Got a unfluted cylinder for my 629. I knew it would have to be timed if I couldn't use the old ratchet like I have done with a couple other Smiths I have. Well the old ratchet don't fit in the cylinder center hole. It's all the new style parts but just don't fit. I installed the new cylinder and ratchet and it locks up nicely. Trouble is the hand is not sliding past the ratchet after lock up to allow the hammer to go all the way back to cock position. Same in pulling the trigger...it locks up great but will not pull all the way back.
Should the hand or ratchet be worked on? or both? I have new hands on hand and a couple ratchets.

Probably both.

The ratchets will have to be individually cut to accomodate the width of the hand so that the hand will be able to pass them, and enable to cylinder to carry up properly. This is done with a Nicholson 4", 0 cut barrette file. The hand is not modified.
If you don't have experience cutting ratchets, this job is better left to a trusted, experienced gunsmith, or contact S&W.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Don't do anything to the ratchets. You need a thinner hand. You can sort through the ones you have, or you can file the nose down on one if they are all too wide. To file down the nose, you use a diamond file and file on the side next to the center pin, just on the nose part that sticks out the hand window. Do about a thousandth at a time, check with micrometer or calipers, file some more, check again, etc.

Toolguy knows of which he speaks!

If you have thinner hands in stock, try replacing the hand until you find one that fits. Just guessing at a starting place, try one .004 smaller and see how that one works, then if it is still to wide, you can go smaller or start thinning it.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Thank you. I do have extra hands and will go through them for a thinner one.

You need a ratchet cutter and a file, and the knowledge to use both. The hand does not need to be filed . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

This is a job for an experienced gunsmith. Be prepared to purchase all new parts if you proceed on your own without proper education and skill.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I have extra parts so I'm going to give it a try. It may take me a while but I feel confident I can do it.

There's a saying I learned when building 1911s...

"Always modify the cheaper part."

I just got a 617 cylinder for a project and the hand binds on all cylinders....

Guess what part I'm going to remove material from??!!

Hands are cheap!!

That is what I plan to do but after going through my parts box all I have is K & L frame hands. I ordered a few from Brownells. Should be here before the weekend.

Well after I removed and replaced my Daughters garage door I was home in time for the mail man.
Took me a little over 3 hours to get this new Unfluted Cylinder and new hand to fit correctly. My arthritis cut me some slack so I didn't have to stop and start after each time I took it apart. I went very slowly and took off a .0001 at a time from just the left side of the Hand nose. I totally lost count how many times I did this. When I got it to where the trigger would cycle on all chambers I put it all back together but it was a little rough on 2 and they were easy to see this with the hammer off looking through the hand window. I did however dress the ratchet on those 2 only but I did hit all of them with a stone just to smooth the edges of any burrs. Thank goodness for the Diamond eze lap to do all the work except for the stoning. I don't like using files for this kind of work. After completing I held a light at the rear with the hammer removed and looking down the business end all looked centered after 2 full cycles. I am very happy how it turned out. I have done hundreds of trigger jobs but at 63 this is my first time for this. Here's a picture of it with the new cylinder installed. Hopefully I can give it the real test tomorrow.

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Great job Jul! Going slow over and over is a pain, but it's very easy to go too far if you don't try to sneak up on it. It sounds like it all turned out well due to your patience and being careful.