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Old 10-04-2018, 09:55 AM
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Default Cylinder release stuck on K22

I'm looking at a 1949 K22. Functions perfectly DA and SA. Cylinder release will not move. Is this likely unscrewed ejector rod? Right hand thread to tighten, correct? Is the best solution to remove yoke and cylinder to tighten the rod?

Are there other problems that could cause this? I loosened the release screw a full turn and that made no difference. Revolver has not been lubricated in 30 years if that is relevant.

This is a museum specimen, not a shooter, but I would like to fix this issue.

Thanks for the assistance.
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Old 10-04-2018, 10:20 AM
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The cylinder release pin may not be seated in its hole ( center of recoil plate). You can usually reset it by working thru the hammer opening, but removing the side plate would be the best way to check/fix it.
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Old 10-04-2018, 12:00 PM
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Could be many things; much easier to open 'er up and see rather than continue guessing.

Don't pry that sideplate off; remove the screws and pop the grip section with a rawhide or plastic hammer.

Better yet, take it to someone who's done this before.
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Old 10-04-2018, 12:26 PM
Boudiepitbull Boudiepitbull is offline
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Not lubricating for 30 years may be a strong clue...
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Old 10-04-2018, 01:09 PM
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Thanks for the responses and suggestions. I have a dozen or so Smiths in my personal collection, so I've done the drill on side plates.

This one is a museum collection, so there's a reluctance on the part of the staff to take things apart. There is also a strange disinclination to use oil on anything. I'm a bit OCD on having things work, but there is really no need for this one to work as it would only be a display piece.

ben_g1. This has the frame mounted firing pin so access through the hammer opening is blocked.

I don't think there is a fix unless I can take it apart.

Last edited by Inusuit; 10-04-2018 at 01:15 PM.
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Old 10-04-2018, 01:34 PM
Protocall_Design Protocall_Design is offline
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It may be just congealed oil holding everything tight. An overnight soak in some solvent would help if that is the cause. Can't hurt, might help.
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Old 10-04-2018, 03:10 PM
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Could be the rod or the bolt (hope that's the name of it)
Had one do this a few weeks ago.Took the thumb piece off and was able to use a small tool to jiggle the bolt back into the recoil shield.Good luck!
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Old 10-04-2018, 03:32 PM
WR Moore WR Moore is offline
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If not lubed in 30 years, I'd suggest taking the stocks off and putting the piece in a bucket of kerosene for a week or so and then trying again.

Tightness of the extractor rod isn't an issue if the thumb piece won't move. The thumb piece moves the center pin. The issue may well be corrosion and/or dried out lube on the center pin. Possibly on the bolt (thing the thumb piece moves), but unlikely. The locking bolt might also be an issue. The kerosene soak should take care of the problems and should be followed by a detail strip, clean and lube.

I'm not sure what you meant by the release screw. If you're referring to the nut on the thumb piece, all that does is hold the thumb piece onto the bolt. If you refer to the yoke retaining screw, that has no effect either.

Last edited by WR Moore; 10-04-2018 at 03:37 PM.
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Old 10-04-2018, 04:10 PM
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To close the loop, those who speculated congealed lubricant were correct. The senior curator applied more pressure than I was willing to. The latch moved, the cylinder opened. The latch loosened up with repeated movement. Curator said it felt like hardened grease. Thanks again to all who posted.

Yes, I meant the nut on the cylinder release. And as usual, I was wrong.

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Old 10-04-2018, 04:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boudiepitbull View Post
Not lubricating for 30 years may be a strong clue...
My guess as well. The gun is gummed up.I once owned a 1948 K22 that had been stagnant for years-it took a little TLC to straighten it out.

