I was going to take the side plate off my new 686 to clean and lube it. I take the 3 screws out and I can't get the plate to bulge. How does this plate come off?

I was going to take the side plate off my new 686 to clean and lube it. I take the 3 screws out and I can't get the plate to bulge. How does this plate come off?

First of all, you REALLY need Jerry Kuhnhausen's book before you start working on your revolver:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=314178

Removal is quite simple. You remove the grips, the sideplate screws, then take a plastic hammer (to avoid marring the revolver's finish) and tap on the base of the "handle" (where the grips had been). Hold the revolver low over the bench while doing this. The sideplate will JUMP off the revolver.

However, you will have to replace the hammer block before reassembling. That is a bit tricky and the book will help. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT try to force the sideplate when putting it back together.

Note: GET THE BOOK!

Dale53

DON'T PRY ON IT!!

A lot of good guns have been damaged by people that didn't know what they were doing trying to take off the side plate.

Once you have the grips off and side plate screws out, turn the gun so that the side plate is down and a couple of inches above your padded work bench. Now just tap on the grip frame with a wood or plastic mallet, rod or whatever. I sometimes just use the plastic handle of my screwdriver. After a couple of taps the side plate will just fall off on the bench.

But, with that said, I would recommend that you get a good reference for S&W revolvers before attempting to take the side plate off. Jerry Miculek's trigger job DVD is pretty good at explaining disassembly/reassembly and the inner workings of the guns.

Take pictures of the innards before you take anything out, and everytime you do take something out, take a picture of that, and the place it came from; if you get confused, you can just follow your trail of bread crumbs back home. Take a look at an exploded diagram and note the locations of all the little springs, pins, and such. It's hard to figure out where some of them went. Make sure you've got a large tray of some kind, a baking sheet, a photographic chemical bath tray, an oil change basin, or something, so that when (notice I didn't say, "if") little parts get away from you, you'll be able to find them again.

I make it a point to put the screws back exactly the way they were, so I've got a little foam block with three holes arranged as per the side plate, and I stick the screws into the corresponding hole in the foam block as I take them out. Easier to keep track of where I put the blamed things, too.

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Not legal advice/solicitation

I was taught to use a wooden hammer handle to "tap" the frame with to loosen the side plate. I use a 2 oz. hammer handle. I guess a plastic hammer head would be soft enough to not mar the surface of the metal.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I will pick up the book at the next gun show.

I just got this book and it will pay for itself in no time at all.

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"A fear of wepons is a sign of retarted sexual and emotional maturity" Sigmund Freud

If you have to ask, you should not do it. If you must, you get a non-marring hammer and tap on the frame until the plate "vibrates" up and out. You will probably cause the hammer block to sort of "bounce out" from the rapping, so be careful with it. There is just no reason for you to do this. So don't.

Also, when you put the plate screws back in the front one is fitted and must not be interchanged with the others. The flat one goes under the grip and the other crown head screw goes in the remaining hole. DO NOT put the wrong screw in the wrong hole and it is ESSENTIAL that the front screw that holds in the yoke be replaced in the front hole. If you mixed up the screws take the revolver immediately to a gunsmith or send it back to S&W and "DO NOT PASS GO."

FYI, Brownells sells a very good VHS/DVD video on disassembly and trigger tuning called:

'Trigger Job--Complete Action Tuning for S&W Revolvers' by Jerry Miculek

Just seeing Jerry fire six rounds accurately AND reload 'faster than an auto loader' is worth the price of admission. Amazing

http://tinyurl.com/64xm76

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Semper Fi

Yep, that is the one I was refering to earlier but I couldn't remember the actual title. Very good video that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in S&W revolvers. You can also get it direct from the source here: http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/revptvideo.htm

Here's some of Jerry's Stuff available @ BANG INC.
Look under products, also his Grips..
I have the Action Job DVD, It's a pretty good watch..
Gary/Hk

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MightShowYouHisSmith&Wesson