625JM problems - cylinder binding?

[ShrinkMD]

Still having problems

I haven't shot the gun in a while, but today I took it out. Overall it had been running better, but there were a few times at the range when I needed to majorly chamber brush so I could eject my empties.

Today the first cylinder or two was fine, but then I had difficulty getting the rounds to seat fully in the chambers. I will scrub them extra when I clean today, but could this be a chamber problem? Maybe they need polishing or reaming to make sure they are correct?

I don't think it is a problem with the dies, since I have them set up and my 45acp loads cycle nicely in my 1911. So if the crimp die was off in some way I would know about it. Besides, they went in fine the first time or two.

I currently reload for 38, 357, 44 special, and 44 mag, and I have not had this problem with any other gun or caliber. So I might be doing something wrong, but its peculiar that it only shows up with this gun.

When I send it back AGAIN should I specifically ask them to polish/ream the chambers? Is there any repair smith in particular to ask for?

 

[2hawk]

Sorry to hear that your gun still is having issues. If you have isolated the problem, ie, if brushing the chambers clean resolves the issues, I might wonder if your loads are kind of light, and fouling the chambers excessively. Low pressure loads don't expand the brass and allow blowback along the sides of the brass. If your brass looks real sooty you might try just bumping up the load a little and see if that takes care of the problem. Also, what do your primers look like on your cases? If they are backing out on firing that might be another sign of pressure being too low.


While polishing the chambers doesn't sound like a bad idea, if your chambers are already on the large side it may be counterproductive.

Best of luck, keep us posted. These kind of problems can be frustrating, but they certainly serve to educate us about our guns, and usually are not insurmountable. Don't give up, sounds like you've got the gun running better, and I'll bet your getting closer to having a nice shooting set up. hth, and Happy Holidays!

 

[ShrinkMD]

The load is 200gr lswc with bullseye 4.8 gr and federal lp primers, Starline brass (45autorim). The bullets are from Dardas cast. The primers looked fine, not flattened or anything else remarkable.

So I don't think the load is too light...

 

[DocAlamo]

I had the exact same problem with my 625JM. Cleaned the heck out of it, still was binding. Called S&W and they wanted it back. Turns out they had to replace the cylinder. So, if all the above doesn't fix your problem, call them and send it back. When I got it back with a new cylinder everything worked great.

Doc

 

[2hawk]

Yep, those loads sound fine. I think DocA may have it. If the cylinder does need honing you might as well let the factory do it.

Happy Holidays, all!

 

[gumpys]

Well I think those rimz moon clips are garbage, I use the regular steel ones and never had any issues.
Eric

 

[ShrinkMD]

I guess I don't have much opinion on the rimz yet since this gun probably needs a new cylinder. When it was working (sort of ) the rimz didn't seem to be the problem.

And this is Starline 45 AR brass anyway. I will definitely call S&W on Monday.

 

[ShrinkMD]

I see strange lines!

I've never noticed this before, but inside all the cylinders I see a fine, spiral pattern etched into the cylinder walls. They are not mirror finished! I can't believe I never noticed this before. I pulled my other S&W revolvers, and NONE of them have anything on the inside remotely resembling what I see inside these chambers.

This must be the problem! It's funny, now that the gun is clean, ammo drops in and out no problem. But since those cylinders are not mirror finished, they must get dirty easily and then grab onto the brass, eh?

I know it isn't from using a bore brush because it is a perfect, spiral pattern. And I've brushed other guns way more than this one, and they look smooth. I think we have the reason. I saw some other web sites which talk about polishing the chamber to remove the reamer marks. Has anyone else had S&W revolvers which still had these marks in them?

So what exactly do I tell S&W? That the chambers need polishing and that they should also check them to make sure they are the correct diameter?

It stinks that I need to send this gun back for the THIRD time, but hopefully this will be the last trip back. Clearly this one was a Monday morning or Friday afternoon creation.

 

[AKMac]

Check out my thread. I think this is the same problem your having.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/222886-need-help-big-problem-my-610-3-a.html

 

[ShrinkMD]

They replaced the cylinder. It looks similar inside the chambers, though. I will shoot it this weekend and hopefully all will be well.

