Mating 3.5mm, 2.92mm, & SMA Connectors; Also 2.4mm to 1.85mm connectors
3.5mm & 2.92mm connectors always mate without damaging the other connector. A properly made new SMA will also mate with 2.92 & 3.5’s; however, a damaged sma connector, or a used sma connector that has a slightly bent pin, can destroy a 3.5 or 2.92 connector. With 3.5mm & 2.92mm connectors, the outer threads connect first before the center pin; with sma’s the center pin connects first, before the threads. If an sma pin is bent or off-center for any reason, as often occurs in normal usage, then the pin will make contact with the 3.5/2.92 BeCu female contacts, which are unsupported as an air dielectric is used; & the female contacts will be pushed out of place.
We routinely mate 3.5mm & 2.92mm connectors; but we always use a connector saver when mating sma’s to 3.5’s or 2.92’s. There's never a mechnical issue. One should be aware that mating parts of a same series will usually result in lower vswr; for example a mated 3.5 pair might have a vswr at 18ghz of 1.03:1 while an sma mated to a 3.5 might result in a 1.10 vswr.
2.4mm & 1.85mm connectors mate with no mechanical issues.