Hi to everyone, this is my first post. My brother & I bought two Smith & Wessons Model 27 & Model 19 back in the 70's. On the model 27 the shell ejection rod would stick when you are opening up the cylinder. I had to get it polished down some. On the model 19 the cylinder would bind a little, making the hammer sticky when pulling back. Did Smith & Wesson have problems with the revolvers in the 70's, possibly when they had them made in Cuba? My friend has a Model 17, 22 caliber and he is interested in selling it to me. It is new in the box serial #SK896xx. Do you have any idea when this one was made? I don't want to buy it and have any problems with it. Thanks in advance for your help.

Cuba?

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

I think I'm about to learn something I never knew... Cuba?

Yep. It's a well kept secret that S&W had them manufactured in Cuba by someone named Goncalo Alves.

There was also a plant in Bangor Punta, Maine.

I suppose I may be uninformed, but to my knowledge, S&W never manufactured any of their products in Cuba.

Bill

Yes, Smith & Wesson had the revolvers made in Cuba in the 70's. That is why a lot of the guns that were mfg. there had poor quality control. Example, mine & my brothers. Once again, does anyone have any idea when my friends Model 17 was made? Thanks.

And to think all this time I've believed they were made in Uganda!!! So Cuba was where the S&W Pythons and Redhawks were made.... I should have known!! I should have known!!

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Terry

They were also made at the North Pole. I know this because I received a S&W for Christmas once.

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"I also cook."

You are correct. Cuba is a small village in Uganda,
well known for manufacturing poor quality firearms back in the 70's......

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Ogy

Duhh...

That's why it's got that Spanish marcas registradas down the side...

Don't you know Spanglish???

Sorry to add a correction. Bangor Punta is in South Florida near Boca Raton, which moved to Florida from Cuba in 1973.

This place is always good for a few laughs! Even Doc learned something new today.
.....we need a crosseyed icon down below.

There was an employee at S&W,don't know if he was cuban or not.I think his name was Marcas Registradas.
Every time I bought a new revolver I knew it was going to be a good one even before I fired it,because I could see that it was assembled by that same guy named Marcas.

Seriously though,there were some QC issues during the Bangor Punta days with the new guns.

The U.S. has had a trade embargo against Cuba since Castro took power in the late 1950's. It prohibits U.S. companies from engaging in any kind of commerce with Cuba which is why there is no way S&W ever had any revolvers manufactured there.

Welcome to the Forum. I believe the SN on the model 17 begins with the number 5, and if so it probably shipped from the factory (Springfield, MA) in 1974. There is another S & W facility in Maine, but as Bill noted they have never had a manufacturing plant outside the US. If the model 17 in question seems to work normally I would buy and enjoy it. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Bangor Punta ran that little sporting house in Havana next to the factory. Goncalo Alves, her husband, was also the plant manager overseeing the Cuban operations. Rumor is that Castro was a frequent visitor to the sporting house and that as a favor to Bangor, he allowed the factory to stay open and did not nationalize it. The guns were imported into the US through Brazil to avoid the embargo that was in existance at the time between Cuba and the US. Fascinating bit of Smith & Wesson history.

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Forum consigliere

And the world is full of comedians. Larry

I've shared the story elsewhere on the site about a gun dealer's minion who was telling a nice young couple that all Smith & Wesson revolvers are made by Taurus in Brazil. I asked the young lady to pick up the Smith & Wesson and read what was on the right side of the frame below the cylinder. When she got to "Made in U.S.A," I thanked her and walked away.

ECS

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

You guys are crazy, crazy, crazy. These are real good, made my morning.



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James

To your question about the sticky cylinder - toward the end of the -3 run (for example 19-3, around S/N 8Kxxxxx), S&W moved the gas ring from the cylinder to the yoke. The firing gas and debris would then get into the cylinder bearing gap and start to cause the cylinder to drag. I sent a couple guns back to S&W and they put a cylinder gas ring on them and that fixed the problem. I doubt if they still do this, but you might check. On your 19, remove the front side plate screw which will let you remove the yoke and cylinder. Then slide the cylinder off the yoke and clean the bearing surfaces for a temporary fix. I don't know if S&W ever put the gas ring on the yoke of N frames. Eventually the -4's fixed this problem. Hope this helps.

Ain't that the truth!

Actually, Elvis was fond of firearms, as we all know, but what we don't all know is that he was instrumental in setting up Cuban S&W-production.

C. R. Hellstrom lead a dual-life. He often clandestinely performed with Elvis and hung out with him as much as he could. Elvis used his undue influence with Hellstrom to secretly obtain specifications for all the models, which he concealed in his music that was exported to Cuba. (No one cared about Elvis' music, so no one bothered to inspect it at customs.)

Roy Jinks found out about this evil deed, but he could not stop it before the damage was done, even though it is rumored he personally swam to Cuba to try to recover the stolen documents. He was so exhausted after he swam back that he could only assume the job of company historian and has never been properly thanked for his heroism. To this day, the private life of Hellstrom is virtually unknown.

"My work here is done."

Excuse me gents,I'll be away from the forum for a few minutes.Gotta go slip on my Wellingtons!

Did he REALLY say "... I may be uninformed,..."

GF

"...all Smith & Wesson revolvers are made by Taurus in Brazil."

We all could have told that counter minion that story, company and its products was all a bunch of bull. After all, the name gives it away.

