[Tijeras_Slim]

I think there's a QC problem. The barrel broke off inside the frame, right at the end of the threads.

[Eaker]

Those look busted.

Of course I ain't no expert.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Wow. I wonder if they could take some guns of that model and production run and magna-flux them to see if there are any cracks in the metal.

[Tarpon]

Umm ... that looks very much like a machining problem. Either too deep of a thread cut at the barrel mate point caused a weak spot, or the thread was cut short and required excessive torque to tighten it. My bet would be over torque, Smith and Wesson went away from the roll pin locating the barrel rotation some time ago. In any event, not good.

You have to wonder why the proof firings didn't show the problem, provided they did proof test the guns. My old smiths never seem to have problems of any sort.

[USMCVet]

Bad lot of stainless steel - brittle fracture at the first thread.

Whoever's in charge of metallurgy at Smith needs another job and S&W needs to recall every one of these pistols with these barrels.