Ok boys and girls this is my first post although I've been a member for a short time. My question concerns a 66 no dash 2 1/2" I recently purchased. I didn't really look at much more than the no dash when I bought it and didn't notice that the barrel is noticeably canted toward the 11 oclock position from the drivers seat. As you probably realize by the "no dash" its a pinned barrel. I shoot it ok and I like the gun. I haven't talked to S&W yet but I'm pretty sure they would have to put a new barrel on it because if the old one was positioned correctly the pin hole would not line up with the frame. It does bother me now that I know its there but I'm not sure if its worth it to fix both cost wise and if it could devaluate the gun. What do you think?

Do the sights shoot to the POA, and where do you have to have the rear sight blade adjusted to? If the rear sight is still centered pretty well, and you are shooting to the POA, (I don't know how) it wouldn't be too bad. If you have the rear sight cranked all the way out t get POA and POI together then it needs fixed. I believe that the pin can be drifted out, the barrel positioned properly, (may require the shoulder having a little milled off) and the pin reinstalled. No one but you and the gunsmith would know it was re-drilled.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

The rear sight is positioned pretty far to the right in order to get the gun to shoot to point of aim. It would seem that the barrel would have to be rotated almost a whole turn. I'm not sure if,when the barrel is at 12 oclock that the pin hole through the barrel would be in line with the one through the frame. If it needed alittle taken off the shoulder of the barrel so it could screw in further wouldn't stock also have to be removed from the forcing cone? It might be more trouble than its worth. I wish I didn't see the thread about this occuring on other people's guns. Its hard to ignore it now. Thank you for youe help.

From your description, the barrel is turned too far into the fame by a few degrees. However, your description of the rear sight being adjusted full right to get hits on point of aim is strange. If the front sight is canted left, it should be the other way around.

The corrective action is to remove the barrel, clean and degrease the tenon and frame threads, and reinstall using Locktite thread sealant. This is the installation procedure for Airweight barrels and is used to prevent overtorquing of the barrel.

The barrel pin will fit back into place with no problems. Even if refitting the barrel shoulder is necessary, all that is needed is filing the pin groove a few thousandths wider before installing.

Contrary to common belief, the barrel groove is not a tight press fit for the barrel pin. It is large enough to actually allow the barrel to rotate several degrees, but still prevent the barrel from unscrewing from firing vibration.

If facing off the barrel shoulder is needed to refit, then yes, the forcing cone will also need to be recut as well as the barrel-to-cylinder gap.

JT,
Thanks I have lost track of this thread and just got back to it. I didn't realize that the hole for pin would allow for a few degrees rotation and still be able to be inserted.

Just sell it to me and then you want have to lose any sleep over it...