Successful new 617 cylinder install

[DS-10-SPEED]

My first attempt at replacing my problematic 617-6 cylinder was a complete success and the ratchet job I did looks much better than the job S&W did several years ago when they replaced my 617-2 cylinder.

A brand new cylinder comes with uncut ratchets and needs to be fitted to the hand.

I first made a jig to hold the cylinder and file in the right place. I drilled a hole to the same length of the cylinder and installed two adjustable 1 degree tapered alignment pins to hold the cylinder in line. There is an HDPE adjustable rail to slide the file block back and forth to cut the ratchets. The file is pressed into an HDPE block slot cut on a bandsaw. I placed a piece of 0.0015" SS sheet stock under the file to protect the cylinder and ratchet. Empty rounds were placed in the cylinder to keep it tight when cutting. Each ratchet was carefully cut and tested until the hand would just pass and not bind. It took a couple hours to cut all 10 and it worked out great. I shot it several times and the accuracy is great.

 

[steelslaver]

I have done it by hand, but I like your jig

 

[chief38]

I have done this job by hand once and it came out perfect but without making a jig it took me at least 3-4 hours. It was on a Baby Chief's Spl. I/J frame that was my Dad's. Luckily I had a new Nickeled Cylinder to use. Till this day it continues to work well.

Not a job I'd look forward to doing again, but it gave me immense satisfaction in getting the job done and for the very first time.

Great job!! Good for you - not many would do this.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

I would rather do this to a 6 shot gun, the ratchets on this 10 shot are so close together that I could only move the file less than 1/8" each stroke before it hit the adjacent one. My left thumb is still sore from applying pressure to the file as I pushed it back and forth.

 

[SS336]

Impressive work, do not think I would attempt that. That 10 shot cylinder looks very crowded.
Very nice job on the jig also, I bet it helped a lot.

 

[Green Frog]

Cutting those tiny teeth on a ten round ratchet would make a master watch maker run screaming from the room!
You have my total admiration... to the point of awe! I don't care if it involved the use of a jig since you made that too.
Froggie

 

[AzShooter]

Most excellent work. I wish I could do that. You are my hero.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Excellent job. Very nice jig setup.

I find it much easier to fit the hand to the ratchets, though. There's a lot less work involved, and a lot less chance to mess up. If you do mess up, the hand is a lot cheaper and easier to replace and try again.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

Very nicely done! No way in H*** I would ever attempt that.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

Excellent job. Very nice jig setup.

I find it much easier to fit the hand to the ratchets, though. There's a lot less work involved, and a lot less chance to mess up. If you do mess up, the hand is a lot cheaper and easier to replace and try again.

That is not possible to do on a ten shot cylinder, an uncut ratchet covers the entire hand window. The hand is only about 0.040" wide.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I haven't seen uncut ratchets before. The cylinders I've bought already had them done.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

I haven't seen uncut ratchets before. The cylinders I've bought already had them done.

Here it is before and after when half of them are done marked with blue ink. Not a lot of room to work with on a ten shot.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[CALREB]

Wow, love your jig set up. Here are a few photos of the tool I got from SW in one of their schools. Also included the sheet describing the procedure with a Barrett file. Even after you use the cutter there is still some clean-up and smoothing with a file. Of course, I broke open a model 12 I had handy, and its hand window is so thin the cutter (hand) won't fit in the window, but you get the idea. I'm not sure if the cutter is harder than a regular hand (that's pretty hard) but I put one photo so you could see the edge.