Yesterday my wife had her first trial of her new Model 632, shooting .32 S&W longs. Some "issues" surfaced, and being a complete noob with S&W revolvers I'm not sure what, if anything caused them and what to do about them.

• After four cylinder's worth of shooting she couldn't open the cylinder. I was able to do it but the release button felt overly stiff to me. Once I had the release button pushed forward it seemed to me like it took an excess of pressure to push the cylinder out of the frame. At home I tried the button with the cylinder already open and there was much less resistance to moving it. But opening the cylinder still took too much pressure as far I was concerned. Is this normal expected behavior in a new gun?
  
• When I tried spinning the open cylinder there was fair amount amount of resistance and it stopped suddenly rather than "winding down" gradually. Again, is this expected in a new gun?

I'm thinking of pulling the cylinder assembly out of the yoke to check for dirt, burrs, etc. Also pulling the extractor rod for the same reason.

Should these parts be lubed or left dry? Anything else I should check?

Any advice/suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks.

If, as you stated, its a new revolver and you were only using 32 longs - I'd call S&W and get a shipper and return it to the factory. I would not mess with it.
I had to return mine for difficult extraction - they replaced the cylinder.

Sounds like you have crud (unburned/partially burned powder) under the extractor. Pretty common, particularly if you're not keeping the gun "muzzle up" when ejecting empties. Open the cylinder, depress the extractor rod, look under the extractor and brush out the crud. Do not lube the extractor or extractor rod. Do minimally lube the yoke/cylinder bearing surface.

If I was you, for the money you paid (Not Cheap) I would send it back to S&W and let them handle the problem.

I do not own a 632 but must say I have an attraction to them.

Out of curiosity, place of purchase?

__________________
Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm not a fan of sending off guns but may have no choice. Checking under the extractor star reveals no crud. I don't know if it's relevant but should have mentioned that the gun is marked "632-1", 3" barrel, and is in a bright stainless finish. I know the 632 is currently listed in a black finish by S&W. Going by the date on the fired shell it had been sitting unloved for two years.

labworm:

Bought at Cabela's, Lacey, WA. As you say, not cheap. I got a very good price on a traded Kimber there, otherwise I would have asked my wife to choose a different gun.

I'm curious as to why you shouldn't lube these. I've lubed all my revolver extractors & rods for 40 years without any trouble with any of them.

Thanks

Because it's a surface that, if lubed, just attracts crud. Lube on the extractor where it slides in and out of the cylinder migrates to the back side of the extractor and the cylinder increasing the likelyhood of crud sticking. An un-lubed extractor/extractor rod stays much cleaner.

Ok, then next I would "pull the cylinder assembly out of the yoke to check for dirt, burrs, etc. Also pulling the extractor rod for the same reason" which will also let you see if the extractor rod is loose. I've had a new gun that came thru with what looked like tar (or the worlds stiffest grease) on the yoke surface the cylinder spins on that kept the cylinder from rotating freely until it was cleaned off.