I have a .22lr llama ruby extra revolver made in Spain that is almost an exact copy of a S&W I/J-frame 22. It is brand new but the end-shake is pretty bad with a cylinder gap of .001 with the hammer down on an empty shell but .017 when the cylinder is push back by hand.

I got a few light primer strikes per cylinder but I think that was just because the hammer spring tension screw was backed out too much. I think tightening the hammer tension screw a little will fix that problem. The double action pull was noticeable too light for a .22 revolver.

I am going to fix the end-shake with some shims that go between the yoke tube and inside the cylinder to push the cylinder farther back. The problem is the farther back I shim the cylinder the barrel gap goes up. On the other hand I will get deeper primer strikes. However I don't want to go too far back because the hammer denting the rims excessively could cause the cylinder to bind or break my fixed firing pin hammer which would be next to impossible to find a spare. So what would be a good range to set the cylinder gap at?

If it's almost an exact copy of a J frame...

1) There shouldn't be a tension screw, but since there is, it should be fully seated and not used to adjust trigger pull.

2) If you shim it to correct endshake, make sure to oil the shims, and leave approximately .001" endshake dialed in -- don't go to zero. The shims, if I recall, are in .004" and .002" sizes; with .016" endshake, you should use three .004"s and one .002".

3) The b-c gap doesn't increase as you shim, it's alway .017" because it's measured with the cylinder held back; the only fix for it is pulling the barrel, turning it and resetting gap -- something only for a pro.

Ok, well these were made in the 50/60's and maybe closer to an I frame and is a 4 screw side plate. They also came in a .32 but besides the leaf-spring instead of a coil spring and hammer mounted firing pin its nearly identical to my M34 and even uses the same side plate screws ,grips,and the J-frame end-shake washers will fit. I was told when searching for grips for my square but j frame M34 that Pachmyer moved the grip screw location at one point so it wouldn't interfere with the leaf hammer spring of earlier models. Maybe they were referring to center fires though.

When i screw the hammer spring torsion screw all the way in the leaf spring sure looks bent a stressful amount but I will take your word on it.

I see what you are saying on the cylinder gap. I thought the hammer pushing on the cartridge would close the gap but the overriding force of the shell going off will force the cylinder far-most back while firing.

I was going to go for a .007 'forward' gap but will just shim it for a .001-.002 max end-shake like you recommend but is it really that critical like on more powerful center fires that can beat themselves todeath. The .017 cylinder gap doesn't bother me much for what I payed.