29-2 barrel pin walking, need advice

[Engine49guy]

The "cup head" punches (Thanks H Richard) are commercially available.
I have a set but dont recall when or where I picked them up.

A few taps with the right size punch might be all it takes if the pin isnt too loose needing something to secure better..

BTW my point with the above picks is your gun looks alot nicer than my 29-3 and that one isnt going back for a refinish, also that 29-3 was a very early 29-3 made just after the changeover from the 29-2 revision so if your gun is near the end of the 29-2 run I wouldnt be surprised if the barrel / frame color mismatch you are seeing was there when it left the factory .

 

[s&w-noob]

My gun is from 1978. I wasn't as worried as much about the color as I was the faded "smith & wesson" engraving. I'm going to shoot it and see if the pin keeps walking out, then I will try the loctite method. If I use a brass punch do I have to worry about it being cupped or no? And how would I go about punching the pin back in, ie. Cylinder closed or cylinder open and lay the top of the frame on the edge of a bench? Again thanks for all the help guys.

 

[S.B.]

Have you considered the barrel may have been replaced and the pin was not centered when put back in? In any case if you must drive the pin, buy a cupped point punch from Brownell to do so.
Steve

 

[alwslate]

My gun is from 1978. I wasn't as worried as much about the color as I was the faded "smith & wesson" engraving. I'm going to shoot it and see if the pin keeps walking out, then I will try the loctite method. If I use a brass punch do I have to worry about it being cupped or no? And how would I go about punching the pin back in, ie. Cylinder closed or cylinder open and lay the top of the frame on the edge of a bench? Again thanks for all the help guys.

The "faded" S&W engraving might be nothing more than the
difference in polishing-finishing on different parts of the gun.
I have quite a few S&Ws and the lettering on the barrels is
always softer than the crisp lettering on the receiver and
sideplate. The position of the cyl has nothing to do with the
barrel pin. Since the pin is loose I would tap it in slowly
with the brass punch and not worry about it. I would just
lay the gun on it's side with the off side of the reciever
supported if the pin is resistant to movement. And lastly,
get someone familar with S&W revolvers to look at your
gun. You seem to need more help than can be given by
posts on a forum.

 

[BruceM]

My one revolver with S&W's new substitute for traditional rust bluing

I don't know of any Smith & Wesson revolvers which were "rust blued" at the factory. Until around 1978 or so, they were Carbonia blued whch is done in an oven with charcoal and Carbonia Oil among other things. After that, Smith went to a conventional hot salts bath. It has been said that they have adopted a different bluing method within the last few years. Unfortunately, nobody seems to know what they are currently doing. It could be something as simple as using a differnt brand of salts.

Bruce