(My business often involves dealing with gummed up old mechanisms.I'm still surprised by how severely parts can seize up.)
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Old 10-04-2018, 06:37 PM
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Over prolonged periods of time, WD-40 can harden into what resembles epoxy resin, or lacquer. Soaking in a suitable penetrant/cleaner is about the only way to soften it enough to get it out of the mechanism.
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Old 10-04-2018, 09:11 PM
Walter Rego Walter Rego is offline
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Twice in the last 20 years I have had the same thing happen. Both times with used guns that I had recently purchased and given a thorough cleaning. Except for disassembling the extractor rod, center pin and star. What I guess happened was that the cleaning had liquified old varnished oil (maybe the dreaded WD40) which then hardened again and froze the center pin. In both cases I stood the revolver up vertically, put a couple drops of Kroil on the little spring loaded locking bolt tip that sticks out of the barrel lug and at the junction of the rod tip and locking bolt and let it sit overnight. In one case it freed right up afterwards and I then detail stripped and lubed the extractor assembly. In the most recent case I also had to apply heat with a hair dryer to the rod and then I got it open. I generally don't like to take apart the extractor rod assembly and just drip solvent down it and then blast with Gunscrubber and lube.

Last edited by Walter Rego; 10-04-2018 at 09:13 PM.
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Old 10-05-2018, 05:58 AM
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Don't forget the lug under the barrel at end of ejector rod. If it gets bound up center pin can't move forward. If it was mine first thing would be a 2 day soak in a transmission fluid/kerosene/acetone mix with the grips off.

I have never had to drill the side plate screws. I have heated them a bit and another trick is to take the shaft of an old screw driver, grind or file the tip to fit well, place is slot with gun sitting on a non marring, but solid surface and then give the screwdriver shaft a couple wacks with a small hammer.
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Old 10-05-2018, 10:28 AM
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Now that you have the gun loosened up, would you tell us something about the gun itself? Why is it in a museum? Did it belong to somebody famous? Or infamous? While it sounds like a very desirable gun, I don't think it's spectacularly rare. That makes me wonder about its provenance.
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Old 10-05-2018, 04:49 PM
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Krogen, I will double check the next time I'm working as to the provenance of this particular revolver. I usually do 3-5 hours Wednesday/Thursday. The Museum has about 300 firearms, ranging from very unique and valuable pieces to rusted wrecks. Even the rusted wrecks are sometimes interesting, such as a Remington 1861 (some say 1858) percussion revolver that was picked up that the Bates Battlefield (1874) site in 1908.

The Museum accepts donations of artifacts from a variety of sources. Items do not necessarily have historic significance. My recollection is this revolver was given by a local law enforcement agency after it was confiscated from a convicted felon.
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Old 10-06-2018, 05:52 PM
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I'm late to the party but not surprised at the solution.

This problem is not uncommon. I've had several rear locking bolts seized up due to dried gunk and/or antiquated dried lubricant.

The bolt itself is square behind the round tip and slides in a channel over 1" long, enclosed on 3 sides. There's no other part on the revolver more easily subject to seizing under those mechanical circumstances!

I guarantee one thing, if no penetrant/oil is applied (and even if it is sometimes), in two months you'll find it seized again.

The thumb piece should be removed and the product applied to the bolt slide generously thru the opening. Once freed up, reinstall the thumb piece and work vigorously back and forth.

Then I would remove grips and flush action with a spray CLP (cleaner/lubricant/preservative) until all the black gunk drains out. And I prefer an odorless product which might be appreciated by the museum.
I use M-Pro7, one of the best and completely odorless.

Wipe off the outside completely leaving an unseeable film in the pores of the metal on the exterior.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:46 PM
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Had this all the time with guys that loaded guns with rev lockworks/Semi auto firing pins with breakfree and then put them away for years.That stuff would dry out and form a lacquer hard as a rock, but it dissolved easily with Hoppes if you could get some to the area.
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:28 PM
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CALREB,

I believe you mean WD-40. Doesn't happen with Breakfree.

Some gunsmiths charge extra to clean a gun with dried WD-40 in the action. And it deactivates primers of cartridges in the gun when sprayed.
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Old 11-07-2018, 08:18 PM
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Finally had the opportunity to revisit the K22. Removed the grips and discovered the stamped serial doesn't match the K prefix SN on the butt.

Hosed it down with Gun Scrubber, lightly oiled, and everything now works as intended.
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