Model 29-3 timing

[Cleveland48]

Hey guys my model 29 is not fully locking up one chamber. While pulling hammer back very slowly 5 of the chambers line up perfect, but one of the I have to mush it a little bit until it clicks and lines up. Planning on getting an oversized new had and trying it out. Was gonna ask what you guys think first. I honestly figured the timing would be bad on all chambers if it was the hand, but might not me I guess.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[robertrwalsh]

Due to minor differences in the ratchet is not at all uncommon for only one or two bores to lock up late. The oversize hand would be the first move for this. You MAY need to open up the window for the new hand which requires a special file which you can get from Midway or Brownell's.

 

[Protocall_Design]

It's likely just the one ratchet that's different from the rest. Sometimes you can bend the hand pivot pin just slightly so the hand is closer to the center and fix it that way temporarily. An oversize hand with all ratchets correctly fitted to the new hand is the more approved method. The ratchet fitting takes a good bit of skill and experience, as it's easy to mess that up. Then you have to get a new extractor and start over.

If you bend the hand with it still on the trigger a very small amount, it will advance the cylinder timing slightly. Then when the cylinder locks up, it will go out around the ratchet and on up as the trigger completes it's cycle.

You can see what's going on if you look in the back of the hand window with the sideplate off as you cycle the action. You want to have the hammer and mainspring out of the gun for this operation.

 

[Alk8944]

Hey guys my model 29 is not fully locking up one chamber. While pulling hammer back very slowly 5 of the chambers line up perfect, but one of the I have to mush it a little bit until it clicks and lines up. Planning on getting an oversized new had and trying it out. Was gonna ask what you guys think first. I honestly figured the timing would be bad on all chambers if it was the hand, but might not me I guess.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

What you are asking about is properly referred to as "Carry-up", not timing. Timing is how the charge holes align with the bore of the barrel and there is no simple way to check this! NO, a "range rod" cannot be used to check timing! Because timing cannot be checked this is the reason the barrel is cut with the "Forcing Cone"!

Just because 99% of the population of the gun world use the term "timing" incorrectly doesn't make it right, just means 99% are wrong!

 

[jmiles1960]

Buying and dropping in an over sized hand is not likely to fix it or even work. If you are not familiar with fitting them, I would not recommend this approach. You will get a lot of good advice here.

"Hondo" has written about how to peen the ratchet(s) to correct this. His knowledge / experience and others here is invaluable.

There is also write up on the topic in Knuth's S&W book.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

 

[Cleveland48]

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[chief38]

I believe that if only one ratchet is not locking up it was either cut too small or something has bent and at the bad ratchet position it is too far away to lock up properly.

IMHO the proper way to repair this would first be to make sure the cylinder is not out of spec and not rotating off center. If it is, then that is the problem to be fixed. If not, then fitting an over sized hand and adjusting all the ratchets to the over sized hand would be the way to go IMO.

Bending the hand slightly might correct the issue for a while, but then would more than likely prematurely wear the ratchets that would be too tight. If 5 if them work properly now then making the hand have more and tighter contact with 5 just for the 6th one that isn't working might wear things too fast.

I've cut ratchets on a Chief's Special (actually used a file and a stone) and was successful but it is not a job I would look forward to again. I went slow and steady, testing often. I finally got everything dialed in and all is perfect now. That said, it was not a fun or relaxing job.

 

[scruffy]

I had a 629 with this issue. The one chamber would carry up fine if the hammer was cocked at normal speed (inertia of the cylinder) but was only the slightest bit late if cocked very slowly and if you dragged a finger on it. Never a problem when actually shooting it. I gave it to someone who represented themselves as a qualified gunsmith specializing in S&W to fix. He F'd it up royally. I should have left it alone and never would have shot it enough for it to become a problem. Lesson learned.

 

[Cleveland48]

I had a 629 with this issue. The one chamber would carry up fine if the hammer was cocked at normal speed (inertia of the cylinder) but was only the slightest bit late if cocked very slowly and if you dragged a finger on it. Never a problem when actually shooting it. I gave it to someone who represented themselves as a qualified gunsmith specializing in S&W to fix. He F'd it up royally. I should have left it alone and never would have shot it enough for it to become a problem. Lesson learned.

Yep if I pull the hammer back with any speed it Carries itself and lines up. Only when pulling the hammer as slowly as I can does it not quiet line up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[stansdds]

Certainly sounds like one ratchet is not quite right. Fixing that is not something I would recommend unless you know what you are doing.

 

[Pig Hunter]

Did you have empty casings in at least 3 chambers? If not the slop of the ejector fit can make carry up seem off.

 

[Cleveland48]

Did you have empty casings in at least 3 chambers? If not the slop of the ejector fit can make carry up seem off.

I did not, but I will check that out tomorrow thanks for the advice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Cleveland48]

Certainly sounds like one ratchet is not quite right. Fixing that is not something I would recommend unless you know what you are doing.

Thanks! Yeah I’d let a pro do it once I find one. I’m sure I’d have to send it off, most gunsmiths around me now look like they are lost when you show them a revolver. Sad so many people dismiss them these days. I feel pretty confident in my rifle gunsmithing, but I do realize how intricate a revolver is, and I’m not 100% confident with myself doing the work. [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[BC38]

... Only when pulling the hammer as slowly as I can does it not quiet line up.

Well, as Doc Jones would say...
"Then don't DO that!"
Seriously though, if you have to do something out of the ordinary to get it to malfunction, then is is probably working just fine.
If you are looking hard enough for problems, you'll probably find one. A revolver action is a pretty complicated mechanism, and I think it is a pretty safe bet to say that a lot of them aren't 100% perfect.
Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned about it.
JMO, and YMMV.

 

[jkmo]

It’s not bad enough to mess with yet.

 

[nedlate]

"Hondo" has written about how to peen the ratchet(s) to correct this. His knowledge / experience and others here is invaluable.

There is also write up on the topic in Jerry Kuhnhausen's S&W book.

I would certainly go with this if I were concerned enough with one cylinder/ratchet tooth rather than all of them.
Ed