Sometimes when a sideplate has been pried off or otherwise handled roughly, some small raised edges appear on the upper sideplate seam near the trigger. Does anybody have a suggestion regarding how to "roll" that edge back flush?

I’d try tapping it down with a small brass hammer. Go slow...

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"I also cook."

Don't tap on the front surface!

Usually, pried up side plate seam edges are "upset'. Meaning the metal is bulged up at the seams. Fixing them generally involves flattening the upset bulges w/o removing metal, by pressing the high spots with a flat polished piece of harder metal called a "dolly". I use a polished small chisel bottom surface or other similar machined tool surface as a "dolly".

Lay the sideplate face down on the "dolly": perfectly clean, smooth, hard, and flat surface and tap on the BACK SIDE of the side plate. But don't use the hammer surface. Use a punch with flat, polished tip and tap on the punch with the hammer.


The side plate can be squeezed against the dolly in a vice. Or the dolly can be laid flat on the side plate and tapped on the backside of the "upset" side plate edges to flatten the front side as described above.

A LOT LESS work than fitting an oddball replacement side plate, and at no cost and with better final fit results.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks for the information; will be helpful.

I also have peened my cylinder notches in this manner. VERY LIGHTLY, and checked by running my fingernail over the notch edge after every tap. NOTE: If you over do it, you will need to see/have a local smithy correct your timing, so be very aware...

Thank you Jim, have just encountered this problem for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was wondering about how to go about it. Easy to make it worse.

Ok, this is probably a stupid question, but would it be possible to flatten the sideplate seam without taking the sideplate off? Could maybe something like a highly polished socket from your socket set be used to tap and sort of roll the seam back down? Of course you would tap on the socket while holding it to the seam, not actually tap the gun with the socket.

No stupid questions.

Anything other than a flat polished surface used against the top surface will not usually be satisfactory.

The socket will likely leave a ripple affect on the upset burr. And one hammer tap a little askew will probably leave a tiny divot in the side plate from the other end of the socket.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Everyone that does much mechanical work needs a fair sizes SMOOTH flat hard surface. I have several anvils, some 1/4 brass plate and a granite inspection plate about 18"x18" and several brass hammers. I bought a smaller nylon and rubber hammer with the screw on faces. Took off the rubber one and made one from some aluminum round stock. Some brass and aluminum round stock of various sizes is also very handy to have around.

Just like the side plate spot lots of times metal is actually just displaced and not gone. Stamping, cylinder notches, dings etc. You may not always be able to move it all back, but a good share of it will go back and help.

I have removed the import markings from 2 of the 4 J&G gun smith special K frames so far and after some tapping it doesn't take much sanding to get the metal smooth again. Yes, that is legal, wrote the BATF for clarification. Law only prohibits removal of original serial number.