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Old 02-15-2018, 06:58 PM
Pantera Mike Pantera Mike is offline
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Default Model 29-3 unlocking problem?

All,

I’m the original owner of a Model 29-3 purchased new in 1986. For about ten years it was perfectly reliable, but then a problem cropped up.

In a box of 50 rounds, 2-3 times the hammer would drop on an already-fired chamber. I had a friend fire it while I watched, and noticed that under recoil the cylinder would come unlocked, and due to the mismatch of weight between the full cartridges on the right side and empty ones on the left, the cylinder would rotate backwards. The gun would be cocked and the already-fired round would be presented for a second hammer strike.

I sent it back to S&W and they ‘repaired’ it at no cost. Since I got it back I probably only fired 150-200 rounds through it and it has been sitting mostly unused for 10-15 years.

Today I took it out again and fired a box of moderate-power loads (18 grains of 2400 behind a 240 grain SWC) and had it malfunction at least a half-dozen times in exactly the same manner.

What can be done apart from returning it to S&W again?
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