Regulation Police problem

[PuertoRican]

1920 .32 Regulation Police - very, very hard to pull the hammer back in single action. Hammer moves freely about 1/2" then almost locks up. It'll go all the back but takes a lot of effort. Once set in single action everything works as it should. In double action, trigger pull not significant until that 1/2" is reached. At that point takes about 3 times as much effort to pull the trigger. Another situation that may be related or a different problem - at times the cylinder does not swing out easily & requires a hard push on the right side. This is infrequent unlike the hammer/trigger problem which is constant. Any thoughts, ideas or solutions will be greatly appreciated.

[DCWilson]

To take the easy possibilities first -- is the ejector rod screwed all the way in? And have you given the lockwork a good teardown cleaning?

If you are not comfortable taking the gun apart to cleean it, just soak the interior in Kroil or CLP overnight, and blow it out with Dust-Off or some other canned air in the morning. Then repeat. Take the stocks off before you do this, and let the gun sit on something absorbent while the oil runs out of it.

If you don't mind taking it apart for cleaning, do so. And while the sideplate is off, cycle the action a few times and watch to see where the conflict might be.

One on the things that sounds like it might be wrong is a poorly fitting hand that is binding on the ratchet tooth as it turns the cylinder. A properly fitted hand should slide easily up and past the tooth as it rises and the cylinder turns. There are other possible explanations too, but that's the one that came to mind immediately.

But first oil it liberally, let it sit, blow it out, and repeat. Good luck.

[PuertoRican]

Originally Posted by DCWilson

To take the easy possibilities first -- is the ejector rod screwed all the way in? And have you given the lockwork a good teardown cleaning?

If you are not comfortable taking the gun apart to cleean it, just soak the interior in Kroil or CLP overnight, and blow it out with Dust-Off or some other canned air in the morning. Then repeat. Take the stocks off before you do this, and let the gun sit on something absorbent while the oil runs out of it.

If you don't mind taking it apart for cleaning, do so. And while the sideplate is off, cycle the action a few times and watch to see where the conflict might be.

One on the things that sounds like it might be wrong is a poorly fitting hand that is binding on the ratchet tooth as it turns the cylinder. A properly fitted hand should slide easily up and past the tooth as it rises and the cylinder turns. There are other possible explanations too, but that's the one that came to mind immediately.

But first oil it liberally, let it sit, blow it out, and repeat. Good luck.

David, not sure what you're calling a "hand". Give up trying to take off the side plate. Only screwdriver I have that comes close to fitting the screws isn't big enough to allow me to apply much effort to loosening the screws. Thanx for the prompt reply.

[Alk8944]

PR,

Before anything else check the strain screw and make sure it is tight. This is the screw on the front of the grip frame. I won't try to explain, just tighten if it is loose and let us know what happens.

[PuertoRican]

Originally Posted by Alk8944

PR,

Before anything else check the strain screw and make sure it is tight. This is the screw on the front of the grip frame. I won't try to explain, just tighten if it is loose and let us know what happens.

Alk, checked strain screw earlier. Seemed to be plenty tight. Got it soaked in Kroil right now per David's earlier instructions. Will re-check tightness tomorrow. Thanx.

Almost forgot. Since my first post on this, I dry fired it several times. Afterwards cyclinder would not swing out at all.

[handejector]

Ejector rod is loose.

[DCWilson]

Originally Posted by PuertoRican

David, not sure what you're calling a "hand". Give up trying to take off the side plate. Only screwdriver I have that comes close to fitting the screws isn't big enough to allow me to apply much effort to loosening the screws. Thanx for the prompt reply.

The hand is the little flat piece that moves up as you pull the trigger and whose tip protrudes through the recoil shield to contact the ratchet teeth on the back of the cylinder. At full width, the hand will bind against the frame as it is "pinched" between the rotating tooth on the left and the window in the recoil shield on the right. The left side of the top edge of the hand needs to be stoned slightly to allow the hand to complete its upward travel.

In this photo of a postwar .38 Regulation Police, the hand is the shiny straight vertical piece with a rounded foot that is pinned to the back of the trigger block. I'm not talking about the safety block, which is the thinner rounded-end piece that crosses the bottom of the hammer.

Alk 8944 made an excellent point about the strain screw. That's another thing to check.




ADDED: I see more posts appeared while I was preparing this one. I would agree with Lee that it sounds like a loose ejector rod. You should be able to tighten that with your finger tips even when the yoke is closed. This part had a right-hand thread at the time this gun was made, so tighten it in the intuitive way -- not the way you have to with the revolvers of modern manufacture.

[sheriffoconee]

BEFORE YOU TRY TO TIGHTEN THE EJECTOR ROD (or loosen it for that matter) put empty cases in the cylinder so you don't strain the pins that locate the ejector star....I strongly suspect a loose ejector rod as well....

[PuertoRican]

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Ejector rod was loose. Still soakin. Thanx, everyone. Specially David for continuing my education.