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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 04-24-2015, 06:22 PM
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Took my 15-5 out for it's second range trip today. I took it out once before and put just a couple of cylinders full of rounds through it. Shot great, but I noticed some of the empties were a little difficult to extract, but I didn't think much of it.

Today when I went to eject the first cylinder full of empties and one of them just would NOT come out. I ended up having to punch it out of the chamber with a screwdriver.

Once I got it out I took a look at it and it was split most of the way down the side. The split was about 3/8" long and started about 3/16" from the rim WTH?!?

I took a REALLY hard look at the inside of that cylinder and the picture below is what I saw. I know in the photos it looks like a crack, but there is no sign of a crack on the outside of the cylinder. In person it almost looks as if someone cut a groove in the cylinder wall with a Dremel tool and a burr.

So, I guess now I have to try to find a replacement cylinder and have a gunsmith fit and time it. Either that or part it out...
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Last edited by BC38; 04-24-2015 at 06:27 PM.
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Old 04-24-2015, 06:35 PM
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Wow. I would look for another cylinder. Unless the Model 15 is a real rust heap or really beat up. They don't make them anymore. You also have a K/J frame hybrid. ..just 5 shots.. glass half full. Just plug that cylinder so you don't use it.
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Old 04-24-2015, 06:43 PM
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Wow. I would look for another cylinder. Unless the Model 15 is a real rust heap or really beat up. They don't make them anymore. You also have a K/J frame hybrid. ..just 5 shots.. glass half full. Just plug that cylinder so you don't use it.
Ha Ha! All the weight and size of a K-frame with the more limited 5-shot capacity of a J-frame, huh? You're a funny guy!

I'm looking on GB right now and there are several. None are listed as from a model 15, but several other models should use the same cylinder, right? For that matter, the cylinder from a lot of 357 models should fit too shouldn't it? If I were to decide to go that route.

Can anybody point me to a list of models that would have the same cylinder?
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Old 04-24-2015, 06:59 PM
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"the cylinder from a lot of 357 models should fit too shouldn't it? If I were to decide to go that route."

No, the .357 cylinders are longer, so the part of the barrel that sticks out of the frame window on .357's are shorter. You can make anything work if you pay a gunsmith enough, but it's just a lot cheaper and easier to get a cylinder from a model 15, 10, or 14.

Also, with the 15-4, the gas ring was moved from the crane to the cylinder. Have you already tried calling S&W?

You can also just mark that chamber, and don't use it. Cheap, anyway.

Last edited by Bullet Bob; 05-02-2015 at 04:26 PM.
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Old 04-24-2015, 07:04 PM
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Hi ,I have never seen a cylinder split like that, Model 10,13, 14, come to mind, a 357 cylinder will be longer and the forcing cone will have to be shortened and recut, I would just wait for a 38 spec cylinder to become available.
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Old 04-24-2015, 07:24 PM
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Bore it out to .38 S&W? Maybe, just that one chamber.
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Old 04-24-2015, 07:31 PM
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"the cylinder from a lot of 357 models should fit too shouldn't it? If I were to decide to go that route."

No, the .357 cylinders are longer, so the part of the barrel that sticks out of the frame window on .357's are shorter. You can make anything work if you pay a gunsmith enough, but it's just a lot cheaper and easier to get a cylinder from a model 15, 10, or 14.

Also, with the 15-4, the gas ring was moved from the crane to the cylinder. Have you already tried calling Smythe?
Good point. I was thinking that since my 13-1 was built on an overstamped 10-6 frame the cylinders would be the same. I was thinking that the difference was how deep the cylinders were bored for the cases. Since my 13-1 is built on a 10-6 frame, that makes me wonder if a model 10 cylinder would work - because the cylinder on my 13-1 is indeed 1/8" longer than the cylinder on my 15-5.