What??? Nobody gonna ask if their "Model .38 Ctg" is a "Special" gun that was manufactured only in the Cuban factory?

Actually I'm surprised you guys are so busy clouding the issue that no one asked how the OP came by this info. Is there a reference he can cite?[the answer to that would be a joke in itself!] I will admit ,Bangor Punta, Marcas Registradas, and a little imagination can make for some fun humor tho'..... Don'cha wonder how you can get an S&W revolver but no cigars from Cuba? Man,a Model 27 or 29 cased in a humidor with a dozen Havanas would sell well if you can keep the gun from rusting. Nick

Dang, I learn something new here everyday. I wish I had known this before I bought all the ones I have.

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SWCA #2421

I was working down on Wall Street, NYC when they had a parade for a guy named Fidel who had just overthrown a dictator named Batista in Cuba. He was wearing a couple of S&W revolvers and smoking a cigar. Now you can't get Cuban made cigars or S&W's. This embargo has to stop now. There was a secret plant run by a guy named Che. Time for my meds.

Nice going, max. Your first post is way more interesting than mine was.

I found a Model 27 in a pawn shop with the serial number FC 1. Do you think I missed on a opportunity to buy Fidels own personal S&W? I could just kick myself for passing on that one!

John

Interesting. All this time I thought Bangor Punta was a verb and that Goncalo Alves ran a house of ill repute for Castro's regime.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

Did you ever wonder why the started manufacturing in stainless steel? There you go!

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

will the cuban smith's shoot +p ??

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

no only +B

Cuban Spanish
p [p]. Does not occur at the ends of words, and is pronounced slightly differently from English [p](it might sometimes sound like [b]).

Geeze 100,000 comedians already out of work and you guys gotta adlib and add to the list.

Your Wellingtons were first made by Jewish Englishmen in the mid 1940's.

Thanks for giving the new member a serious answer. This place is not very tolerant of new and misinformed members. I'm sure that the members that gave the cute answers were born a genius and never had to learn anything.

Hey, it was all good until post #6. Then it was on.

On the contrary, I'm sure most of us here learn something new every day, I know I do. My observation has been that most folks here are very tolerant of new members, and try to answer even the most basic questions patiently, no matter how many times they are asked. The flip side is that most new members display a genuine interest in learning, and post their questions in a respectful manner, for lack of a better term. In this case I think most folks gave the OP a pass on the Cuba statement in his first post. However, when he came back with the obvious attitude displayed in post #6, as Maximumbob54 said, it was on. Not trying to stir controversy, just my thoughts on the situation, worth what you paid for them...

That explains why my M & P smells like a cigar, it was smuggled over during in the early 80's when all the boats drifted north to Florida. From now on when I take out my Model 27 to show people I am going to say it with the following "Say hello to my little friend!" and I will tell them it belonged to Tony Montana.

Hey, I know where there is an early Smith break open. I think I will buy it and tell folks it was in the Spanish-American war and a relative captured it when American forces took Cuba.

From now on all Hong Kong Smith revolvers were in fact made in China. Get em while they're hot!

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Vaya con Dios

WOW!!!!! Such "RUDE AND INSULTING BEHAVIOR TO ANOTHER MEMBER?" That used to get you a little point.........oh wait! That's only if a new member directs it to an older member. Never mind.

Can't anyone have fun anymore? I'm not that old and cranky yet.

John

I used to be able to buy my cigars at the local GS back in the '70's! No rum though.

Not true; you don't see posts that have been deleted and the action take. We do not give long standing members a free pass based on their tenure. This forum is dedicated to sharing information about Smith & Wesson products in a civil and courteous manner. A little good natured ribbing is not the same as being rude. When a valued member like Bill (Doc44), an expert commentator, the chairman of the S&W Historical Foundation and a member of the staff offers an opinion, it's best to listen and not argue and contradict.

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"I also cook."

EXACTLY. As usual Doc had a VERY civil response, however most were not so courteous. Especially the 'usual suspects' that do this on a regular basis and obviously get a free pass from the 'boys club' or they wouldn't continue it. It certainly isn't a case of members who FINANCIALLY support this site who push the envelope, it is usually the freeloaders/deadbeats who start disrespecting others and get to slide on through because they been here the longest.

A new guy who comes here and gets insulted sure isn't going to stick around long enough to donate. I guess you can just sell MORE advertising to make up for it.

Really?

Some, including me, donated to this site well before little donation banners were handed out.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

Life is too short, cheer up have some fun! You ain't too old to have fun are you?

John

Okay that made me laugh

Seriously, though -
My near new model 36 from the late 60's (early 70's maybe?) had a similar problem with ejector rod/cylinder opening function, but only on one chamber. Gun hasn't been used much in it's life, so the problem wasn't from use. I suspect it came from the factory with that issue.

My friend at the LGS noticed that the end of the ejector rod had been filed down a bit (by previous owner), most likely in an attempt to rectify the problem. He said "Well it's already been filed...do you want me to file it a bit more?"

I shrugged and said "Okay." He did, and it works fine now. No problems at all. Curious, though.

There was a time when I'd sit around and worry about this sort of thing, but I try not to do that anymore.

"REALLY?" Yes really. Has the OP been back? No he hasn't so it is probably safe to say that he will not donate.
I don't know what you do for a living but in business it is much harder to get a customer/member than it is to keep one. Insult the heck out of him and you didn't just loose him you loose the people he will tell of his experience here.

Oh noes!