I have a 686SSR that has a barrel that is canted a few degrees. It shoots beautifully, but it's noticeable to me (probably an OCD thing) that the top of the barrel doesn't line up perfectly with the rear sight base. People at S&W, and here on the forum, say that's perfectly normal, and I shouldn't worry about it as long as it shoots straight. I can't accept that.

Can a basic barrel setback give me what I want? I'm thinking that if the barrel is canted say 3 degrees too far, removing just enough material from the barrel's shoulder will allow it to be advanced 357 (360-3) degrees, which will line everything up. I realize that forcing cone will need to be trimmed. Since the barrel will be shortened less than 1/32", will the ejector rod be affected? If so, how is that trimmed? Lastly, is this the kind of operation that can be easily done by a competant gunsmith with the right equipment, and do you have any recommendations? Thanks.

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No. Not me. I'm in my prime.

Remove the barrel, clean the threads, reinstall (properly aligned) with Loctite. Worth trying before having the barrel setback.

Does the barrel line up with the frame? I've had several revolvers which had the rear sight body twisted, so the front and rear didn't align correctly. It's pretty easy to straighten the rear. I've also twisted the rear intentionally to match crooked fronts, and have been pleased with the results.

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Mark

No it doesn't line up with the frame either. The gap between the edge of the barrel and the edge of the frame is wider on the right side than on the left. I'll try tomcatt51's suggestion first, hopefully it will be that easy.

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No. Not me. I'm in my prime.

I recently purchased an SSR and the barrel was canted to the left (looking from the rear). It shot to the right. You could tell that the barrel was overtightened because the barrel wouldn't line up with the frame. I took it to Gander Mountain in Kenosha WI, which is an authorized S&W warranty center, and they fixed it.

BTW, it is back at Gander Mountain for other work. I had it at the range last week and after the gun got warm/hot, the cylinder locked up in the closed position. From what I can tell the center pin is too short. It does not push the extractor lock far enough to disengage the extractor rod.

Good Luck

H.

A barrel cant of 3 degrees is hardly visible. How did you determine that was how much it was canted?

Normally, setting back a barrel is done when a replacement barrel is rare or hard to find. It requires losing one full thread minimum. I would second Tom's suggestion to remove the barrel, clean and degrease, and reinstall using Locktite (blue) for security. I've had good luck at using Locktite thread sealant for holding barrels that were not quite up to the 1/8 turn draw for full tightness.