Funny noise coming from my S&W 629

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mcw3734

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I just purchased my first handgun, a 629-6 Mountain Gun. I bought it used off of a gun auction site from a seller that has thousands of positive sales. It was shipped to a LEO I work with and he said it looked good to him. When I got it home however on Saturday, I noticed something that’s making me a little uneasy… I can hear a little rattle inside the frame.

Its like there’s a little piece of metal sliding along something when I rock the revolver side to side or muzzle up and down. It sounds like it’s coming from the hammer/thumbpiece area. You wouldn’t notice it unless you where in a quiet room, but if you’re listening, it is certainly there. I showed it to a few folks I know who are familiar with handguns and they really didn’t know what to make of it. You can hear it whether the cylinder is in or out, the lock is engaged or not, and when fully cocked. It’s doesn’t sound like something is totally loose, because the way the noise is, it’s almost like it’s rhythmical, it’s very consistent in it’s pattern. If that makes any sense, kinda hard to describe. At any rate, I have not fired the gun yet. I’m thinking I’m going to take it to a Smith & Wesson dealer tomorrow after work and maybe they can tell me something.

Oh and another thing, and maybe related… the screw to the thumbpiece was slightly loose.

So besides telling me you should never buy a gun without seeing it in person (that’s not really going to help me now), anybody have any thoughts? Again, I’ve never owned one of these before so maybe it’s not big deal. Or maybe it is. What can guys tell me? Thanks.
 
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Did you take the side plate off and take a look? Did the seller give you an inspection period? If he did, you better hurry and find out whats wrong.

If you do take the side plate off and see something wrong, don't touch it. Take a picture of it and let the seller know right away. But it can't hurt to look.
 
I have not, don’t feel comfortable yet to start dissecting the gun. I’m pretty familiar with rifles and shotguns, but handguns are new to me. Plus I don’t have any ‘nice’ screwdrivers that would fit. But I could do that tomorrow. Is it as simple and undoing the 3 screws and looking in?

And no, there was no inspection period. Ya, bummer.
 
Normal...

If the gun is a little dry, it's probably just the hammer block moving. Perfectly normal.

Here's a link to an exploded view:
http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/sw_19.jpg

(I know it's for a M19, but it's pretty accurate for your 629 as well).

Look for part #5084

And, there's definitely a right and wrong way to remove the sideplate, if you absolutely must.

Good screwdrivers are necessary, and NEVER PRY ON THE SIDEPLATE.

Assuming an unloaded gun, with grips removed

After you have removed the screws, you can slide the yoke forward and remove the cylinder.

Then, holding the gun so that you have your fingers around the frame, and on the side plate, use a hammer or screwdriver HANDLE and rap the grip frame sharply, once or twice and the sideplate should "pop" loose.

Don't let it get away from you, the edges are precisely fitted and won't take any abuse.

If you really want to do any work on your S&W get this:
"The S&W Revolver: A Shop Manual" Book by Jerry Kuhnhausen - MidwayUSA

Good Luck, and like the doctors say, "First do no harm." ;D
 
Many times, this rattle is related to a little rod that's inside the trigger return spring.

Kind of like a trigger overtravel stop.

If it bugs you, take it out.
 
I don't see any problem, as stated the hammer safety block has a small amount of free play up and down when the hammer is at rest. Also the the trigger overtravel rod has some play inside of the trigger return spring on models equipped with them. It's usually a problem if they don't rattle a little. The cylinder release can work it's way loose, you can't really tighten them down too much as there isn't a lot of thread holding them, just keep a eye on it.
 
As others said; perfectly normal to hear a slight rattle.

As for the thumbpiece nut ( I know it looks kike a screw head but it is actually a nut ) They often loosen up with even a little bit of shooting. unscrew it and put a dab of fingernail polish on the threads then screw it back on. The nail polosh will act as a weak locktite and will still unscrew when you want it to.

CAVEAT : Use a properly fitting hollow ground screwdriver. Do not get a standard hardware store, wedge ground screwdriver anyway near a nice firearm.
 
sceva said:
unscrew it and put a dab of fingernail polish on the threads then screw it back on. The nail polosh will act as a weak locktite and will still unscrew when you want it to.
Click to expand...

Does it matter what color?
I like to accesorize properly. :D
 
Almost surely the hammer block. DO NOT take the gun apart until you have proper parallel-side screwdrivers that fit, know how to remove the sideplate, and know what to do once you've removed the sideplate. There are several ways to get the knowledge. The most accessible may be Kuhnhausen's book, but others may prefer a video (I think Jerry Miculek made one) or personal instruction.

So far, it sounds like there is nothing at all wrong with your revolver.
 
DO get Kuhnhausen's book. And a set of wooden handle screwdrivers...Midway has both. Best investment you can make right now.
 
Mystery Solved

So I went to the gun shop today after work to have them look at it. The first guy behind the counter wasn’t sure, so they summoned some guy from the back. When I told him the situation, he was polite in listening to all the details. But in the end he just gave me a slight smile and said “I know what that is”, and then picked up the gun and started rocking it. “Ya… I definitely know what that is”.

He went on to explain about the newer trigger stops, and that it’s a rod that just slides loose in there. He said they all make that noise and if I wanted, he could show me a similar model that makes the exact same noise. There’s nothing wrong with the gun, its just how they are now.

I’ve had several people here mention the hammer block and you know what, I can hear that thing too. It’s a much lower pitch noise, but I can hear it if it’s right up to my ear.

So I’m happy that there is nothing wrong with the gun, but I’ve got to admit, I’m surprised that this is normal. It’s my first and only handgun and part of the reason why I went with a S&W was because so many spoke of the quality of their firearms. So now I have a Smith & Wesson .44 mag that if you listen a bit, sounds broken. Huh… I don’t know… I’m almost a little disappointed. But, oh well.
 
MCW,
Don't be disappointed! You've bought youself a wonderful, high quality firearm that will give you, your children and their children a life time+ of faithful service.
 
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