Greetings from Kentucky. Have a new to me 617. Loaded in six snap caps to check trigger pull weight. Hammer at single action dropped on three. Hammer will only come back half way on the fourth. Cylinder opening button seems to go full forward but cylinder will not open. Appears some of the snap caps are binding the cylinder. Any ideas would be welcomed. Thanks in Advance.

Without thinking too hard on this on a Monday after a two week vacation, I'd use a shim or two to try to shove those snap caps back into position. Will probably take a bench vise . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Ejector rod may have backed out of star.

Try screwing ejector rod "back in"--it has
a left-hand thread, so you'll be trying to
twist it "backwards".

Just for my own edification, how do you go about that with a full lug barrel . . . ?

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

use a popcicle stick sharpened to a chisel point, use it to turn the ejector rod

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Can't you take the cylinder out? Screw to release it is on the starboard side in the frame under the cylinder. Be careful not to bugger the screw.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Thanks for the suggestions. It is still stuck.

Three suggestions tried.
1. .006 feeler gauge seems to go in all around.
2. Pop cycle stick question. With the left hand thread do I turn bottom to top or top to bottom to tighten it.
3. Screw under cylinder removed. Cylinder still stuck.

One of the yellow drywall plugs was used in the past; created a ridge and/or fatten head; that seams to created the problem. I feel that I could free it with a smart mallet rap. But, am afraid to try without some expert advice.

Please send your ideas. You never stand as tall as when helping a 78 year old fix his revolver.

If it is stuck between chambers, I might try gently rotating the cylinder back counter clockwise, maybe while lifting the hammer back very slightly. Go back a couple chambers, then try opening the cylinder with the thumb latch. Might get you back to where it was before the "binding", and allow you to open it?

Larry

Check if the firing pin is protruding with the feeler gauge and is the cause for the problem, I have experienced that this sometimes happen when the firing pin spring breaks.

If the ejector rod is loose and need to be tightened, try jamming a folded piece of paper between the rod and the barrel, while pulling the trigger far enough back so the cylinder stop is not engaging, or just insert something between the cylinder and cylinder stop, turn the cylinder by hand counter clockwise, this should tighten it up.

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Hello darknes my old friend

Success!!

Thank you one and all. With a combination of trying all of your suggestions I was able to open the Cylinder without damaging the revolvers appearances, fit or function.

I'm not one to cast blame or aspersions. But, I feel that possibly my experience's conclusion might be of benefit to the group.

I started with three yellow drywall plugs and three popular commercial snap caps. The drywall plugs and two of the commercial caps now appear undamaged. The third commercial snap cap came out in three pieces. The rim and the center section [.4" app.] fell out when the cylinder opened. At first I could not find the .5" front end. Then I found it in the barrel.


Thanks again for all of your help and support.