Hello Guys n' Gals. Just bought my first S+W revolver...a 4.5" Model 69 (.44 magnum) - to carry when I'm out hiking in the wilds of Northern Arizona. It is a beautiful gun with just the right size for hiking.

I noticed that it is mighty hard to get my fired brass out of the cylinder. I shot a few cylinders of Win factory loads, then some factory Remington loads. I can't get the extractor rod to push down without great difficulty. If I give it a tap with a small brass hammer, it gets started OK and I can push the rod the rest of the way out by hand.

Is this normal for the 69, or should I be sending it back to Smith to have the charging holes polished out a bit larger?

Thanks much!

All chambers? Is the gun new or used? No it's not normal.

Maybe you could post a few pics of the cases for us?

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In lieu of some pics to tell us more, I've had a couple issues with hard extraction that were due to a factory defect that S&W repaired at no charge:

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325NG: Impact numbering too close to charge hole opening. Hard extraction on affected chambers only.
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657 Classic Hunter: All chambers reamed incorrectly causing bulge in cases making extraction hard.
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Waiting for the break of day

Gun is brand new. No bulging of cases. All 5 charging holes are equally tight when I insert the same fired case in them one-by-one.

It's a mystery.

I fired some 35,000 psi loads (per the manual) from mine the last couple of days. Easy extraction. Never had an extraction problem with it's predecessor 69 either.
Recommend back to the factory. BTW, you never shot handloads.....

I have shot my Model 69 well over 1000 rounds with 0 extraction problems. No difficult extraction with factory ammo should not be difficult at all. call S&W but as stated do not mention handloads.

Nothing but factory through mine and not a lot of full power magnums. But the full power factory loads I have shot all extracted easily.

Some people have had problems with fouling building up because the cylinder is not big enough to include the gas ring S&W puts on 629s. Did your gun always have stiff ejection or is it getting worse over time?

I’m having the same trouble

having my cylinder checked by a gunsmith ....waiting to hear back from him

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NRA Life
USPSA/IPSC

Same here, my M69 has no problem extracting fired 44Mags. I would check the Charge Holes for any abnormal Roughness.

After 200 rounds thru my new 69 no problem with extraction.

While you have it slip a feeler gauge in the gap and let me what your's is....if you don't mind.

I would send it back for a repair!

Derek, you too? Please keep us posted on this thread as to what you find.

Geeeez, after building millions of revolvers ya think S+W would get this stuff right the first time?

What ammo did you fire previously? And, how did you clean the chambers after firing the other ammo? Did you fire any 44 Special in it? What I'm looking for is something that might cause a carbon ring in the chamber causing you difficult loading and ejection.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I made sure to thoroughly clean the chambers before firing using solvent and rotating brass brush. No carbon rings, they were mirror smooth.

Maybe Smith didn't ream them out large enough?

Actually the chambers should have a few thousands of an inch taper in them, which eases extraction. My M357NG barely has .001" taper & with anything else but full loads extracts easily. It's my only revolver that has that symptom.

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Waiting for the break of day

I had the same problem with my 69 when it was new. I sent it back to Smith & Wesson. They fixed it. Took a couple weeks. Works great now. The chambers weren’t polished good.

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No gold. Only lead. Bobby

Good to know they could fix it Bobby. I'll send it back.

.006 either side

__________________
NRA Life
USPSA/IPSC