Just thinking out loud,
Have read a forum post that states there is a mechanical tool that forces it way thru a new ratchet that forms initial angle. Then you lightly file, if required, until hand slips past ratchet after lock/bring up/battery. Unless you file too much or alter the angle, this seems to be a straight forward simple trial and error process.
If you are fitting a new extractor and no cutting tool, the process seems to be not so exact to establish initial cut angle. The picture in Sticky FAQ seems to use adjacent ratchets as a starting gauge and using trial and error filing that should eventually achieve a working carry up. However, looking at many different extractors, the ratchets have varied shapes and sizes possible allowing up to .001, .002, .003+ variance. You would also have the variance of the file. Maybe pull to the left on one stroke, too much to the right on next stroke, etc. Also observed, checking numerous factory filed guns, this straight line filing between ratchets did not line up. Using a straight line, the line from top ratchet left side to right side of second ratchet to bottom left of third ratchet, the bottom ratchet straight angle target filing edge was actually .004 to .005 inside the cylinder hole.
My thought is there should be an exact proper angle with an exact straight cut parallel to the left side hand window. It seems with the hand being a fixed up/down motion, with a fixed locked in cylinder, with the cylinder rotating on the same axis lock to lock there should be more of an analytical approach to the fitting process of the combined ratchets versus so much trial and uncalculated human error.
As stated in the Sticky FAQ, "One of the very precision specs in an S&W revolver is the hand-to-ratchet clearance. A few thousandths makes the difference between good and bad carry up. You want the hand tip to be touching the ratchet but not binding on it when the trigger is pulled. Basically a zero clearance."
Don't know if there is such an option as blue printing a S&W revolver. If there were, you would think the hand to ratchet specs would be exact hole to hole with some way to measure such tolerance. Seems you could make a jig to lock a cylinder top lock notch to bottom lock notch, measure centerline to left side window and with an adjustable parallel file make the ratchet cut.
It seems as long as the hand brings up to lock, not too slow (no lock-up), not too fast (binding) the minute variance ratchet to ratchet and potential drag of hand on side of ratchet is not an issue.
As important as this subject is and the detail of Jerry Kuhnhausen shop manual, he offered no personal insight or instruction. Only his directives as per page 88, bottom right.
Have read a forum post that states there is a mechanical tool that forces it way thru a new ratchet that forms initial angle. Then you lightly file, if required, until hand slips past ratchet after lock/bring up/battery. Unless you file too much or alter the angle, this seems to be a straight forward simple trial and error process.
If you are fitting a new extractor and no cutting tool, the process seems to be not so exact to establish initial cut angle. The picture in Sticky FAQ seems to use adjacent ratchets as a starting gauge and using trial and error filing that should eventually achieve a working carry up. However, looking at many different extractors, the ratchets have varied shapes and sizes possible allowing up to .001, .002, .003+ variance. You would also have the variance of the file. Maybe pull to the left on one stroke, too much to the right on next stroke, etc. Also observed, checking numerous factory filed guns, this straight line filing between ratchets did not line up. Using a straight line, the line from top ratchet left side to right side of second ratchet to bottom left of third ratchet, the bottom ratchet straight angle target filing edge was actually .004 to .005 inside the cylinder hole.
My thought is there should be an exact proper angle with an exact straight cut parallel to the left side hand window. It seems with the hand being a fixed up/down motion, with a fixed locked in cylinder, with the cylinder rotating on the same axis lock to lock there should be more of an analytical approach to the fitting process of the combined ratchets versus so much trial and uncalculated human error.
As stated in the Sticky FAQ, "One of the very precision specs in an S&W revolver is the hand-to-ratchet clearance. A few thousandths makes the difference between good and bad carry up. You want the hand tip to be touching the ratchet but not binding on it when the trigger is pulled. Basically a zero clearance."
Don't know if there is such an option as blue printing a S&W revolver. If there were, you would think the hand to ratchet specs would be exact hole to hole with some way to measure such tolerance. Seems you could make a jig to lock a cylinder top lock notch to bottom lock notch, measure centerline to left side window and with an adjustable parallel file make the ratchet cut.
It seems as long as the hand brings up to lock, not too slow (no lock-up), not too fast (binding) the minute variance ratchet to ratchet and potential drag of hand on side of ratchet is not an issue.
As important as this subject is and the detail of Jerry Kuhnhausen shop manual, he offered no personal insight or instruction. Only his directives as per page 88, bottom right.
Last edited:
). It's a really quick way to damage an existing extractor, or maybe even the frame's hand window (if someone tries to use an over-size hand and incorrectly files the frame, especially on the wrong side of the window 
