I submitted a post last week re trying to remove cylinder for cleaning. Got a few silly responses telling me to take the yoke screw out--no kidding. Here's a better pic showing the face of the cylinder being hung up at the bottom of the frame. Nothing appears bent and pic show about 1/4 inch crane movement. Brand new gun with 100 38 specials down range.

Awaiting my fed-x return label.

Attached Images

1gun.jpg (22.7 KB, 518 views)

Easy solution would be, after removing the yoke screw and fully opening the cylinder, hold the cylinder assembly itself back toward the breech (to the point where it's contacting the frame lug) and pull the yoke straight forward, out of the frame.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

WHAT AM I MISSING ? ? ?

I THOUGHT THAT THE POBLEM WAS THAT HE COULD NOT FULLY OPEN THE CYLINDER...........

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

As posted in the other thread, the cylinder is not supposed to move foward during disassembly. You hold it static and remove the yoke completely. Yes, a lot of folks are stumped by this, as older smiths can remove the yoke/cylinder together. The truth is, it is not the correct way to take it apart. Google the phrase mentioned in your prior thread, watch the video, and you will have no need to send the revolver in. I understand your situation completely, as I struggled with it, as well.

From the photos, it is clear the op is showing how the cylinder will not move forward out of the frame window with the yoke, due to clearance. The issue is simply that the cylinder is NOT designed to do so, yet for many years most folks could remove the cylinder that way. There are a lot of videos showing the proper way to remove cylinder during take down. It is not uncommon for folks to confuse the issue, as they have become accustomed to removing the cylinder in a way that works some of the time.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM, Sckimbershot......

I'M SORRY TO READ OF THIS FRUSTRATING PROBLEM, WITH YOUR BRAND NEW REVOLVER. HOPEFULLY, IT WILL BE A QUICK PERMANENT FIX, ON THE VERY FIRST TRY.....

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE SHIPPING, TO HAVE ANYTHING ELSE DONE THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE---MAYBE A TRIGGER JOB, WHILE ITS THERE....

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Thanks for all the input. I am not unfamiliar with Smith’s having owned them for over 40 years. I certainly can view YouTube etc etc. The unit should slide out easily but it won’t period. The pic clearly shows the cylinder not clearing the frame and that the crane has moved 1/4 inch. No amount of moving the cylinder forward, backward or swing the crane through it’s arc allows for takedown.

I always open the cylinder, slide the yoke forward off the cylinder and frame, then the cylinder is free. Some of mine I can remove the yoke and cylinder as an assembly if I jiggle it a bit but I don’t like removing them that way in case they get hung up. I know my 686 requires the yoke to be slid forward before I can get the cylinder free.

This 70 year old finally removed cylinder from my 629 after trying about 12 years,thanks for this post.

Two excellent posts!

Here are some photos of an L frame model 69, this may help.

First, you can see the yoke out 1/4 inch but cylinder does not have the clearance to remove



Here it is with the yoke removed enough from the frame and cylinder to completely remove the assembly with cylinder still behind the obstruction, which leaves the cylinder still in the frame window opening.



Here is the last photo showing the assembly removed.



Note, the model 69 has a knurled knob on the end of the ejector rod, which must be removed to completely take the cylinder off the yoke. The 686 does not have this, and the yoke can easily be completely removed from the cylinder, before the assembly is completely removed from the frame. That is actually the preferred method, but the 69, due to its design, is a great way to show how to remove it as an assembly, while the cylinder is still with the yoke.

Excuse my ignorance, but why do you have to take out the cylinder and yoke for cleaning? Especially with just 100 rounds?

Use a rubber mallet. Pound that puppy free. Or re-read some of the posts and photos that describe how it’s done. ��

It is not a necessity, but there are a number of reasons to do so.

If you are not going to shoot it again for a while, and want to be able to clean it as well as possible while fouling is still fresh. Plus, it will be freshly lubed, thereby making it capable of running as long as possible before the next cleaning.

There are some who like to completely disassemble the firearm after a few hundred or so rounds to inspect for abnormal wear or fitment issues.

Some want to wait for a 100plus rounds before smoothing/polishing/changing any parts out, just to let the gun sort of break in a little first...

Any number of reasons, really.

Cant you just clean the weapon with the appropriate techniques, (solvent, patches, oil etc.) without resorting to removing the yoke and cylinder? Seems to me that this process is a lot of extra work for no reason on a brand new revolver or any revolver for that reason. Why complicate the procedure?

