The gun is in very nice shape, but the cylinder doesn't open as easily as other guns I have. The ejector rod is on tight and I have switched the two screws in case they were in the wrong holes but no difference. It seems to open easier depending on what position the cylinder is in. With all my other revolvers, I can thumb the release and use my trigger finger to push the cylinder out. Can't do that with this one. Any ideas?

This probably won't apply to you but when was the last time the gun was detail cleaned?

Powder under the extractor?

Smiles,

This probably won't apply to you but when was the last time the gun was detail cleaned?

Powder under the extractor?

Debris inside the extractor rod tube?

Smiles,

Last week when I got it. Completely disassembled and submerged in ATF for a few days and cleaned and lubed. Didn’t take cylinder apart but blasted down the middle where the rod goes through with brake cleaner and compressed air.

Bent ejector rod or crane are possibilities.

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Pisgah

Bent ejector rod or crane are possibilities.

Thats my guess too.

How do I diagnose? I just watched a video on YouTube from midway USA. Says to use a ruler as a reference and spin the cylinder. Mine doesn’t Appear to wobble. Maybe a hair.

It seems to open easier on one or two chambers then others if that helps.

If it has excess (over .002") end shake, the problem could be at the location where the end of the extractor rod interfaces with the front locking bolt. When end shake cylinder or end shake on the yoke is present (older revolver), the extractor rod end can hang or catch at that location.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

cylinder face rubbing on forcing cone ?

Locall shop is a gunsmith. Worked on tons of Smith revolvers. I’ll have him look at it

Let us know how it turns out in case anyone else runs into the same situation.

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low speed, high drag

I had a problem.with mine from residue at the end of the ejector rod where it seats on the forward cylinder latch. A few blasts of gun scrubby stuff helped, until I could detail strip that part.

Loose ejector rod? Turn it anty clockwise on.

I have a 14 that had the problem, turns out the original owner had replaced the ejector rod with one that was a tad to long. Outside possibility!

I looked at Midway USA for rods. They all say "for barrels greater than 2 inches". Seems like it's one size fits all for everything but snubbies.

First thing I checked. It's tight.

I took it to my local guy. He looked at it and said inside the front of the rod, where it locks into the pin under the barrel, looked like it needed a little chamfering. He said it looked rough. That would explain why it sometimes opened easier on some chambers then it did others. He took a 1/64th drill bit and gave it a couple of twists. Opens easy now.

My 14 had almost perfect bluing except for the extractor rod which was worn looking and missing most of it's bluing. Gunsmith installed a new rod and that took care of it, he suggested that the original had been replaced with a slightly longer rod causing it to bind. Who knows?

Thanks for the follow-up, good to hear it was something simple.

Maybe a 1/16th drill bit a 1/64 bit way way smaller than the rod. It is about like a medium mechanical piece lead. The center pin should come completely flush with the end of the rod. Yours must be a tiny bit short and the tip barrel lug is left slightly inside the rod, The camber now allows it to slide out.

Maybe. Don’t know but it works now so I’m happy!