Bruce51
Member
Having had a 639 since 1986 I thought I knew all the reasons why things sometimes don't work as they should.
We often read about owners of various models having difficulty reinstalling slides on the frame.
Usually posters will point out the importance of proper guide rod alignment as the reason.
Well not for me today! This time no amount of wiggling or aligning would allow the slide to move past the hammer.
Dead stop metal to metal the problem lies elsewhere.
Removing the manual safety I can see the levers that should move under the slide are up.
That would be the firing pin safety lever and the sear release lever.
Even though I could push them down one was moving back up when installing the slide.
Finally blasted the levers from the top and bottom with Triflow and a bit of debris came out from under the levers.
About the size of a pinhead the debris was preventing the slide from moving to the rear as it held the levers up.
After cleaning the slide went on normally as it should. As a bonus I cleaned the fp channel.
There was a lot of brass shavings present so it was good to get that done as well.
I hope that this information is useful for those times the slide really will not go on the frame. Applies to any S&W with the two levers on the right of the frame.
Bruce
We often read about owners of various models having difficulty reinstalling slides on the frame.
Usually posters will point out the importance of proper guide rod alignment as the reason.
Well not for me today! This time no amount of wiggling or aligning would allow the slide to move past the hammer.
Dead stop metal to metal the problem lies elsewhere.
Removing the manual safety I can see the levers that should move under the slide are up.
That would be the firing pin safety lever and the sear release lever.
Even though I could push them down one was moving back up when installing the slide.
Finally blasted the levers from the top and bottom with Triflow and a bit of debris came out from under the levers.
About the size of a pinhead the debris was preventing the slide from moving to the rear as it held the levers up.
After cleaning the slide went on normally as it should. As a bonus I cleaned the fp channel.
There was a lot of brass shavings present so it was good to get that done as well.
I hope that this information is useful for those times the slide really will not go on the frame. Applies to any S&W with the two levers on the right of the frame.
Bruce
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