Bought a 65-2 recently. CLeaned it but after putting Flitz on it and shining up the cylinder locked shut. I oiled the cylinder release but no luck. I shot it flawlessly with the person I bought it from and never a problem. Any ideas?

Most likely your ejector rod has backed out - try to tighten it and Im thinking you will be OK. (the rod has reverse threads)

Duh........How do I do that?

I agree with Ken. You can try to tighten it with the cylinder closed by pointing the gun down range and turning the ejector knob clockwise to tighten (it's a left handed thread). Typically you might have to force the cylinder open while holding the thumblatch in the open position. But don't get too agressive, you don't want to bend the rod. Once you get it open, tighten and use Lock-Tite 0n it.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thanks for the help but I am a novice gunsmith. Where is the ejector knob? If it is the clylinder release "knob" it is tight and oiled. What is the "thumblade"? Directions to these would be helpful. Thanks very much.

The ejector knob is the knurked tip on the front end of the ejector rod under the barrel used to push the empty cases out of the chambers.

There's no "thumblade". The thumblatch is the knurled button on the left side of the frame that you push forward to release and open the cylinder. Let me know if that helps.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Jep........get it now. Thanks a bunch. I think I may unscrew it completely tomorrow, clean, oil before I tighten down. Good idea? There is a spring in there and hate to put Lock Tite on it and shut it up forever until I clean it good......Agree?

Thanks so much for the explanation.

Cleaning Good - LOCKTITE BAD!!!!!

There is a centerpin and two springs in there , and the extractor is aligned by it - all easily bent if too much force is applied ( like breaking a locktite bond to take it apart again )

All you need to do is check every so often and snug it if necessary.

You're very welcome. I take it that you got it open. I would not oil the threads of the ejector rod. It will make it easier for it to come unscrewed again. I would clean them with nail polish remover, lacquer thinner or the like and dry them. Since the threads are inside of the ejector rod tube, you needn't worry about any lock tite getting on the spring. It's customary to just use a small drop, however. You can use blue instead of red lock tite if you're concerned about getting it apart later. Or just a dab of your wife's clear finger nail polish. Or use nothing and just tighten well.

However you tighten it, of course you know to pad the pliar or vise jaws with a stiff piece of leather and put two empty cartridge cases in the cylinder to support and protect from twisting the ejector star when tightening or lossening!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Yep got it open thanks. Certainly leaned something there. I think I will open tomorrow, clean springs and whatever is in there, button it up and tighten it good unless the group disagrees. Nothing in there that will jump out and cause a problem is there? I doubt inside has ever been cleaned/oiled. Anyone disagree? Again thanks. Cool little .357

No nothing will fly apart. But there's two springs in there. Pull apart slowly so you see how they all go together. There's probably plenty of oil in there. You can oil adequately w/o taking apart. Push the ejector star all the way as if your're ejecting empty cases and oil the shaft the star is mounted on that protrudes from the cylinder.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

DON'T force anything, take a thick piece of paper and slide under the cylinder to push down the cylinder latch, take finger and hold rod and turn cylinder to get tight enough to open cylinder .

IMPORTANT !!!

Put a couple empty shell cases in the cylinder across from each other before attempting to retighten the Ejector Rod. This will keep you from breaking anything.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

Wyatt, Do you mean behind the cylinder? He did it in two separate operations: tightened it and then pushed the cylinder release.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Already suggested for retightening AND loosening.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

"Use empty shell casings"

I think you are sugesting that the casings be half way out of the cylinder and they be used for leverage by turing the cylinder with them while holding the rod?

No, the cases need to be all the way in the chambers to protect the ejector star. The cylinder should be fully grasped with the hand.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Procedure for assembling and tightening the Ejector Rod Assembly.

Edit - Step 1A. Remove the yoke/cylinder assembly from the frame by removing the lower front sideplate screw above the trigger. Open the cylinder and the yoke can then be slide out of the frame while grasping the cylinder between thumb and forefinger. This will leave the cylinder free of the frame and avoid any risk of scraping it on the frame by removing cylinder and yoke together.

1) NEVER USE LOCKTITE, you'll just create a mess for yourself down the road or for the next owner. This is a very fine pitch thread and it doesn't need locktite, it just needs to be properly tightened.

2) Assembling the Ejector Rod to the Extractor Star is very much a matter of feel. Because of the fine pitch of the threads it is VERY easy to cross thread this junction. This is the primary reason why you should NEVER use locktite on these threads, any remnants will prevent you from feeling the threads engage properly.

3) To get the threads started properly do the following. Push lightly against the ejector rod until it contacts the extractor star. Now, while applying pressure against the spring, rotate the ejector rod in the UNSCREW direction. At the point where the threads will engage properly you will feel a very light "click" as the starting point of the male thread drops past the starting point of the female thread in the extractor star. At this point you can then screw the 2 parts together between thumb and forefinger. If you feel the threads starting to bind after 1 1/2 turns or so, you have it cross threaded, so unscrew it and try again. BTW, it took me 45 minutes of experimenting until I got a feel for doing this, so don't expect instant sucess unless you have the hands of a safe cracker. Once you have the threads mated properly, run it in and tighten it with just finger pressure.

4) Now you need to place some fired casings into the cylinder. BTW, fresh rounds or snap caps ARE NOT a suitable substitute, fired casings are a slighty larger diameter and are the only thing you can be sure will protect the extractor star. I also prefer to fill the cylinder with fired casings, however 3 casings is what is usually recomended. I fill the cylinder simply because I like the extra support they provide.

5) Now comes the time to tighten it up properly. This is also a matter of "feel" and you'll only learn by shooting it loose a few times and re-tightening it until it doesn't shoot loose. BTW, this DOES NOT have to be "stupid tight", try that and you'll be purchasing a new ejector rod and perhaps having a new extractor star fitted to your gun.

6) Scrounge up a piece of leather cut from an old worn out belt. Fold this over the knurling on the ejector rod and grasp it with some pliers. Now wrap the fingers of the opposite hand around the cylinder and squeeze soemwhat firmly. As for how firm, think of shaking hands with a Marine Officer who has seen Combat, not a Marine Non Com, it aint a grip contest, it's simply a firm grip of Respect. Now use the pliers to tighten the ejector rod in a ROTARY motion while being careful to not apply any pressure that might bend the ejector rod. Allows the cylinder to slip in your hand when it gets tight, what you are doing is using the hand holding the cylinder as a slip clutch. If you find it shoots loose, next time squeeze just a bit harder

That's it, you can now put everything together and be ready to hit the range.

scooter123,

Thanks! That's very good and very thorough. The only thing I might add is there will be occasions where this will not loosen one (even when you're turning in the right direction wink)!

In that case the Smith gunsmith manuals suggest removing crane/cylinder assembly from the gun and carefully clamp your leather wrapped/protected ejector tip in a vise and use your hand pressure method around the cylinder. And in this case, definitely fill all chambers with fired cases, preferably from the same gun, for maximum star support.

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Jim
S&WCA #819