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S&W-Smithing Maintenance, Repair, and Enhancement of Smith & Wesson and Other Firearms.


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Old 10-29-2020, 04:37 PM
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Here's a head-scratcher for you. I have an antique S&W DA in .44 Russian. I finally got to a range to check it out and it's a finicky thing. When I load the Fiocchi ammunition into it, it goes into screw-with-you mode. I can't draw the hammer back to full cock for SA action and DA is also finicky. I thought that maybe changing the grips had something to do with it. Nope! I looked to see if the cartridge rims were too fat and rubbing against the flash shield. Nope! I wondered if the bullets protruded too much and were rubbing on the forcing cone. Nope! When it's empty, it works just fine. I put the expended cartridges into it and it gets stiff again. Any thoughts, you gurus out there?
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Old 10-29-2020, 04:52 PM
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Check to see if the hand is hitting the rim of the cartridge. If so, you will find small marks on the outer radius of the rims. A bit of filing with a diamond file will fix that problem. Careful study of the situation is called for before removing any metal.
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Old 10-29-2020, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Protocall_Design View Post
Check to see if the hand is hitting the rim of the cartridge. If so, you will find small marks on the outer radius of the rims. A bit of filing with a diamond file will fix that problem. Careful study of the situation is called for before removing any metal.
Thank you. I had to look up what the "hand" is and found an old thread that explains it. I'm pretty tool handy, but this is out of my wheelhouse. The obvious problem is that I can't gauge the degree of wear on the teeth on the cylinder. Obviously, removing too much material from the hand could result in it failing to engage the teeth and rotate the cylinder into battery. I had planned to use the Fiocchi brass for reloading but before I start mucking about with a file, I'll try some Starline brass. I hadn't planned to get into reloading for this caliber until the new year due to budgetary concerns. I may have to reexamine the budget and gather the needful components ahead of schedule.

Last edited by Exmilcop; 11-19-2020 at 09:58 AM.
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Old 11-20-2020, 05:13 PM
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Addendum: Here's another oddity. There's no problem with the brass when it's just the brass. I took some of the fired brass and ran it through the pistol and it works just fine. The hand only binds on the loaded ammo. ***!!! I put a small machinists straight edge on the brass to see how worn the ratchet is or is not. If the problem persists, I may be able to very carefully file the hand, maybe 1/64" or less. The trouble is I have to do that at a range. I'm not going to fiddle with live ammo in a pistol at home.
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Old 11-20-2020, 06:00 PM
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You could load some dummy rounds without powder or primer for your smithing
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Old 11-20-2020, 08:12 PM
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Any filing you do on the hand to clear the case rim would be on the very end of the hand nose. It should only come flush to the surface of the recoil shield and not protrude beyond.
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Old 11-20-2020, 08:35 PM
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Here's my two cents worth: Have a look at the hand to be sure it is original. There should be no play or gap between the hand and the slot it rides in in the recoil shield. If it's a replacement or been repaired / altered and there is a gap, the resistance of a fully loaded cylinder may force the hand sideways to the left and get caught either on the outside of the ratchet tooth, or against the cartridge rim. The hand ought to be perfectly straight, square and true, and its nose flush with the shield. It has a little tab protruding outward to engage the tooth just right. If that's buggered, it may not engage properly. On the other hand, it could be the ratchet, too. If it is worn badly, the hand may not engage properly and you may only notice when there is some weight in the cylinder. Try cocking it empty, but putting a bit of resistance on the cylinder - eg. put a finger on the side of the cylinder while trying to cock it. See if it binds then. Just a thought...
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Old 11-21-2020, 06:32 AM
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Here's my two cents worth: Have a look at the hand to be sure it is original. There should be no play or gap between the hand and the slot it rides in in the recoil shield. If it's a replacement or been repaired / altered and there is a gap, the resistance of a fully loaded cylinder may force the hand sideways to the left and get caught either on the outside of the ratchet tooth, or against the cartridge rim. The hand ought to be perfectly straight, square and true, and its nose flush with the shield. It has a little tab protruding outward to engage the tooth just right. If that's buggered, it may not engage properly. On the other hand, it could be the ratchet, too. If it is worn badly, the hand may not engage properly and you may only notice when there is some weight in the cylinder. Try cocking it empty, but putting a bit of resistance on the cylinder - eg. put a finger on the side of the cylinder while trying to cock it. See if it binds then. Just a thought...
Problem solved! With full disclosure, I sold it and I've purchased another one. Hopefully, I've traded up. When it arrives, I'll post pics but here's one from the seller. I like the extra inch in the barrel length. Now to find some leather for it.
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