So I'm dry firing my 342Ti recently just because its one of those guns you carry alot and fire seldom. After approximately 50 or so dry fires, the cylinder begins to bind up. It eventually gets to a point where you can't hardly pull the trigger.

I am the original owner, have had it for maybe 13 years. Has maybe a 75 rounds through it. Thank goodness its not my carry gun. Its been on safe queen status as I prefer to carry my 638 or 342 M&P. Any idea what could be going on here? I imagine I'll have to send it back to S&W for repairs.

Regards

Try a little lube on the yoke barrel. Where the cylinder rotates on the yoke.

Check and see if the ejector rod has become unscrewed. It only needs to back out a few turns and it will bind up the action. It should turn in left hand thread for that vintage.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

In the future try using empty cartridge cases in all chambers while dry firing to keep everything in the proper position while practicing.

I was using Snap Caps during my dry fire sessions. Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll give them a shot (no pun intended)

Yeah, I've seen this happen with guys using those little Ti/Sc/PD guns. The dry aluminum alloy yoke bearing surfaces can sometimes create enough drag so that the cylinder doesn't easily want to rotate.

The last guy who brought his PD to my attention said he'd resorted to having to rotate his cylinder by hand to finish his qual course of fire. His empty/open cylinder would hardly spin at all when I checked it. I pulled the cylinder & yoke, wiped off some dry fouling and oiled his yoke bearings ... and his cylinder spun like a bicycle wheel. Easier trigger pull. He was amazed. I recommended he bring me his snub BEFORE it reached that point, and at least let one of our revolver armorers check it once or twice a year. (To check extractor tightness and oil the bearing surfaces.)

If you open the cylinder all the way (EMPTY cylinder) and give it a spin, does it immediately slow and stop, or does it spin freely for many rotations? If it doesn't spin freely, time for the front & rear bearing surfaces to get a little oil.

One thing I've noticed about the alloy yokes is that they don't seem to keep 'wet' as long as the steel yokes, and cylinder spin can slow more quickly. Nature of the beast. (Yes, I've even tried a couple of lightweight synthetic greases, but they didn't offer much improvement.)

If your extractor has come loose, it's best to stop by your local gunsmith and let him properly tighten it, so you don't risk damage to the threads. It can be really, really easy to strip the threads. Really.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Yep, my experience too. I carry a scandium/titanium 342 and shoot our bug matches with it. It definitely needs the cylinder / yoke barrel lubed semi-regularly or it ties up as the OP found.

Usually, if the extractor rod un-screws you notice the cylinder being very difficult to open, if you can open it, also.

Yeah, saving some little bit of weight on the M&P 340 was nicely done, compared to my Airweights, but I almost wish they'd kept the steel yoke and just saved 1-2 oz on the sleeved barrel and bantam grip stocks. I usually rotate through some of my J's for different range sessions (since I have a pair of 642-1's and M&P 340's), but it still seems I need to oil the yoke barrels more often on the 340's than I do either of my steel J's or 3 Airweights that have steel yokes.

Then again, there's the hold-your-breath process of yoke barrel correction when it involves an aluminum yoke, too. I'd much rather make such corrections on a steel yoke.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Fastbolt -

You are correct on this. All it took was a little lube on yoke bearing and it is spinning much better now. Doesn't spin as much as my 638 or steel J frames but it spins way better now.

Thanks everyone for all your replies. I was dreading shipping it back to the factory.

Regards

Did you remove the cylinder from the yoke to lube the front & rear bearing surfaces, or just try to put oil in the front of the cylinder while still on the yoke?

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Sorry for the late reply but I removed the cylinder and applied Brake Free to the front and rear bearing surfaces.

Regards

Best way to get both spots lubed.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer