I need help to see if this would be a legitimate concern.

On my 686-3 one of the chambers seems to have a timing issue, in which if the trigger is pulled very slowly in double action the cylinder will not lock before the hammer drops. When the trigger is pulled in double action, using what I consider to be a normal speed to pull the trigger, it locks up fine. The rest of the charge holes, or chambers, all lock up as they should even if the trigger is pulled very slowly in double action.

My question; is that one chamber not locking up properly, when the trigger is pulled very slowly, a real concern or am I being to picky?

Anytime the hammer drops and a cylinder is not locked/aligned it could be cause for concern.

pre-MIM (is a 686-3 pre-MIM??) S&W revolvers were timed by hand so one or two chambers usually locked later than the others. As it gets shot in, the hand and pads could wear and those locations would be the first to become late.

It is an easy enough fix for S&W (or a gunsmith). I have one like that too. It locks fine in single action but might not in slow deliberate DA. When I won't miss it too much, I'll get it tightened up.

Was the gun clean or dirty when you done this? Unless you are going to be pulling the trigger like that, I wouldn't worry about it. Sometimes a dirty gun will do that, but a clean gun is telling you that in the next 1 or 2 thousand rounds you may have a timing problem. When you clean it - check it.

I have a few S&Ws that lock up a little late on one or two chambers--for those, all I did was to replace the hand and tune it to where it would lock up on-time for the problem chambers and lock up a little earlier for the other chambers. No big deal.

The -3 is pre-MIM. MIM started with -5, and -6 is the current production with the ILS.

Bullseye,
I had just cleaned the revolver after a session at the range, and did a function check, which is when I noticed the problem.

If I was to replace the hand, what all has to be done to fit and time the hand and cylinder. Is this something better left to a gunsmith? If I do decide to do it, is the part something I need to order from Smith or is there another source?

YouTube - Gunsmith - How to repair slow timed Smith & Wesson revolver -- take a look at this video. It describes what is involved in fixing a slow-timed S&W revolver (which applies in this case--all that is done is to replace the hand and tune it so that the cylinder locks up on-time).

The hand can be ordered from midwayusa (here and here) or from S&W (parts #210620000 and #210630000). The 210630000 part is an "oversized" hand (a few thousandths of an inch wider than the normal hand) to be fitted, while the 210620000 part is supposed to 'drop in' with little fitting.

Val,
Thanks for the links, I went ahead and ordered the oversized hand from MidwayUSA.

My next questions; where do I find "india stones" that were referred to in the video, and when it comes to fitting which area is "stoned" on the hand?

I would check Brownells for the stones.


snakeman

Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. Got the new hand in and everything seems to be ok, although the action feels a hair tighter than before. Maybe I didn't stone the hand enough? I am a little paranoid about taking off too much material, so any suggestions? Is it possible to just "shoot it in"?

The action is not tight to the point of binding, just seems like a little more resistance.

You should stone it just a few more licks, that just gives you room to change the hand for the next time and not the extractor.

try dropping a bit of oil on the contact-surfaces of the hand to see if that helps it out a bit. While you're in there, lube up the rest of the parts, too.

DO what this post says!!!!
+2

__________________
Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Well @#$$%$%^$$%! Sorry I guess this is why I should leave things to people who know what the !@#$ they are doing! I cycled the cylinder a few times while the action was tight, and realized after comparing the extractor on this one to the one on my 686-4, that the contact area on the extractor looks damaged! The area is not crisp like it was, the hand seems to have already dug into the contact area on the extractor!

Maybe now would be a good stopping point for me, anybody know of any good gunsmiths in the Conroe, TX area?

Too picky. If it locks up under a normal trigger pull, shoot it.

The hands are very sharp and will open up the frame slot if the fit is too tight.

I kind of doubt the hand could have damaged the ratchets if there was enough clearance to pass by with only moderate resistance. Just my opinion. It may have scuffed up the shiny face of the ratchet but I don't think it could have taken off much material.. anyway, I hope so. Let us know how it turns out.