The swing out release functions so so. Seems to take a little too much force and it seems to work better sometimes than others. I haven't had the side panel off yet. I hate to use those perfect little screws if un-necessary, but I suspect it may be something in there need a little work. What's the probable deal on this.

Thanks, Pete

It may just need a drop of oil in the yoke area.

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Dick

Sometimes when someone takes the two domed head screws out of the sideplate they switch them around and the cylinder will be a little stickey because the wrong screw is too long. You may try switching them and see what happens.

Dick
Thanks for the suggestion. I may need a little clarification on "yoke". Is that the part that carries the ejection rod? If so I have already cleaned it carefully an lubricated it with a little touch of kano, and it was actually in great shape when I got it 2 weeks ago. But it feels more like the problem is that the pusher pin doesn't quite get the holder pin all the way out of the frame, like a .001 lip is catching the center pin even when the thumb pusher is fully pushed. Once it slips free it is like silk, but there is a catch, sometimes not always. Sometime it just won't release and I cycle the cylinder and try again.
Thanks, Pete

Dave
Sorry, I posted before I read your post. Is it sticky like dragging and tight, or sticky like catching on a lip. And where does the long screw go.
Thanks, Pete

Also I re read my original post and it sounds like the too much force was pushing the cylinder, but it's actually too much force on the thumb release button.

One possibility is that the center pin may be just a tiny bit to short in the ejector rod. Another possibilty is that the ejector rod has unscrewed a bit. The third possibility is that the cylinder release isn't going fully forward or the bolt pin has become shortened somehow.

When this is the case you'll find that it takes a bit more force than normal to open the cylinder in spite of having pushed the release fully forward. For a really loose ejector rod, it can totally prevent opening the cylinder.

First, open the cylinder and puch the release fully forward and look at the pin in the center of the recoil shield. That pin should be perfectly level with the recoil shield or projecting just slightly. If it's recesses you have to open up hte sideplate and possibly replace the bolt. However it's also possible that some debris is deeping it from it's full travel. If the release pin is level with the recoil shield, proceed to checking the ejector rod and center pin for proper fit and function.

Open the cylinder to the point where the ejector is only about 1/8 inch from engaging the front lock. At this point the center pin is fully depressed by the recoil shield. Take a look at the center pin at the knurled end of the ejector rod. If the center pin isn't perfectly level, or sticking out slightly, there are 2 potential causes. One is that tolerance stackup has left the center pin just a bit short. The other cause is that the ejector rod has come unscrewed, which means that you should check to make sure that it's tight before doing anything else.

Note, some users have taken to using locktite on the ejector rod thread to keep them from shooting loose. Personally, I think that doing this is a VERY bad idea. The fact is these are very fine pitch threads and it can be challenging to get the threads started until you get a "feel" for it. Gumming up the threads with glue will just make feeling the starting point a lot more difficult. The fact is that when properly tightened, they won't shoot loose. Point is, what seems tight may in fact be gummed up with glue. To check it properly in the case of a gun purchased used, you'll have to break the Ejector rod loose and re-tighten it. On a gun that was purchased new, there isn't any need to bother because S&W does NOT used locktight on these threads. Now a warning, the model 10 spans the time period when both left and right hand threads were used. Before proceeding we will need the dash number and serial number starting letters/number to determine your guns date of production. Once that date is known, we'll be able to tell you if your gun uses a right or left hand thread on the ejector.

I would also recomend not unscrewing it completely if you feel it's been locktighted because it will most likely lead to your purchasing a new ejector rod and extractor star, plus the cost of having the extractor star timed your your gun. If it hasn't been locktighted, it will spin easily under light finger pressure, if it has been locktited you'll have to fight the drag of the glue all the way out. I'll also warn you it took me a good 40 minutes to get an ejector rod started properly the first time I took a cylinder apart, it is a definate "feel" thing to getting these threads started and they are easy to cross thread. So, don't take it apart unless you really need to. In addition, if it has been locktited, clean that glue off completely using MEK solvent on both the extractor and the threads on the ejector.

As for tightening, hold the cylinder with a firm "hankshake" grasp and use that hand as a slip clutch. Then fold a bit of worn out leather belt over the knurling on the ejector rod and grasp it with pliers. As for getting the thread started, I go in the reverse (loosen) direction while pushing in against the spring until I feel a very slight "click" as the threads drop into engagement, then it's easy to just spin it home between thumb and forefinger. If you feel it binding, you've got it cross threaded and need to start over, DO NOT FORCE IT.

I have a new 610-3 that had a tolerance stackup issue with the ejector assembly and the solution was to shorten the ejector rod by about 5/1000 inch. With the cylinder just slightly open, it was easy to see that the ejector rod created a slight rim around the center pin and made opening it a bit "notchy".

In my case I used a diamond lap and stopped filing it as soon as the cylinder released freely. Note, it didn't take much material removal to solve my issue, so proceed slowly if you suspect you have the same problem.

Thanks, it was the pin unscrewed solution. Guess the left hand threads threw me. Thanks again. Pete

That's the problem probably 90% of the time.

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Pisgah