Have a 1972 vintage square butt model 36. It shoots low with all bullet weights, approx 4" with 158 grain bullets. It also spits back, hard enough to draw blood! Looking inside each chamber with the trigger held back, everything seems to line up. There are also no signs on the cylinder front or forcing cone of shaving. However it spit at least one round of every cylinderful put through yesterday. Was shooting 158 gr. Berry's plated flat point bullets over 4.6 grains of Unique.

You really need a range rod to check barrel/cylinder alignment. However, the "draws blood" comment is both puzzling and troubling. Unless you've got part of one of your paws past the B/C gap, you shouldn't be getting anything. I'd suggest calling S&W about factory service.

About the shooting low, many of the J frames had high front sights and the end user was expected to file them to fit.

Thanx, it was spitting high up on my left cheek, and I don't have a range rod. However I tried a cleaning rod with a brass burr, and pushed it in to each cylinder, trying to get it to catch all around. no luck, not too scientific, but what I had. Wondered if maybe the berry's bullets, cuz of the thin plating, were prone to shaving/spitting. fixing front sight no problem, just odd, as this is the only one I have of the 5 snubbies I own that shoots low.

I don't think it's the Berry bullets, they are very good bullets. I think the timing is off. As stated above I would call S&W. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

Thanks. I'll do just that

My M36 doesn't do that, but I would appreciate hearing how this turns out. Good luck, TACC1.

Excessive B/C air gap and or improper lock up causes spitting. A very leaded forcing cone also causes spitting.
Hitting low might be shooter induced, or gun related, possibly barrel issues. Remember these guns are meant to shoot 158 gn lead slugs. Light bullets will hit low for sure....

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NRA Benefactor Member

The two problems you are having MIGHT be related. If the forcing cone is shaving lead it could contribute to the bullets hitting low. I was going to offer you a solution to correct the low shooting (sight adjustment), but after thinking about it, I would solve the lead spitting problem first and see if that doesn't solve both of the problems. I have never experienced spitting to the point of drawing blood, and as others have said, that is definitely not normal.

The first thing I would do is acquire a range rod to determine if all the chambers are lining up properly with the barrel. The second thing is to check the barrel/cylinder gap at every cylinder hole while it's lined up. I personally will not accept a gap of more than .006", but remember to check it on each charge hole.

If you find a problem with either situation, send it back to S & W for repair, unless you know a really good gunsmith locally.

Good luck.

Regards,
chief38