This would be like detail stripping a M1911 after every range session. Am I missing something here? Why not pop the sideplate and dismantle the lockwork too for "cleaning"?

The reason you can sometimes take the cylinder and yoke off together is that most cylinders are fluted. You just index a flute to clear the frame lug, and it all comes off together. In the OPs case, it looks like an unfluted cylinder. In that case, you have to pull the yoke off by itself to get the cylinder free.

Removing the cylinder, yoke and grips is a good habit to get into everytime you clean the gun. It allows you to inspect the gun, look for screws that may have gotten loose during shooting and also prevents unnecessary stress on the yoke. It only takes an extra minute to disassemble and why get lazy taking care of an $800 plus gun?

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I am curious whether Sckimbershot tried the advice in several posts about how to move the cylinder by withdrawing the crane first (rather than trying to remove the crane and the cylinder together). tgmr05 even provided photos. Someone pointed out a short video showing a "how to."

I was hoping to see him thank those who offered the good advice.

You mean you don't?

Yes. Because he wants to & should be able to do it. Better to learn now instead of later.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

bluedot37,

No. I don't dismantle any firearm beyond field stripping for general cleaning after a range session. In 1911's, detail stripping involves removing all parts, rather than the field stripping required for general cleaning.

Perhaps I am missing something. Certainly the OP can do what he wants with his revolver. JMHO I don't disassemble any more than what is required for a general cleaning.

Over the years (and there are many) I've seen a lot of guns marred or broken by careless disassembly. Why take a gun completely apart for no obvious reason other than you wanted to? JMHO.

A lot of folks do not put enough rounds through their firearms in a lifetime to necessarily justify a detail strip. It would still seem prudent, at some point, to completely disassemble for inspection and lube. Some lubes become solid, others attract debris, parts can break/crack from dry fire and simple handling/minor dropping, etc.

If you shoot a gun a lot, if is a very good idea to completely detail strip the pistol at least every 5-10 thousand rounds to inspect for needed maintenance items and for a thorough cleaning. You would be amazed at the gunk you will find in an action for a revolver or pistol after 15000 rounds, if not detail stripped in between. Especially depending on the ammo used.

Again, not a necessity for those guns not used a lot, but still a very good idea to inspect every 5-10-15 years for those primarily used for home/self defense. For collector pieces, well, no real need there, as it could detract from value.

tgmr05,

I totally agree. If you have a used gun whose history and round count is unknown, then yes, check it out
as you say. However I don't feel that its necessary to dismantle a new gun beyond the manufacturer's
recommended cleaning procedure (as described in the manufacturer's owners manual)

Once again, JMHO that to dismantle a new gun beyond what the manufacturer calls for is just asking for trouble (ie marred screws, broken parts, lost springs etc) especially if the owner isn't familiar with the total breakdown of the model of a brand new gun, but its not my gun.

I totally respect the OP's decision as its his gun to do what he wants, but why risk trouble, returns to the factory, finding parts, finding a qualified gunsmith to repair, if you don't have to?

I'm confused. The OP wants to remove the cylinder for cleaning. How is that detail stripping? I usually remove the cylinder for cleaning, especially after shooting lead.

Oink,

You say you remove the cylinder for cleaning. Why should you have to?
Cant you clean it in place?

Warning....opinion follows

Purely my personal opinion and preference (and from an armorer's perspective)......If I'm willing to depend on my carry firearm to defend myself and protect the lives of my loved ones, you can be sure that I'm going to detail strip and "inspect" the gun to verify it's integrity more than once every five years. (previous post: "inspect every 5-10-15 years for those primarily used for home/self defense")

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Armorer,

Yes, and I understand. BUT would you take apart a brand new gun (100 rounds) for cleaning purpose beyond what the factory recommends?

Yes, I would. And based on the new products I've seen recently, I would detail strip, thoroughly inspect, and properly lubricate the firearm right out of the box.... prior to use.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

OK, but the factory doesn't recommend removing the cylinder for cleaning.
You have your experience to guide you, but there are a lot of other enthusiasts who don't. If this is accepted procedure in cleaning the weapon (ie removing the cylinder assembly from the frame) why doesn't the manufacturer recommend it in the owners manual?

There is NOTHING wrong with your gun, and if you return it, there is nothing S&W can or will do. Look at post #11 for the proper way to disassemble this revolver. tgmr05's post is exactly how I disassemble my non-fluted revolvers.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I think we have established that the reason for so much effort is: because that is what we want to do.
My wife stopped asking many years ago "Why do you work on that old car so much?"

