66-2 Question

[jpage]

Just bought a 66-2 6" barrel, and noticed the barrel seems to be slightly turned to the left, if viewed from over the sights. I noticed that "grooves" on top of the barrel don't exactly match with grooves on the rear sight, and it is barely noticeable, probably less than one degree. It's as if the barrel needs to be tightened just a bit. The barrel is tight to the frame.

Is this something to be concerned about ?, I hope this question can be answered without a pic, won't have digital camera for awhile.Thanks

 

[valkyriekl]

does it shoot high and to the right? Do you have to make unreasonable adjustments with the rear sight to get point-of-impact to be the same as point-of-aim at 25 yards?

If not, then it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[jpage]

just got it a few days ago and haven't shot it yet. Should shoot in a few days. Did S&W let some revolvers leave the factory this way ?

 

[valkyriekl]

One of my 617s had its barrel canted to the right (when aiming), so that it would hit high and left of POA. When using the factory rear sight, I had to have it adjusted way right and all the way down to get it to hit somewhere close to POA at 10 yards. I thought about sending it in to be corrected, but I put a red-dot sight on it and it was no longer an issue. The 617 is back at S&W right now to get a new 4" barrel put on (I put nearly 30K through the original 6" barrel, and I'm just now coming to the realization that the 6" barrel is a touch too heavy for me).

There have been other threads here about S&W revolvers having barrels not being aligned top-dead-center. I think their owners had them sent back to be corrected. As I recall, they've all happened with the later non-pinned barrels; I haven't seen a canted pinned barrel yet.

 

[bountyhunter]

just got it a few days ago and haven't shot it yet. Should shoot in a few days. Did S&W let some revolvers leave the factory this way ?

They let a lot of guns leave with barrels that are not turned square to the frame. I have a bunch of them. On my guns that need the sight cranked all the way to the end, I shave the front sight edge a bit to center them up. IMHO, the front sight blades are too wide and I like a narrower sight profile anyway.

 

[jpage]

It's not a P&R, could the right hand twist of the rifling loosen the barrel more ?

 

[valkyriekl]

it's very unlikely -- wouldn't Newton's 3rd Law suggest that making a bullet spin to the right impart an equal and opposite force to the left? Which would tend to keep the barrel tight on the frame. In any case, the amount of torque needed to loosen and remove a crush-fit, non-pinned barrel from a frame is far greater than the torque generated by the rifling+bullet, I think.

 

[Wayne M]

Take it out and shoot it. Very often the grooves in the barrel rib and sight are slightly off. The barrel won't come loose and if the rear sight needs adjusted.....well, that's why it's adjustable.

 

[Gunmeister]

Say what you will, that would piss me off!
But that's just me.

 

[jpage]

Yeah, I think it's more of an annoyance than anything else.........

 

[Gunmeister]

It could come back to haunt you if you decide you want to sell the piece.
A discriminating buyer could turn away from a buy because of that. Kinda hard to ignore when it's right in front of your eye every time you line up the sights.
Good luck and enjoy your 66, they are a pleasure to shoot.