Tell me more about the gas ring. What does it look like and how can I tell if a replacement cylinder has it or not.
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Old 04-24-2015, 07:39 PM
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Hi ,I have never seen a cylinder split like that, Model 10,13, 14, come to mind, a 357 cylinder will be longer and the forcing cone will have to be shortened and recut, I would just wait for a 38 spec cylinder to become available.
That's the thing, in the photo it LOOKS like a split, but that isn't what it looks like in person. Like I said, to the naked eye it looks more like a smooth groove that has been ground into the inside of the cylinder wall. Almost like it was done with a rotary burr and a Dremel tool.

It is really hard to get a decent picture of it.
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Old 04-24-2015, 07:47 PM
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Are you sure that you don't have the cause & effect reversed. That anomaly didn't cause your case to split, it is the result of your case splitting. That is, it may be a carbon deposit left on the cylinder wall when the case split. Clean the cylinder thoroughly with something that dissolves carbon deposits. A brass brush on an electric drill. Then inspect.

Good luck.

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Old 04-24-2015, 07:59 PM
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I agree with trying to polish out the defect in the cylinder wall before giving up. Not having it in hand it is difficult to see what you are seeing, but the brass brush in a drill could be the fix. Let us know
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Old 04-24-2015, 08:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pizza Bob View Post
Are you sure that you don't have the cause & effect reversed. That anomaly didn't cause your case to split, it is the result of your case splitting. That is, it may be a carbon deposit left on the cylinder wall when the case split. Clean the cylinder thoroughly with something that dissolves carbon deposits. A brass brush on an electric drill. Then inspect.

Good luck.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
You may have missed the part in the original post where I said that one case has been hard to eject (stuck) every cylinder full of rounds that I've shot it. The one today was just stuck the worst - because it actually split - whereas the others didn't (I inspected all my brass from the last range trip).

As much as I wish that your theory were the actual case, unfortunately, it isn't. I've already cleaned the soot from the cylinder with a bronze bore brush and the flaw is still there. It's kind of like the cylinder is stretched out and thinner in the one spot...
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Old 04-24-2015, 09:12 PM
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Use a dental pick and probe the cylinder to ascertain whether the cylinder wall is actually eroded. The carbon deposit could have been there prior to your most recent split case, which would have caused your sticky extraction. The deposit plus the split case would have made it very hard to eject the split case. Carbon "cooked" onto the cylinder wall can be tough to remove.

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Old 04-24-2015, 09:13 PM
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It shouldn't be too difficult to find a replacement cylinder. If you swap the extractor from your current cylinder, or if you are fortunate, it may drop right in and work. Let us know what happens.
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Old 04-24-2015, 09:19 PM
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I'll check it with a dental pick, but I can tell the flaw is still there. I can still see it after cleaning the cylinder really well. Unfortunately I just can't seem to get a good picture of it.

What I need help with now is any info anyone has on which exact model numbers (other than the obvious 15-5) will have a compatible cylinder.
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Old 04-24-2015, 09:23 PM
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You might try Numrich arms for a cylinder. Yesterday I was comparing the cylinder on my Victory Model with a Model 10-10 and they looked like they would interchange. A cylinder for a 14 or 10 might drop right in. However that defect might by fatigue, erosion or a combination of both and should not be ignored.
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Old 04-24-2015, 09:25 PM
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Numrich does have the cylinder for the Model 15 in stock for $146.50.
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Old 04-24-2015, 10:03 PM
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Numrich does have the cylinder for the Model 15 in stock for $146.50.
LOL, yeah, that would nearly double what I have in the gun! I only paid $190 for it at auction - less than $240 with transfer fees, taxes, etc. all-in.

The good news is that looking in the Numrich catalog it appears that the 10, 12, and 15 cylinders are all the same part - 307010. The model 14 has a different part number - 307330.

So if I can find a cylinder on Gun Broker for any one of those 3 models they should work.
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Old 04-25-2015, 12:09 AM
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Does the chamber on the opposite side have a bulge or split. Seems like it is in the thickest part of the cylinder. Its definatly a indent huh?

