy and reliability = protection.

 

[pocketman]

If it were me and I wanted it I would prolly do it.
Is it the PD series, black with the red site insert?.
If it is thats a nice package.

I have a 342ti* that is a great pocket gun, for the $200.00 you would flip for the scandium you could get some CTC laser grips, I have two pairs, one set is on my 342 and I love them. They are great for dry fire practice, and great for point shooting drills.
If you decide to keep your ti* and the $200.00 is burning your pocket I will sell you a new pair of laser J-frame grips for $160.00 delivered.

 

[cuerno de chivo]

If you really want .357 capability, it is. I'm satisfied with the lighter titanium .38s myself. Is the 340PD slightly lighter than the 340? The 342PD is over the 342.

 

[Robert the41MagFan]

Keep your S&W Titanium 342ti gun!

Robert

 

[Kermit]

Think diminishing returns. You saved a lot of weight when you got the ti gun. You aren't getting enough benefit by going from ti to scandium. Keep the ti!

 

[bfj2]

I hope I am not the only one asking this question. What is scandium?

I would keep the titanium because I bet it is the better gun but I would also save up the money and get the scandium because it would make a great addition to the collection.

John

 

[BigG]

Although I like the idea of lighter weight, the 357 Magnum is designed for long tubes. In my opinion, most of the extra oomph is consumed in report and impressive muzzle flash rather than increased velocity for the projectile. YMMV

 

[VictorLouis]

I can't help but wonder about that tiny steel insert just above the forcing cone to protect the alloy frame from blast/gas. How is it installed there? It just seems like something waiting for the opportunity to fail.

 

[Hawkman]

I already did it, just because I wanted the option of .357 mag.

Not that bad to shoot, but I gotta crimp my handloads better

 

[Robert the41MagFan]

bfj2,

Scandium is an element that is said to be the strongest material known to man (Why do we always here this stuff when it comes to new space age materials?). Scandium is extremely expensive to mine and cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000 (yes, three zero's!) an ounce. I flunked chemistry, but it is said that when mixed in trace amounts with Aluminum alloy, it strengthens the molecular structure of the alloy. In the application for the Scandium pistol, it is 2% of the total weight of the alloys used. Which by the way, I believe, is the minimum amount of mixture that allows S&W to call the frame material Scandium by "truth in advertising laws".

Marketing???

Robert

 

[Cheapo]

How much does the 642 weigh? I've fired Magnums through that, and it's all I think I can take.

And yes, I had solid hits all the way out to the indoor range's 50-foot maximum.

BUT, I really, really like 6. Anyone have experience with the Colt Magnum Carry? Weight? Accuracy? Anyone ever make a hammer shroud for it?

 

[pocketman]

I think the greatest weight savings between the ti* series and the PD/scandium guns are the grips, the uncle mikes boot grips weigh about 2-1/2 oz while the bantum grips on the ti*/scandium series weigh just under 1oz.

The scandium blended with the alloy S&W uses, makes the frames strong enough to handle the magnum power.

 

[VictorLouis]

The scandium blended with the alloy S&W uses, makes the frames strong enough to handle the magnum power.

I understand that, but I'll raise the issue once again. What about that little re-inforcement doo-hickey?

 

[M1911]

Cheapo said:

"How much does the 642 weigh? I've fired Magnums through that, and it's all I think I can take."

As shown on S&W web site, the 642 weighs 15 oz. And no, you didn't shoot Magnums through it because the 642 is only chambered for .38 Spcl. You wouldn't be able to close the cylinder if you tried to load it with .357 Magnums (they're longer than .38 Spcl).

But I agree with you, the 642 hurts more than enough for me -- I'm not interested in anything with more recoil than that.

M1911

 

[DCV]

the little thing might be the key to keep the barrel turning, i read that when you fire the gun it tightens the barrel. it may be the place where the barrel shroud wrench goes. you need a special tool to take off the shroud

 

[branrot]

I had a problem with my Titanium, which was fixed perfectly by S&W free of charge. Thus, I'm familiar with the problem.

The barrel goes inside the "barrelette", which is the piece of metal surrounding the barrel. The barrelette holds the front sight and the piece that surrounds the ejector. You then screw the barrel into the frame, and the tightened barrel holds the barrelette in place. As you shoot the gun, the bullets going through the rifled barrel have the effect of twisting the barrel tighter, thus keeping the barrel and barrelette tight.

On my gun, this didn't work in practice because they came slightly loose even after firing. However, since the gun went back to S&W, no problems.

 

[BigG]

VictorLouis, I'm going to take a stab at it, as OJ would say...

The little piece of steel is "J" shaped and the flat end has a slight "V" that fits into a corresponding "V" in the frame. The curve of the "J" fits between the barrel and the frame. I would guess it is spring steel and held by spring tension of the curve.

 

[db4]

Scandium is a rare light metal that, when added to aluminum alloys, does good things for the physical properties, increasing tensile strength, ductility and yield strength. S & W uses 2% because additions beyond that give no further benefit. The knowledge is not new; what is new is availabilty. The only commercial source is a mine in the Ukraine, so with the end of the Evil Empire, we can now buy usable amounts of the stuff. And yes, it's very expensive. The other major use is of the oxide as an optical coating, so that good 'scope might well have a microgram or two in it.

That steel piece is to prevent gas cutting of the aluminum alloy topstrap.