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Tom

I would guess the factory doesn't recommend removal of the cylinder/yoke because of perceived liability issues. Many people today don't even own a screwdriver, and wouldn't know how to properly use one if they did. I personally don't agree with the factory service recommendations when it comes to carry guns.

If the gun is going to live in the safe, then cleaning and servicing is not an issue. On the other hand, if I'm going to depend on the gun to save my life, it's going to be clean, in working order, and properly lubricated. Revolvers that are fired regularly need to be cleaned regularly, especially in and on the cylinder assembly and yoke. Shooting debris in and on these components cannot be properly cleaned without removing these parts from the frame. Often times, assemblies need to be disassembled as well. As most gun owners know, accumulated shooting debris can not only cause stoppages and malfunctions, it can also adversely contribute to wear and tear on the various component parts.

As I said, this is strictly personal opinion based on my own experience.....each owner must make their own decisions regarding the need for cleaning and the maintenance of their particular firearms. I also understand that many owners will have to depend on the skill and training of a gunsmith or armorer in order to mitigate the impact of dirt and debris that is in places they choose not to access.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

642 PC

Point very well taken.

Op just doesn’t get it or is trolling. Yoke and cylinder should never come off without removing yoke screw

I understand that removing the cylinder may be a correct part of the cleaning process for some,and I for one, will not argue with the intents or motives one will have in doing so.
But, I have Smith's with well over 10,000 rounds that I've never removed the cylinders in, at all.
Just throwin it out there.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Wow, 10K rounds. I'd love to see one of those when you finally open her up.

We used to clean our PPC revolvers between matches. If I remember correctly, that would be after 60 rounds.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Lou, are you shootin' factory or lead? I let my PowerPort that I shoot IHMSA & at least twice a week at the range go 8 months last year without cleaning just to see how dirty it'd get. I load lswc and man was it filthy! LOADS of character! When I finally took it down the carbon build up on the cylinder face and recoil shield was crazy. It was caked up so bad the cylinder almost wouldn't spin. For me, it's just a lot easier to thoroughly clean with the cylinder off the gun.
Caution: Dirty pic attached.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

From his ONLY reply, I can't tell if the OP doesn't realize that the forward side plate screw captures the yoke. I'm betting he finally read the informative posts and was able to remove the cylinder. It would be nice if he would update but I guess that would be asking for too much.

Argh!
That's filthy! Lol!
I've let a 686 get dirty like that looking similar to that. I can only shoot plated ,jacketed or sometimes coated. I'm trying out those sns? They only come in red tho.
When I clean(now if I clean) I always keep the cylinder on. Spray with mpro7 cleaner. Brass brush the cylinder, recoil shield and cone area. Then brass brush the barrel. Wipe dry and oil with clip or the remaining mpro oil that I have.
I do mostly shoot (xtreme)plated tho. And they mostly keep things clean minus the powder and soot.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

My last order from Summers I got 1500 lswc & 500 Hi-Tek to see how accurate the coated boolits were. I couldn't see any difference. When I run through this batch I'll be ordering all coated. I sure am gonna miss the "character" though.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

They say those coated's are tuff! I pulled a 158gr one out on an SNS one. The primer went in backwards on the progressive. Can you believe not a scratch on it? Almost thought it tough as linotype! The kind if you tried to dig your nail in it, it slides instead of giving in. After it was crimped.

I tried the hi-tek ones from acme or bayou-that stuff came off like scratching old paint. I like the bayou ones tho.



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I really had no idea people considered their guns thoroughly clean without having removed the cylinder. How do you get the nasty black gunk out of the center of the cylinder and the yoke. Plus it's way easier to scrub the chambers with the cylinder out and on the rubber mat. The only LEO I ever knew that didn't thoroughly clean, removing the cylinder, used to take his in to a shop for some sort of sonic cleaning on a regular basis but I wasn't impressed with the results. I've been removing my cylinder to clean for about 35 years and thousands of LSWC rounds. That someone would go 10K rounds without a through cleaning leaves me a bit incredulous .

The guns that I use for personal protection get shot enough that they need to be detailed stripped regularly.

10000 rounds! Wow! When you finally take that sucker apart, if you can get it apart, you are going to see some funky stuff!!