Edit, I was looking at the picture wrong, sorry.
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Old 04-25-2015, 12:30 AM
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If I only had about $200 in the gun, I would just have a GOOD gunsmith check it out to make sure it's safe, and not a crack......if it's just a surface defect than I would look into getting a 9mm conversion done on it. The cost of the conversion by someone like Pinnacle isn't a whole lot more than a cylinder will cost you. Then you can buy much cheaper 9mm and use it as a plinker/trainer.

I know in the past there were either kits or "adapters" that gunsmiths could use to convert revolvers to .22 LR, I have seen Single Action Colts and wierd foreign revolvers in oddball calibers done this way although we're probably talking 1940's-50's technology here and no one probably does this anymore. Since the pressure is so low for a .22 LR sleeves could be fitted to the chambers, the chamber insert was also the rifled "barrel", and the .22 would just fly down the larger bore. I saw some old Colt DA's with this kind of conversion, altered to be some kind of trainer for either a PD or an ROTC group or something.

Option 2 is to see if maybe S&W can fit a whole new cylinder or crane and cylinder assembly, although it would be a new "box" type extractor cylinder. S&W still makes the 10-14 and did make that "15 Classic" for a while so they should have parts in stock. However that will be pricy unless that cylinder blemish is a factory defect and you could talk S&W into cutting you some kind of price break.

Or, the "free" option is like was said, just put some white paint on the rim of that chamber and don't use it, just retire it to casual plinker status.

Last edited by stantheman86; 04-25-2015 at 12:32 AM.
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Old 04-25-2015, 01:29 AM
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ebay
k frame cylinder | eBay
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Old 04-25-2015, 09:44 AM
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If you're going to use it for carry, or home defense, it's one thing, but if, like me, the only place you'll shoot it is at the range, do what I do and just load five rounds. I've done that for years. (I even do it with semi-auto's.) A box of cartridges is ten rows of five rounds. Even my reload boxes are ten of ten. Everything works out even.
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:09 PM
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I decided to play around with my camera and see if I could get better pictures of this damaged cylinder. At this point I'm going to call it a bulged cylinder, though saying the wall is stretched thin might be a better description.

So, the first picture is of the outside of the cylinder. You can see where the previous owner made a little scratch on the outside by the stop notch to mark the damaged chamber. I never noticed this until after my range trip the other day when the case in this chamber split and stuck.

As you can see, from the outside the cylinder does NOT appear cracked
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File Type: jpg Cylinder Flaw 006.jpg (109.3 KB, 342 views)

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Old 04-26-2015, 09:17 PM
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These next two pictures are of the outside of the cylinder.

The first photo has with the light reflecting off it just right so that you can see the slight depression along the outside of the cylinder where it appears to be stretched.

The second photo was edited to outline the slight depression line to make it easier to see.
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File Type: jpg Cylinder Flaw 002.jpg (149.4 KB, 292 views)
File Type: jpg Cylinder Flaw 003.jpg (44.3 KB, 312 views)
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:21 PM
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That is certainly a bad news, but after some of the tragic personal stories I have read on here I'm happy for you that this is not one of "those" stories. Whenever I see a thread with this sort of title I always brace myself. Just saying.

With that said I hope your solution isn't too expensive.
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:25 PM
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These last two photos are of the inside of the cylinder after cleaning the damaged chamber.

The first photo is of the light reflecting off the flaw so you can see it.

In the second photo I've drawn a line around the flaw to highlight it. As you can see, it starts about 1/8"-3/16" of an inch into the cylinder - which lines up with where the stop notch is located on the outside of the cylinder.

I'm thinking that this chamber must've had a really "hot" load fired out of it and it just almost cracked and ruptured the chamber, but not quite. It came so close that it stretched the outer wall (the thinnest part of the cylinder).
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File Type: jpg Cylinder Flaw 004.jpg (85.6 KB, 240 views)
File Type: jpg Cylinder Flaw 005.jpg (29.3 KB, 249 views)

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Old 04-26-2015, 10:03 PM
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Just for curiosity, see if a 357 case will chamber in any of the chambers. Some 38 Spl cylinders have been reamed deeper so 357s will fit. If so, that's likely the reason for the chamber damage.

You best, cheapest and easiest remedy is a used cylinder. Most likely it will be a drop in. If not some slight fitting will make it work properly with a minimal gunsmith charge unless you DIYS.

In 1977 there was an order to change from gas ring on yoke to cyl and the same year it was ordered to change back again, Models 10-7 & 8, 14-4, 15-4 & 18-4, etc. Your 15-5 has the gas ring on the cyl.

Notice the ring extending from the front of this cyl in the photo showing the front face: K Frame Style 38 Spcl Nickel Cylinder | eBay

That's the gas ring. Yours should look like that, that's the style you need. If the front of the cyl is flat, the gas ring is on the yoke. It's just that simple.
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Old 04-26-2015, 10:28 PM
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Just for curiosity, see if a 357 case will chamber in any of the chambers. Some 38 Spl cylinders have been reamed deeper so 357s will fit. If so, that's likely the reason for the chamber damage.
That's a good thought so I checked. 357 loads don't go all the way in - not even into the damaged chamber. It doesn't appear to have been reamed, so I suspect someone got hold of a hot reload - possibly a double charge.

Quote:
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Your best, cheapest and easiest remedy is a used cylinder. Most likely it will be a drop in. If not some slight fitting will make it work properly with a minimal gunsmith charge unless you DIYS.

In 1977 there was an order to change from gas ring on yoke to cyl and the same year it was ordered to change back again, Models 10-7 & 8, 14-4, 15-4 & 18-4, etc. Your 15-5 has the gas ring on the cyl.

Notice the ring extending from the front of this cyl in the photo showing the front face: K Frame Style 38 Spcl Nickel Cylinder | eBay

That's the gas ring. Yours should look like that, that's the style you need. If the front of the cyl is flat, the gas ring is on the yoke. It's just that simple.
Yup. I removed my cylinder today. It has the gas ring on the cylinder, not the yoke.

From the parts schematics I'm seeing on Numrich it looks like the gas ring is actually a separate part. I'm assuming it must be press-fit to the cylinder though, since it doesn't seem to want to just slip out of the front of the cylinder.

Last edited by BC38; 04-26-2015 at 10:29 PM.
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Old 04-26-2015, 11:23 PM
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Quote:
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That's a good thought so I checked. 357 loads don't go all the way in - not even into the damaged chamber. It doesn't appear to have been reamed, so I suspect someone got hold of a hot reload - possibly a double charge.


Yup. I removed my cylinder today. It has the gas ring on the cylinder, not the yoke.

From the parts schematics I'm seeing on Numrich it looks like the gas ring is actually a separate part. I'm assuming it must be press-fit to the cylinder though, since it doesn't seem to want to just slip out of the front of the cylinder.
That's good news. Now you don't have to worry about the frame being stretched/fatigued from 357s being fired in it.

Yeah, the gas ring is pre-assembled to the cylinder when a separate piece.
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Old 05-01-2015, 10:59 PM
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I got the replacement cylinder the other day and got around to fitting it today. I ran into one issue. The center pin from my ejector rod won't work with the extractor on the new cylinder because the "shoulder" on the center pin that the spring pushes against is about 1/8" too close to the end of the pin. It wont go into the barrel of the extractor far enough for the end of the pin to protrude from the center of the extractor.

So, next I tried to re-use my extractor and discovered that when I insert it into the cylinder, the teeny tiny little pins in the cylinder don't quite line up with the holes in the extractor star, so it won't drop all the way in.

I temporarily removed the pins and reassembled everything with my extractor, and everything looks very good. The timing, lockup, etc. all look good to me. I think I may need to get a new center pin that fits inside the ejector rod - one that has the shoulder set about 1/8" farther from the end (dimension A in the attached photo).
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:00 AM
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Have you checked the backside of the holes in the extractor star? They may just need a slight de-burring and chamfer to line up with the pins and drop into place.
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Old 05-02-2015, 12:27 PM
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Have you checked the backside of the holes in the extractor star? They may just need a slight de-burring and chamfer to line up with the pins and drop into place.
Yeah, I shined a really bright light under the star and I could see that the holes were off by about 1/4 of the diameter of the pins.
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Old 05-02-2015, 12:39 PM
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Out of curiosity, why not just have S&W take a look at it?
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:01 PM
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Your revolver probably got that way because a previous owner did something bad - bad reload, some "kitchen table" gunsmithing with a drill or dremel tool, etc.

If you don't know the exact problem, and it sounds like you do not from the postings, then how can you possibly figure out the best solution?
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:06 PM
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Out of curiosity, why not just have S&W take a look at it?
LOL, money and time.

As stated before I only have about $200 into the gun and its just a shooter, nothing even remotely collectable. Hard to justify spending a couple of hundred for S&W to work on it.

Unless you think they're going to cover a damaged cylinder - likely due to someone's hot reloads - under some kind of warranty.
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted by shawn mccarver View Post
Your revolver probably got that way because a previous owner did something bad - bad reload, some "kitchen table" gunsmithing with a drill or dremel tool, etc.

If you don't know the exact problem, and it sounds like you do not from the postings, then how can you possibly figure out the best solution?
I'm sorry, but I get the impression you may not have read this entire thread...

In summary: I think at this point we've pretty well figured out exactly what the problem is with the old cylinder, one chamber is stretched, so replacement is the only solution. While I think it is unlikely that even S&W could figure out the cause with 100% certainty, I believe we've also come to a reasonable conclusion as to what did the damage. Either hot reloads or a flaw in the cylinder.

This issue with the center pin and extractor doesn't seem to be a major mystery either. It appears to be the wrong center pin for the extractor that came with the cylinder, and the holes for the aligning pins in my extractor are drilled a little differently than the corresponding holes in the cylinder.

The solution would seem to be either a different center pin the right length for the replacement extractor or getting a different cylinder complete with extractor star and ejector rod.

So I guess I don't get your statements. What part of the "exact problem" do you think we still need to figure out?

Last edited by BC38; 05-02-2015 at 03:05 PM.
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:28 PM
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BC38, dont give up or get depressed. Its only a mechanical thing. It can be corrected. S&W guys dont give up. Just be patient. My only advice. Mike 2796
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:37 PM
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BC38, dont give up or get depressed. Its only a mechanical thing. It can be corrected. S&W guys dont give up. Just be patient. My only advice. Mike 2796
Thanks for the words of encouragement man. I realize you don't know me personally, but trust me when I say that for me, giving up is NOT an option. Something that just isn't going to happen.

Tenacity is one of my most prominent personality traits. I don't give up. Some people have even gone so far as to describe me as being hard-headed or STUBBORN.
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Old 05-02-2015, 02:04 PM
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B38, I myself ran into the problem of the center pins not working with the cylinder...but in my case I was digging through several buckets of parts that the "powers that be" thought they had decomissioned and found a cylinder and center pin that did not work together. Digging around more, a found a second center pin that worked with the cylinder I had in hand and never gave it another thought.

Thinking on it now, I guess there probably had to be a change somewhere along the line and the pin you need will be either before or after that change. I really don't know so my opinion is unqualified. I'm sorry I don't know and can't be of more help. I am going to go through some more parts buckets in a few weeks and if you haven't found a correct part by then I'll be on the lookout for centerpins and grab any I find in the hopes of snagging one that might work for you.

But keep looking in the meantime because quite often (not always) they authorities "snip" the extractor rods with bolt cutters -- usually with the centerpins still inside so I might not get any this time around.
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Old 05-02-2015, 02:19 PM
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B38, I myself ran into the problem of the center pins not working with the cylinder...but in my case I was digging through several buckets of parts that the "powers that be" thought they had decomissioned and found a cylinder and center pin that did not work together. Digging around more, a found a second center pin that worked with the cylinder I had in hand and never gave it another thought.

Thinking on it now, I guess there probably had to be a change somewhere along the line and the pin you need will be either before or after that change. I really don't know so my opinion is unqualified. I'm sorry I don't know and can't be of more help. I am going to go through some more parts buckets in a few weeks and if you haven't found a correct part by then I'll be on the lookout for centerpins and grab any I find in the hopes of snagging one that might work for you.

