I am having a problem with opening the cylinder on my 986. I have checked the clearance at the forcing cone and checked for dirt behind the ejector star and on the cylinder. The Cylinder will spin freely if the hammer is pulled back slightly. But when the thumb lever is pushed, the cylinder will not swing out of the frame. If extreme pressure is put on the cylinder is will open, but feels as though it is scraping in something. I am scheduled to shoot a State Final on the 23rd of September. Anything I need to check to correct this? Thanks for any help.
John

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Nam '66-67

Have you checked the ejector rod itself to see if it's come loose?

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

Looking at pics of this model leads me to believe that it features a cylinder rod lock in the recess under the barrel. If so it's very likely that your cylinder rod hasn't been properly "fitted" to the ejector rod center pin. What happens when you press the thumb release is that the center pin is driven towards the front of the revolver and this pushes the locking lug in that barrel recess back to release the cylinder. In order for this to function properly that center pin has to extend slightly PAST the end of the ejector rod when it's forward. If this doesn't happen the ejector rod will form a sort of "lip" around the center pin and the locking lug will catch on this "lip". The solution for this is to use a fine grit diamond file or some 220 grit wet sandpaper on a Popsicle stick to remove just a tiny bit of material from the end of the ejector rod.

Tips. First, if you position the cylinder to the point where it will almost latch that center pin will be held at the forward position so you can use a magnifying glass and light to see if the center pin is a bit recessed in relation to the end of the ejector rod. Next, work slowly and keep testing. Finally the goal is to fit the end of the ejector rod so the center pin is past it by about the thickness of a piece of paper all the way around. Meaning you want to make sure you have that end square. Otherwise you'll find the cylinder opens easily on some position but still "catches" at other positions.

Finally, S&W has started phasing out the cylinder rod lock at the recess under the barrel and instead using a ball detent on the yoke. IMO this is a cost savings measure in spite of the claims of S&W that it's an improvement. The reason I say this is because I happen to have a Dan Wesson model 15-2 with a true lock on the yoke and I do NOT think that any ball detent will ever have the holding power of a real lock. I'll also note that I find it really ironic that Dan Wesson was turned down by S&W in the late 60's when he wanted to implement features like a yoke lock and Tensioned Barrels on the S&W revolver and today they are slowly starting to build revolvers that look a lot like what Dan Wesson wanted to build all those years ago.

I'll also note that IMO there really isn't any benefit to a lock on the yoke. Having compared my Tensioned Barrel model 620 to my Tensioned barrel DW 15-2 I've found that both revolvers are capable of sub 1 inch groups at 50 yards which is the limit of my skills shooting a handgun from a rest. I will also note that I strongly suspect that in better hands either one of these revolvers is probably capable of 1 MOA accuracy levels and perhaps a more highly skilled shooter might be able to see a slight benefit to a yoke lock over the old style ejector rod lock. However since most of us won't ever shoot to that level it probably doesn't matter at all.

For the nth time:

Diagnosing/Fixing Hard Cylinder Opening:

First, you need to be specific about the problem. Is the "Thumbpiece" (There is no such part as a "cylinder release" on a S&W revolver) hard to push, or is the cylinder hard to push out of the frame once the thumbpiece is pushed forward? These are two totally separate issues.

First, open the cylinder and look at the end of the "bolt". This is the pin you see in the center of the breech face. Is it flush with the breech, or is it below flush? If flush that isn't the problem. If it is below then the bolt (attached to the thumbpiece) isn't pushing the centerpin far enough to disengage the "locking bolt", the beveled pin in the barrel lug that engages the front end of the extractor rod, fully out of the end of the center pin. This could be the result of improper fitting of the bolt, or debris inside the action blocking the bolt from full motion. Remove the sideplate and clean the action and see if this fixes the problem. Be sure to get the area between the front of the bolt and the frame.

The other problem can be a loose extractor rod as mentioned above. Tighten it. The centerpin can also be short, or the extractor rod too long. If the centerpin is not flush, or slightly above, the end of the extractor rod then the locking bolt isn't completely disengaged and is catching on the locking bolt. The front end of the extractor rod needs to be shortened slightly to fix the problem. This is the most likely cause of the cylinder sticking when you try to open it.

To check the extractor rod length remove the cylinder from the gun and hold it vertically on a hard, flat surface to push the centerpin fully flush with the rear face of the extractor center bearing. While holding the cylinder feel the front end of the extractor rod. If you can feel the rim of the extractor rod when moving your finger over the end of the extractor rod it is too long. The end of the centerpin should be at least flush, and if it is you will not feel the rim of the extractor rod, but your finger will slide freely over the centerpin/extractor rod gap. The extractor rod needs to be trimmed slightly until you don't feel the drag anymore. The extractor rod must be fit to work correctly, and even the factory doesn't seem to do a very good job of it! Hardly anyone replacing a damaged extractor rod even has the slightest idea the replacement needs to be fit and just installs it as received!

The extractor rod can be trimmed with a fine file or a stone such as an "India" in fine grit. Smoother stones, like "Arkansas", are simply too fine and will not cut efficiently. Best is to remove the extractor rod from the gun and either face it in a lathe or chuck it a drill press and place a fine file or piece of abrasive paper on the table. This will assure the end of the extractor rod stays square. Usually only .002-.003". rarely as much as .005" needs to be removed so don't get too carried away.

While centerpin springs vary in tension I have never seen one so heavy that it could be said to cause the thumbpiece to be so hard to push that it would cause hard opening.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Thanks for the replies. WE will try these tonight (if we have time). This is the first revolver that I have owned
that has had a problem like this. As to the question of Alk8944, the problem is the cylinder is hard to push out
of the frame once the thumbpiece is pushed forward. Sorry for the explanation not being specific enough, I'm
just not all that used to describing probllems.

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Nam '66-67

Since you are new to revolvers, just a quick mention that the extractor rod has a reverse thread. Turning it to the right will loosen it, turning it to the left will tighten it.

Colt revolvers work perfectly well without a front lock on the cylinder. That is because the hand turns the cylinder to the right, as to force it closer to the frame. S&W cylinders turn to the left, so the front lock is intended to reduce strain on the crane.

To this end, the ball and notch lock on Performance Center revolvers is tighter and has less lost motion against the force of the hand. As a possible disadvantage, the cylinder is somewhat harder to open than with a conventional lock.

A ball detent is used on Ruger DA revolvers, which have a reputation for extreme ruggedness (and look it).

The usual reasons S&W cylinders are hard to open are (a) a loose (extended) ejector rod and (b) dirt under the star. Alignment of the crane can also be a factor. I don't expect the cylinder to fall open under gravity. It always requires a little nudge to clear the detent.

Well, we got to working on the 986 this afternoon and Tom S. gets a free beer on me. He was correct, it was a loose ejector rod causing the problem. My son was talking to a friend about it and he told my son how to go about checking and fixing it. Thanks again all, for all the help. First ever problem like this over a lot of years of revolver shooting. Glad it was able to be fixed before the State Steel Shoot on Friday.

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Nam '66-67

I love happy endings! BTW: make it a diet Coke - been dry since 1980.

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

Had the same problem with 442 last year. Same issue, a loose ejector rod. I putzed with it for 20 mins before it dawned on me.