Removing the cylinder for cleaning lessens the chance of damage to the cylinder while cleaning the forcing cone area . Also prevents putting pressure on the yoke assembly and perhaps doing damage in that area. One would be amazed by the crud one can find with it removed, clean yours the way you want. But it doesn't mean my method is wrong.

I agree. Sadly I've found brand new revolvers from the factory had little to no lube in them, and worse, metal filings. So Yes, that's what I do too now. At a minimum remove the sideplate & give it a good spraying (Rem Oil) to flush it out.

Obviously if the owner isn't comfortable with that level of work they should have someone else do it for them.

As far as why you'd need to remove the cylinder, debris/residue gets on the yoke's barrel causing the cylinder to not turn freely or bind up. Some models are worse about it, the ones without a debris/gas flange to shield the yoke's barrel, & need more frequent attention.

.

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Waiting for the break of day

Just removed my cylinder off of one of my 10,000+round guns. It looks clean? Not immaculate. But it passes. I wonder now if removing the cylinder to clean is a myth. This gun has never had an oil bath or an ultrasonic cleaner dip. Just mpro7 spray cleaner. Same I use on the titanium cylinder guns that I have. Brass brushes on steel(plastic bristles on titanium) . That's it. How much cleaner does it have to be? The cylinder never binds and spins freely if I'm shooting it or not!
Just saying. I didnt even wipe the yoke. That's how it came out. Oh well.....

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Here's what the cone looks like.
It's starting to form a crack atv12 o'clock. Doesn't surprise me.

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That's a HUGE difference between jacketed or coated vs lead. I just gave the PP it's twice a year cleaning and was night & day difference compared to your 627 Lou. I wish I'd taken detailed before & after pics. There's always next year!!

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

I think your post and oinks, really prompted me to take a cylinder out to check it out. I've posted pics. That's how it all came apart.
The only thing I can say as to why it's that clean, is I mainly use plated or coated ammo and I only use mpro7 spray cleaner;letting it go inside the yoke and chambers.
I'm sitting here this morning, drinking coffee after I took it apart, thinking what I thought I might've found inside the yoke. It all looked surprisingly clean. I'm kinda baffled.
I dont make a dime outta saying, use mpro7 cleaner! I'm a spray my 1911s after use kinda guy. And if I do strip them down, I usually dont find anything of consequence. (But they do get alot of crude inside the firing pin chamber, and for that, a q-tip and some gun oil goes a long ways....)

Oink.
I think you said 'incredulous '-finding it hard for people to believe what they say? Fine. Sometimes I find it hard to believe certain forum members. And what they say. I think only members that do use mpro7 and know how that product cleans-will practically be the only ones to believe how that yoke came out! And what a good product it is. (Hey! I think they need to send me a check or something! Lol!)

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My experience mirrors that of Lou the welder -oodles of rounds and virtually no residue found when I do remove cylinders, which is once in a blue moon. If I had pictures, they would look the same as Lou's(except for the eroded forcing cone -haven't seen anything like that on mine; maybe when I get to 10k).

I don't doubt anything said by those whose experience differs, except if someone insists that our guns must be as filthy/gummed up and possibly unreliable as theirs would be if treated the same(I dont' recall if anyone explicitly said so, but it seems like one or two came close.).

What makes the difference? Lou emphasizes his cleaning solvent, which I have also but use only on my blued guns, which I don't shoot as much(use a different one on ss). It seems to me that the main difference must lie with the components that leave the residue -powder and bullet lube primarily. I load only jacketed bullets, which as you know don't require lube. And I use two slower powders which burn so cleanly that my patches pick up very little residue from the bore -even the first one through. I also use magnum primers exclusively, which I suspect but can't prove, result in a more thorough burn.

I'm certainly not suggesting that others limit themselves to the same components as I do. Others have different guns, preferences, purposes, etc., etc.

I realize that I've gone pretty far afield here from the original purpose of the thread(my apologies to the OP). But since a number of others already have done so, I decided to offer my experience in the matter. I am a mechanically inclined fellow and have had some of my guns apart for various reasons, including, periodically, cleaning yoke barrels and so forth. But when I clean after a typical visit to the range, I rarely remove the cylinder. To prevent unnecessary wear to the other parts, I lay the revolver on a mat on its right side, cover the grip with a rag, and grasp the cylinder firmly and hold it still with my left hand while pushing brass brushes and cleaning patches back and forth. This greatly reduces the extra stress on the yoke which I believe others have mentioned.

Well, time for me to yield the floor. Best wishes to the OP with his issue.

Regards,
Andy