I have a new Model 66-8. Love this revolver. However currently it is difficult to find ammunition and when I find it...it is prohibitively expensive to be shooting paper targets with.
Idea ! !...buy an extra cylinder and have it machined to chamber 9mm ammo. My ony problem is...since S&W made some changes to improved the crane assembly......I am not sure if a cylinder from a previous model will work on the current -8.

I am new to all of this...so please don't beat me up too badly about this idea.

I have already purchased a new cylinder for my sons 686 and sent it off to have the conversion done to his extra cylinder. So he will be able to use 9mm.

But I am worried that the extra cylinders that are for sale out there may not work on the new -8 revolvers.

Please help.


Thanks you all in advance for your knowledge and wisdom.

Attached Images

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Same length cylinder with the gas ring on cylinder should work. On the newer dash numbers I am not sure if the 38 special cylinders are the same length as the 357 ones. They were not on the early K frame guns. My model 19-3 cylinder is longer than my model 10-2 cylinder even if you take away the length got recesses. Then most of them also have some small variation anyway and need fitted to a particular gun. There is no guarantee even another a model 66-8 cylinder will fit your 66-8 perfectly. Might need some sims or the yoke tube trimmed and shims added to original cylinder, timing may be off a little bit, barrel to cylinder gap may be big or tight. Or it may all be great.

I got real luck and my first few swaps went perfect, then I went to fit a 357 cylinder reamed to 45 colt in a 45 acp gun. The lessons began. A new 38 special barrl on a k frame. Cylinder would scraped forcing cone. ON another ejector rod a bit to long etc etc.