629 cylinder release jammed up

[Zimm]

My 629 has been sitting for a few months. I went to open the cylinder and the release won't slide. I got it to move with a plastic face hammer. It will only go back prying on it with a screwdriver. When it's latched up, the cylinder spins and cycles just fine. I think it's gummed up. Can I open the gun up, or should I send it back to S&W?

[andy52]

Working from front to back, check
locking bolt
extractor rod
carefully remove side plate and check bolt to see if it's binding or the plunger has slipped.
those would be the prime suspects.

[armorer951]

Hope you're not serious about "prying on it" with a screwdriver?

If the problem only concernes gummed up or improper lubricants.....a bit of penetrant under the thumbpiece should solve the problem.

[Zimm]

All fixed. Thanks to this guy's video:

YouTube

Whatever lube was in there from S&W 15 years ago dried to hard tar like substance. Some had to be scraped off. Brass wire brush, lots of cleaning, and new gun oil. It's working like a champ.

My prying with a screwdriver, I laid a cloth wrapped screwdriver sideways so I was slightly prying away from the "ear" behind the cylinder. I wasn't going crazy screwdriver prying mode.

I guess these things need to be stripped down and cleaned every once in a while. It only has a few hundred rounds through it over 15 years.

[HamHands]

Oh yeah... get all of that ****** molasses out of the cylinder bolt recess and local area for sure! I have a dental cleaning kit with all the nice and hard to get into spaces picks and scrapers that won't gouge or scratch metal. I'd invest in a $40 set like that as they make detailed cleaning so much easier! My revolvers like "MPro-7" as a non gumming or staining lubricant that is thick but no too thick and I've never had it harden on me yet. And YouTube (channel dependent of course) has some stellar how to's especially the Jerry Miculek videos...

[Zimm]

I'll have to pick up a set of picks like you mentioned. I used Mpro-7. Quite a bit of it actually. Coated every part with a thin layer using fingers, then a little drop on every pin and rubbing point. Once of these days I should check my other revolvers.

I also took advantage of having it all opened up and removed the hammer locking plate thing. I'll never use a key and lock the action, but with my luck it'll do it by itself I won't have the key.

Clean and oiled: