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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 09-17-2017, 12:47 PM
Edknn123 Edknn123 is offline
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Default 640 PRO CYLINDER RELEASE

Just purchased a new 640 Pro and love it. It has about 100 rounds through it, I have one question though. The cylinder release doesn't seem to fully release the cylinder. A push is needed to get past a catch when opening. When looking at the release while the cylinder is open, I notice there is a slight recess where the the pin gets pushed open rather than it being flush when the cylinder is open like my other S&W revolvers. It opens but pressure is needed to get the pin fully released from the locking mechanism. The cylinder is fine once the pin releases from the lock, no binding. Thanks for any help.
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Old 09-17-2017, 12:56 PM
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Mine requires ever-so-slight of extra nudge, but I think it is from where the end of the extractor rod locks into the locking bolt. Watch the locking bolt when you push the cylinder open and you can see it move a tad; it's a pretty tight fit.

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Old 09-17-2017, 01:06 PM
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I have one and I carry it everywhere. Never had that issue. Got mine for $500. I love this gun!!
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:07 PM
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I'm sure it is moving, especially to get past the recessed area it is locked into. My other revolvers are flush when open, this one is not flush so cylinder has to be pushed to get past the lip that is there from not fully opening flush. Just wondered if that was a .357 trait to strengthen the locking mechanism vs my .38 spl revolvers. Wondering if it needs an adjustment from Smith?

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Old 09-17-2017, 01:18 PM
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The bolt is not traveling far enough forward to push the center pin out of the hole.

Common cause of this is a loose ejector rod.

In well used guns a worn center pin that's too short could cause the issue
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:30 PM
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The bolt is not moving far enough, and possibly just accumulation of dirt/crud inside, keeping the bolt from moving the full length. A complete disassembly and cleaning may cure the problem.
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:32 PM
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This is brand new. Ejector rod is not loose. Problem seems to be the cylinder release button is not going fully forward and leaving the slight ridge on the locking mechanism so pin will not let cylinder slide open freely as it catches on the exposed ridge. My other revolvers have the release level when open so pin slides freely out of lock.
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by H Richard View Post
The bolt is not moving far enough, and possibly just accumulation of dirt/crud inside, keeping the bolt from moving the full length. A complete disassembly and cleaning may cure the problem.
It was like this before it was ever fired and is new. Seems like it is either too short to fully open lock or needs an adjustment.
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StakeOut View Post
The bolt is not traveling far enough forward to push the center pin out of the hole.

Common cause of this is a loose ejector rod.

In well used guns a worn center pin that's too short could cause the issue
From the picture in the original post, shouldn't the release be fully forward to release the pin rather than being slightly recessed? It is slightly short of being flush to fully release it.
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:46 PM
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Just because it's brand new doesn't mean that there is nothing in there which might stop the bolt from going fully forward. Might be some machining crud...chips, shavings, etc., or something similar. If it were mine, before I tried anything more invasive, I would want to eliminate this possibility by disassembling and flushing the area, and inspecting the parts. I know that with new guns we are probably dealing with MIM parts, which are closer to spec as manufactured, but I would want to see the parts and the recess into which they fit.

Best Regards, Les
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:55 PM
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It may need a bit of file fitting to come flush. No big deal, probably 5 minute fix.
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:56 PM
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Default cylinder release

i have a 640-1 and noticed there was no problem opening the cylinder until i fired several 357 rounds through it. then it heated up and i could not open the cylinder. i traced it down to the thumb piece as it was against the recoil sheild when fully forward. i relieved the leading edge of the thumb piece and never had the problem again.
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Old 09-17-2017, 02:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by les.b View Post
Just because it's brand new doesn't mean that there is nothing in there which might stop the bolt from going fully forward. Might be some machining crud...chips, shavings, etc., or something similar. If it were mine, before I tried anything more invasive, I would want to eliminate this possibility by disassembling and flushing the area, and inspecting the parts. I know that with new guns we are probably dealing with MIM parts, which are closer to spec as manufactured, but I would want to see the parts and the recess into which they fit.

Best Regards, Les
When reassembling, is loctite needed on the screws?
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Old 09-17-2017, 03:59 PM
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Quote:
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When reassembling, is loctite needed on the screws?
Briefly the answer is no. However it is good practice to check the screws occasionally and tighten them if needed. Some guns seem to need tightening more than others.
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Old 09-17-2017, 04:26 PM
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Briefly the answer is no. However it is good practice to check the screws occasionally and tighten them if needed. Some guns seem to need tightening more than others.
Thanks, just found the cylinder release was loose..tightened it but it still catches some.
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Old 09-17-2017, 06:36 PM
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My 329PD was the same way. Current production part was a little short like yours. Took a little extra nudge to unlock it. Unlike my 629-3 which is very smooth. Then one day as I was putting mine back together I popped a couple threads off the end of the thumb piece stud. I wound up fabbing one out of a new old stock steel bolt and fitted it to my 329PD. Now it unlocks smooth as silk just like my 629.

If you send it back to Smith for service and still aren't happy when it gets back then give me a hollar and I'll fab you up a steel cylinder release bolt.

Here's the link to my parts over in the classifieds here on the forum so you can read about the steel cylinder release bolts I do. If you decide that's something you're interested in.

S&W Revolvers LOCK DELETE PLUG *** J K L N X Z Parts on Hand ORIGINAL PRECISION

Hope that helps man.
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Old 09-17-2017, 09:13 PM
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Quote:
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My 329PD was the same way. Current production part was a little short like yours. Took a little extra nudge to unlock it. Unlike my 629-3 which is very smooth. Then one day as I was putting mine back together I popped a couple threads off the end of the thumb piece stud. I wound up fabbing one out of a new old stock steel bolt and fitted it to my 329PD. Now it unlocks smooth as silk just like my 629.

If you send it back to Smith for service and still aren't happy when it gets back then give me a hollar and I'll fab you up a steel cylinder release bolt.

Here's the link to my parts over in the classifieds here on the forum so you can read about the steel cylinder release bolts I do. If you decide that's something you're interested in.

S&W Revolvers LOCK DELETE PLUG *** J K L N X Z Parts on Hand ORIGINAL PRECISION

Hope that helps man.
Thanks, the picture on your site is exactly what I am experiencing. Pretty bad when a brand new gun , Pro model at that, comes out of the factory with no one finding this problem or caring to check the gun before shipping. I'll call Smith and probably send it in but will be contacting you if they don't fix the problem.
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Old 09-17-2017, 10:02 PM
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Not to hijack this thread, but a call to S&W and sending it in is a great plan!

Only downside is that when I called S&W customer service last week is I learned they have a 10 week backlog right now, then another 2-3 weeks before a smith can work on it.
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Old 09-17-2017, 10:11 PM
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Quote:
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Not to hijack this thread, but a call to S&W and sending it in is a great plan!

Only downside is that when I called S&W customer service last week is I learned they have a 10 week backlog right now, then another 2-3 weeks before a smith can work on it.
That's about the same time frame they gave me a year ago about a gun. Since it was older and had no warranty, I took it to a local gunsmith. Wonder if it would damage anything if left the way it is?
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Old 09-18-2017, 02:30 AM
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I bought a brand-new 29-3 back in, I don't know. lol.
It was kinda crunchy when dry-fired. Opened it up and a **** ton of metal shavings were present.
If you know how, open it up and check it for shavings, burrs, etc.
If it cleans up and nothing noted, put it back together and try it. If it's still too short, send it back.
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Old 09-18-2017, 11:29 PM
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Quote:
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That's about the same time frame they gave me a year ago about a gun. Since it was older and had no warranty, I took it to a local gunsmith. Wonder if it would damage anything if left the way it is?
Hard to tell without a hands on evaluation.

New gun, right?

Doesn't work the way you expect?

Send it in...
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:27 AM
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Send it back to the Factory and let them fix it. These problems tend to get worse with time..... not better. Sounds like it was poorly fit.
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:35 AM
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I had a brand new 642 with this problem. Every 2-3 tries it would be difficult to get the cylinder to release. I removed the side plate to find quite a bit of left over machining debris in various crevices. I cleaned and lubed it and added a Wilson spring kit and it is now one of my favorite carry guns.
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Old 09-20-2017, 12:47 PM
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I just finished cleaning a recently purchased 1981 made 13-2.I think I'm the 1st person to remove the side plate and clean the internal area and parts.In the K1 kerosene I had it soaking in for a few days I found a few tiny metal shavings.

Also the old style yoke screw without plunger was a bit too long that required extra effort opening and turning the cylinder.Stoning a bit off the screw end fixed the issue.
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Old 09-20-2017, 07:23 PM
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If this is a brand new gun I would contact S&W and ship back for them to fix. They may become upset if later you need to send back and they can tell the side plate was removed ant the parts messed with.
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Old 09-21-2017, 10:57 AM
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I had a similar problem with my 629, sent it into S&W. Turns out the extractor rod was just a little too long. I suppose you could fix it yourself with a file or stone if you're so inclined.

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