How on earth could rounds which function flawlessly in a 1911 jam up in a revolver? It better work this time!

 

[2hawk]

Hope it is, let us know.

 

[Dale53]

This thread truly saddens me. My JM Special has been an exemplary revolver in every way. Obviously, the OP has issues that no one should have - particularly after sending the revolver back twice (and now a third time). Well, maybe what they say is right - "The third time is a charm".

Good luck to you on this go around!
Dale53

 

[ShrinkMD]

Much better now! The first 100 of 45AR brass were no problem extracting. I ran another 100 through using the RIMZ clips, and some (but not all) of the clips had some more difficult extraction. That must be the RIMZ fault, since some of the moonclips ejected no problem and others were more difficult to unload. Overall, I think the problem is fixed.

Time to get more 45AR brass, because I don't like using the RIMZ...

 

[ShrinkMD]

Uh, no it's not...

I've been busy with other projects, so I haven't shot this gun again until today. And we're back to the same problems extracting, as well as still noticing a slight click or catch on one or two of the cylinders. After a few cylinders the cases are binding and not wanting to come out. I looked in the cylinder holes again, and they are definitely not polished like all my other revolvers.

I am almost tempted to sell the gun, but I really just want it to work! I am debating between just sending it off to the best revolver smith for a full trigger/action/chamfering/cylinder ream/whatever else job and be done with it. Or should I write a firm letter to S&W management telling them that the gun is still a lemon, and demanding a 4th try at fixing the problem.

I'm not expecting (although it would be nice) Performance Center quality on a regular production gun, but this revolver has problems which none of my others have. It has the worst trigger of any of them, and has had problems from the beginning. I have been a good customer from them, and otherwise I am more than satisfied with my other revolvers.

Can anyone suggest a name I can write to at S&W HQ to try and get a good smith to really work this gun over the right way?

 

[K1500]

I would sell it.

 

[PattonTime]

I first want to say I am sorry to hear of the problem with your revolver.
However, and of course this is only my opinion but I am shocked to hear folks say they would sell it ?
So the way to get rid of a problem is to pass it on to another ?
Now , of course I am not naive enough to think that this is not done all the time.
I guess what surprises me is that people post it on a forum as a solution to a problem ?
I have only had to send a few revolvers in for repair out of the hundreds I have owned, I have never had one not be fixed by Smith at least, one Colt had to go back as they turned a S|A only Officers Model Match into a D|A.
Anyway , sorry to rant but I find it hard to believe that people would advise passing a problem along !!!
Chris

 

[Chaosrob]

Have you tried shooting factory loads through it to eliminate the possibility of a reloading error? Not saying you have done anything wrong, but eliminating one more possibility may get you closer to the cause.

 

[Bello]

Did you trim down your auto rim brass when you got it? Maybe two cylinders are throated longer by mm and your headspace is what's causing the binding from the thick auto rim lips. Fire 4 different factory ammos and see if it is a hand load problem, hope this helps.

Rob

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

They probably won't recognize undersize, out of round chambers. Mine was the same way and so was another club members -8. I just bought a monson reamer and did it myself and was shocked at the amount of material I took out, I had to double take and make sure I had the right reamer. You can feel it wasn't round in how it was cutting. The problem vanished, but I'm working on another problem with the throats being undersized and it won't shoot lead to save it's life.

Mine was made Oct 2008 and his shortly after so I suspect it was a gun made during the rush cause I swear the cylinder was just blind drilled and never reamed.

I've found factory ammo is generally on the smallish side for reliability. Factory ammo worked fine in my 625, my reloads didn't but yet they work in a go-no go gauge.

 

[ShrinkMD]

I guess that it is the problem, because the factory will blame any problems on my handloads. It's just so dumb, they replaced the cylinder (which wasn't properly polished) with another cylinder with the same exact problem. Every other smith cylinder I've ever seen are all mirror smooth polished on the inside of each hole.

I would really like to write a long letter to someone who can understand and walk it through the service dept so it gets done right. Who would I write/call?