But keep looking in the meantime because quite often (not always) they authorities "snip" the extractor rods with bolt cutters -- usually with the centerpins still inside so I might not get any this time around.
Thanks man, I appreciate you trying to help me find one - that would be great.
At this point, unless the member who sent me the cylinder can locate the pin that went with it and send it to me, the only alternatives I can come up with would be to talk to Numrich and see if they can compare measurements on ones they have to the one I have, or just start buying pins and trying them until I find one that works.

Obviously the best solution will be if the original can be located. If I don't post up that I've found a solution before you get a chance to go through the parts buckets, then please, see what you can find. I'll be grateful for any help you can & will provide.
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Old 05-02-2015, 02:51 PM
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I will not ask for measurements right now as I may find nothing. I sort all the parts that I recognize into parts boxes for my gunsmith friend. That way, when someone says "I need a J-frame hammer" or "I need a K-frame yoke" he can quickly find it if he has it. Anything cut or wrecked I just chuck away but often good parts are left untouched.

If I find some center pins I'll set them aside, bring them home and get back to you for measurements at that time. It'll be a few weeks before I can take a day off to go sit in a hot, sweltering gunsmithing shop beside the blueing tank sorting through buckets and buckets of parts. It's neat to see the look on the faces of the people who come in when they see a long-blond-haired Canadian sitting behind the counter sorting parts and ignoring the general World around him.

But sometimes amazing little treasures turn up. And it's especially good for my group that we know if we have to order a part and smuggle it down or if we can just go to Pepe's and "negotiate" over a part he already has.

Cheers!
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Old 05-02-2015, 03:09 PM
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You're a good man and an asset to the forum Calmex. Thanks again.

I'm still hoping the forum member that gave me the cylinder will respond to my PM and has the center pin. I'll keep you updated.
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Old 05-02-2015, 07:24 PM
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What is the dimension A on the pin that you have? I'll look in my parts for the one that's 1/8" farther from the end.

What's the overall length of your pin? There's basically only two long K frame pins (with exceptions for very early pre war production).

What is the serial number of the new cylinder? That will help pin down the vintage of the pin you need.

Also sent you a PM with some sources for parts. You'll also need the above information if you contact them.
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Old 05-03-2015, 01:12 AM
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What is the dimension A on the pin that you have? I'll look in my parts for the one that's 1/8" farther from the end.

What's the overall length of your pin? There's basically only two long K frame pins (with exceptions for very early pre war production).

What is the serial number of the new cylinder? That will help pin down the vintage of the pin you need.

Also sent you a PM with some sources for parts. You'll also need the above information if you contact them.
I got your PM, and sure appreciate everything Hondo.

Using a tape to measure it Dimension A looks like it is 23/32" (just under 3/4") from the end of the pin to the start of the shoulder. When I insert it into the new ejector it comes up about 1/32" short of being flush with the surface of the extractor star.

Since it needs to protrude about 3/32" to 1/8" from the center of the star to solidly latch the cylinder in place, the pin needs to be 1/8" - 5/32" longer. So I need one with a Dimension A in the 27/32" to 7/8" range for it to work.

BTW, neither cylinder has a serial number - at least not that I'm finding.

Last edited by BC38; 05-03-2015 at 06:51 PM.
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Old 05-03-2015, 06:03 AM
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Your new cylinder must be earlier than your Mod 15-5. Mine is a Mod 15 pre dash and it has the size ctr pin you need. It has an overall length of 3.888" and .834" (27/32") to the collar; that's the size to ask for.
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Old 05-05-2015, 01:15 PM
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I owe a "thank you" to several folks around here.

Thanks to everyone who helped and contributed to this thread.

Thank you Calmex for your generous offer to try to help me locate a suitable center pin.

Thank you to Hondo44 for helping me figure out the right center pin and sending me a bunch of info on good parts sources.

A big thanks to Yorkie Man for donating the cylinder.

