Bolt not flush with recoil shield on 64-4

[wrangler5]

Got a new (to me) 2 inch 64-4 a couple of weeks ago, supposedly from a Virginia Dept of Corrections batch. It's in nice shape, with a smooth double action and very short and crisp single action letoff. The innards were quite clean, except for some clear, very gummy residue everywhere inside the Uncle Mike's grips and on the metal parts they covered. I'm still working on getting the goo off the rubber, but I've cleaned off the metal and installed Magnas with a BK grip adapter (natch). Also painted the front sight ramp red and the rear notch flat black, and now have a compact gun that conceals well and carries beautifully in a Lobo enhanced pancake holster I just got from Ray.

BUT - unlike all the other S&W revolvers I have, this one has a "hitch" in the swinging out of the cylinder. The extractor rod is screwed in tight, and the center pin is more than proud of the extractor rod tip when the back of the cylinder assembly is pushed down on a solid surface.

The problem appears to be that the bolt does not come forward enough to be flush with the recoil shield. This makes the rear tip of the center pin jump up over a little step between the bolt and recoil shield before the cylinder will swing freely. There's actually a small divot in the recoil shield where the center pin rides up out of its locking hole.

There is no crud blocking the forward movement of the bolt - I took things apart for an inspection/clean/lube before I went to the range for the first time. I don't see anything that looks like physical damage to the bolt itself, which moves freely and apparently normally, except for not going far enough forward to push the end of the center pin up to the same plane as the recoil shield when I want to open the cylinder.

I CAN open the cylinder fairly easily using my usual 2-hand technique, although I can feel the hitch at the start of the swing out. (It feels the same regardless of which chamber is in line with the barrel.) But I can NOT push the release latch forward with my thumb and pop the cylinder out with my index finger, the way I can with my other J and K frames. At least not without a LOT of index finger effort.

So the gun is functional (and great fun to shoot.) It just isn't as smooth as I'm accustomed to in this one respect. Is this something that's common? Is there an easy fix that I'm not seeing? Or is it just the way this particular gun is, and something I should simply get used to?

 

[Oyeboteb]

I have one, where the Bolt or Bolt end was too short, failing to come flush with the Recoil shield, making it hard to open the Cylinder ( Model 10-6 ).

I added a tiny bit of fairly hard Braze to the tip of the Bolt's 'tip' end, trued it, adjusted it a little, and, it has opened ( and closed ) perfectly since.

I do not remember if I also shortened the Cylinder Center pin or not.

 

[Alk8944]

First, have you dis-assembled the revolver and thoroughly cleaned all the internal parts.

If you have done this fine, if not then do it.

Second, have you checked the bolt position with the thumbpiece removed? Sometimes there can be inteference between the thumbpiece and frame stopping the bolt from going all the way forward. Check the bolt in the frame by itself, with the gun otherwise completely dis-assembled.

If you have done all this and it is still short, then replace the bolt!

 

[chief38]

Not a real big deal to fix. Just get a new bolt (not expensive) and fit to flush if needed. You will be back in business in no time. Also make sure it is not hanging up in the hole.

Not a common problem but it does happen once in a while.

 

[Gunhacker]

First, have you dis-assembled the revolver and thoroughly cleaned all the internal parts.

If you have done this fine, if not then do it.

Second, have you checked the bolt position with the thumbpiece removed? Sometimes there can be inteference between the thumbpiece and frame stopping the bolt from going all the way forward. Check the bolt in the frame by itself, with the gun otherwise completely dis-assembled.

If you have done all this and it is still short, then replace the bolt!

+1... I had a gun where the "stud" on the rear of the thumbpiece that rides in the frame cut out was not machined properly. A few strokes with a file to re-shape (round off) the front edge, allowed the bolt to move forward a tad further in the frame cut out.

Taking the thumbpiece off too will reveal whether or not there's some crud accumulated under it that's preventing full forward travel.

 

[wrangler5]

First, have you dis-assembled the revolver and thoroughly cleaned all the internal parts.

If you have done this fine, if not then do it.

Second, have you checked the bolt position with the thumbpiece removed? Sometimes there can be inteference between the thumbpiece and frame stopping the bolt from going all the way forward. Check the bolt in the frame by itself, with the gun otherwise completely dis-assembled.

If you have done all this and it is still short, then replace the bolt!

Done and done. Everything is clean, but the part of the bolt that pushes the center pin simply does not reach the plane of the recoil shield. So it looks like it's time for a new bolt.

BTW, it looks like there are file marks on the face of the bolt, so it might have been shortened from where it started. Is that something that's done as part of the original assembly of one of these guns? (I wouldn't have thought so, but . . . )

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

[Alk8944]

Done and done. Everything is clean, but the part of the bolt that pushes the center pin simply does not reach the plane of the recoil shield. So it looks like it's time for a new bolt.

BTW, it looks like there are file marks on the face of the bolt, so it might have been shortened from where it started. Is that something that's done as part of the original assembly of one of these guns? (I wouldn't have thought so, but . . . )

Thanks for the quick replies.

I have never seen file marks on the bolt as a gun comes from the factory, they are ground. Sounds like Bubba is alive and well.