There is generally little reason to shoot straight upward for obvious reasons, but it is nice to know your revolver will fire no matter where you are pointing. The other day I was laying back on a recliner doing some dry fire practice with a 625-6 and I noticed that when aiming directly upward (90 degrees or more from the horozontal) the gun would randomly bind up just before the hammer would fall on DA or before coming to full cock on SA. The gun functions fine when cycled in any 'normal' position. The only part I could think of that rattles around inside a Smith and might be effected by gravity is the hammer block. I removed the hammer block and found under magnification a burr/imperfection that was binding at the edge of the cutaway track in the sideplate. Stoned away the burr and everthing was OK. Never heard of this happening before but I quess if you are not aiming at a spot on the ceiling, you would never notice.
Odd reason for action binding up on 625
- Thread starter dpsix
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Retired LTC USAR
US Veteran
Never know when you will be on your back and need to shoot something!!!
Always be prepared!!
Drones perhaps?
snubbiefan
Member
Now you've done it!
I have this terrible urge to go to the lock-up and check the action on all mine to see if they will shoot straight up.
I have this terrible urge to go to the lock-up and check the action on all mine to see if they will shoot straight up.
Actually a lot of revolvers can suffer action bind when pointed straight up because the case rims are now sliding around on the recoil sheild/breechface which has steps machined into it and if the corner of the case rim snags on it the cylinder will stop. A old State police armorer showed me this and said that it could cause you a major problem if you were advancing up a staircase with blind corners on it and keeping the sights on what was above you. He said they found out while training their SWAT guys in clearing buildings. He told me that you can either radius the milled corners in the breechface or turn down the bottom corners of your brass. I have several S&Ws that will snag some brands of brass when pointed up and cycled DA. You should be able to load the gun with empty cases and point it up while pulling the hammer back just enough to disengage the cylinder bolt and maually spin the cylinder. If it doesn't spin freely then the gun can hang up. Most of my brass is now old and worn enough that the corners of the rims have rounded off. If I load some new carry ammo in new brass I chuck the case into a drill press and chamfer the corners of the caseheads. A case on a brand new Blazer aluminum cartridge has a very sharp case head and will stop the gun. I have been shooting a 625-2 since 1989 and it has never snagged a case rim using moon clips when pointed up. It's one of those things that most people will probably never do (unless they need to clear a stairwell) and so never think about it. It's the little things that will get you in the end.
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My Model 58 did the same thing. A little blending with a Dremel cured it.
5906fan
Member
now you'll know I've got some long teeth - when I was a kid 'dick tracy' was a sunday newspaper comics.
one of his enemys captured him somehow, beat the H E L L out of him and dumped him on a desert island for dead. they didn't search him thorougly so missed his back-up .32 in ankle holster.
he was in sort of a cave and there were some wild goats on a ledge up above him. he laid on his back and shot upwards drilling one of them. made a fire by useing his shoestring for a bow drill. roasted some goat meat and smoked some. he was spotted about a month later, can't recollect how but he was picked up
one of his enemys captured him somehow, beat the H E L L out of him and dumped him on a desert island for dead. they didn't search him thorougly so missed his back-up .32 in ankle holster.
he was in sort of a cave and there were some wild goats on a ledge up above him. he laid on his back and shot upwards drilling one of them. made a fire by useing his shoestring for a bow drill. roasted some goat meat and smoked some. he was spotted about a month later, can't recollect how but he was picked up
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