And thanks to Big Cholla for sending me a center pin that will work with the cylinder I got from Yorkie Man.

With all you guys chipping in and a little work on my part we'll have this old girl firing on all 6 again in no time.

I must say, the folks on this site are the absolute best I've seen in any forum anywhere!

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Old 05-05-2015, 10:37 PM
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I don't mean to "stir the pot" but I find this thread intriguing.
Your photos showing a depression on the outside of the cylinder make me think the PO may have dropped the pistol on a very hard surface distorting that bore and then tried reaming it out to allow the insertion and ejection of subsequent bullets.

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Old 05-05-2015, 11:40 PM
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I don't mean to "stir the pot" but I find this thread intriguing.
Your photos showing a depression on the outside of the cylinder make me think the PO may have been dropped the pistol on a very hard surface distorting that bore and then tried reaming it out to allow the insertion and ejection of subsequent bullets.
Without actually seeing it in person I can see where you might come to that conclusion.

However, in order for that to be the case the person who "reamed" it would have had to use a ball-shaped metal burr in a Dremel - or some kind of similar tool. He would also have to have the worlds steadiest hands. Because the "groove" on the inside is perfectly straight, perfectly even in depth, perfectly smooth, perfectly parallel to the chamber bore, and perfectly lined up with the "indentation" on the outside - and no other marks or scars on any of the rest of the chamber's internal surface. It also doesn't start until about 1/8 of an inch into the chamber - which just happens to be right where the cylinder stop notch is cut into the outside.

I originally thought something similar, but the more I looked at it and the more of these details I discovered the more convinced I have become that what you are suggesting just isn't possible with anything less than a CNC machine.

The only plausible theories I have been able to come up with that could produce all the observed characteristics of the damage are:

1) a hot over-charged handload was fired in this chamber and it was just a few PSI away from rupturing the cylinder wall. It was so close that it stretched the wall of the cylinder - just enough to make it thinner leaving a shallow depression both inside and out, that starts right at the weakest point - where the cylinder stop is cut into the outer surface.

Or

2) There is an unseen internal flaw in the steel right at that thinnest point of the cylinder wall that allowed firing regular rounds to stretch the wall of the cylinder enough to make it thinner and leave a shallow depression both inside and outside right at the site of the flaw - which also happened to line up with the stop notch.

Of the two scenarios, hot handloads seem the more likely to me. Particularly since the previous owner obviously noted and marked the damaged cylinder. Though he could have spotted it the same way I did - by stuck and split cases.

A flaw lining up that perfectly with the stop notch and thinnest part of the cylinder just seems a lot less likely to me.
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Old 05-05-2015, 11:58 PM
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Dump it. Sell it. Make it somebody else's problem. Get another one in better shape. You said you don't have a lot of $ in it, so it's not a tragedy.

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Old 05-06-2015, 01:15 AM
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Dump it. Sell it. Make it somebody else's problem. Get another one in better shape. You said you don't have a lot of $ in it, so it's not a tragedy.

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HaHaHa - NO!

I couldn't "dump" it on someone without disclosing the condition. And nobody would even give me what I have in it with the damage. If someone was even willing to buy it they'd either get it for parts or do the same thing I'm doing - fix it.

Maybe you missed the info about 3 posts back where I said a couple of members are GIVING me the parts to repair it.

Gunsmithing - even as minor as this - is a new adventure for me. I've been working on anything with a motor since I was in short pants, and have tried my hand (pretty successfully) at repairing all kinds of other mechanical things over the years. Why should this be any different?

I don't just "give up" on things and throw them away - especially not if it is cost effective to repair them. If you have any problem guns you want to "dump" feel free to send me a PM.

This has awakened a new interest in "project guns" for me.
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Old 05-06-2015, 01:46 AM
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I've used these to clean up cylinders before with excellent results.

I have a .357 .38 Pistol Handgun Chamber Flex-Hone 800 Grit and a 400 grit from Amazon. Buy the cutting oil also.



Last edited by Bob T; 05-06-2015 at 01:49 AM.
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