Hello everyone - I posted this question at THR earlier and some of the folks over there suggested I bring it here since this place is full of S&W experts. This is a gun I just purchased through Gunbroker, so I didn't have a chance to see it first. And it's my first handgun ever, so be kind please.
If I put pressure backwards on the cylinder when releasing it, it will -- once it's all the way open -- lock in place (won't spin). If I put pressure towards the front when I open it, it spins just fine when it's all the way open.
It seems to me there's more play (from front to back) in the cylinder than there should be when it's open, but only at a certain point - there's sort of this sweet spot half way where there's a lot of play - otherwise none. And when it's closed it's tight. Also, the ratchet (if I have that right) bumps the hand as the cylinder is going back in, which also doesn't seem right.
A friend of mine knowledgeable about guns took it apart today and said the crane is not sprung or bent, and all the other parts look fine, everything is extremely tight and it seems like the gun was well cared for. He said everything, in fact, looked correct and he was baffled as to why it was doing what it was doing but said there was definitely something wrong.
Have any of you heard of something like this before? I have until tomorrow to inspect it before deciding whether to keep it or send it back.
Other than this, the gun is beautiful and I love it. If it's not a big deal, I wouldn't mind getting it fixed, but if it's going to cost a lot to repair then I'd probably want to return the gun. Advice is most welcome. Thanks for your help!