Couple of questions from revolver newbie (model 625-8JM)

[joonrhee]

Hello, I am new here and wanted to ask a couple of questions.

I picked up my first revolver on 6/4/20 and took it to range for the first time on 6/13/20. It seemed to be shooting fine at first but towards the middle my 625 started acting up. The cylinder would not rotate and hammer would not cock. I have couple of very short video links showing that.

**********/429406549

**********/429406188

Towards the end of my session, it started shooting fine again. Because this was literally brand new and first time taking to the range, I have decided to send it to SW for warranty repair. I am very disappointed that I had to experience this in a brand new gun but hopefully SW makes it right.

1. My first question is if this kind of jamming is normal with revolvers or am I just one of the few unlucky ones? Even though it is shooting fine at the moment, do you agree that I send it for repair?

2. My second question is how do you clean this bead blast finish stainless steel? If you see the video, the outside cylinder got very dirty. I was cleaning with Hoppe solution yesterday with cotton but just couldn't get this stain removed. Is it ok to use Lead Away or any abrasive material to remove this lead stain? Would it harm the finish of the gun? Any advice in properly cleaning the bead blast finish sts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance for your help!

*** EDIT: It seems like I can't link videos from vimeo. Those are the two video numbers so please just add ********** in front of the numbers.. Thank you.

 

[colt_saa]

Welcome to the FORUM

These symptoms are common to a revolver that is dirty, especially one that has powder residue or other debris under the extractor

This would also be a symptom of a loose ejector rod.

There are other possibilities, but these two are the most common

 

[joonrhee]

Welcome to the FORUM

These symptoms are common to a revolver that is dirty, especially one that has powder residue or other debris under the extractor

This would also be a symptom of a loose ejector rod.

There are other possibilities, but these two are the most common

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I don't think it was acting up because it was dirty.. I actually experienced the skipping(?) feel even when it was never shot spanking new (just pulling the trigger at home). And to further substantiate it was not an issue of dirtiness is that it was shooting quite normally towards the end of my range session. I didn't clean it or anything after it acted up.

As for loose ejector rod, I have no idea.. I wouldn't know if that would be the problem with my case simply because I have no knowledge what it would do..

It would still be good to send it to SW so that they can check it out for me right?

Also, would you have any idea how I would go about cleaning this thing? I seriously thought revolvers would be easier to clean but I actually think my HK semi auto is easier..

 

[Inusuit]

Rather than try to explain revolver cleaning in a post, I suggest you Google "How to Clean a Revolver." Multiple short videos will appear and give you better advice than I can.

I assume that you did not clean the revolver before taking it to the range the first time. Most experienced shooters will clean a new firearm thoroughly before shooting to remove any debris from machining and the factory rust preventative. That your revolver was glitchy during dry fire may indicate that it needed to be cleaned. It may have started functioning correctly towards the end of your shooting session because the contaminants worked out of the action.

I use an aerosol like Gun Scrubber to hose out the internals. This can be done without taking the gun apart, then a drop of oil in the openings and along the ejector rod.

This is a good time to get to know your new firearm so I recommend the videos and a thorough cleaning before sending it back to the factory.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

The cylinder would not rotate and hammer would not cock.

I don't think it was acting up because it was dirty.. I actually experienced the skipping(?) feel..

These are different symptoms of different problems.

It's best to clean & lube any new revolver/pistol before firing it the first time.

If that doesn't help maybe the LGS you got it from has someone there knowledgeable to assist you?

Revolvers are very different from pistols so you'll need to do some homework on their care & maintenance to get up to speed.

...how do you clean this bead blast finish stainless steel?
...the outside cylinder got very dirty.
...just couldn't get this stain removed.

Stainless steel may show the dirt/residue more easily than blued but they are very forgiving to clean up.

I found that Flitz Bore Cleaner is excellent for removing the stubborn powder stains on SS revolver cylinders. It's perfectly safe on SS & it's a "Green" formula.

I hope you get the problem sorted out. The 625-8 is a fine revolver.

.

 

[mikerjf]

Revolvers are harder to clean. Too many holes.

 

[MifflinKid]

My 625 4" had the same symptoms. The chambers were too tight. I bought a .45 ACP revolver reamer from Brownells and reamed them my self. That cured the problem as I can can now fire it all day and no cylinder hangup. It is one of my favorite revolvers.

I hope Smith and Wesson solve your problem. If they don't take it to a gun smith or do it yourself.

BTW, I had the same problem with a Smith and Wesson 617. I reamed those chambers to solve that problem, too.

 

[joonrhee]

Thank you all so much for your kind responses. Last night I was trying to replicate the issue but couldn't do it. Again, it seems to be fine from the ending rounds of my range session last Saturday. I cleaned it again and again last night as well. Because it just seems fine for now, I have decided not to send it to SW for now. I will be ordering the gun scrubber and Flitz bore cleaner as well. Thanks again!

 

[joonrhee]

My 625 4" had the same symptoms. The chambers were too tight. I bought a .45 ACP revolver reamer from Brownells and reamed them my self. That cured the problem as I can can now fire it all day and no cylinder hangup. It is one of my favorite revolvers.

I hope Smith and Wesson solve your problem. If they don't take it to a gun smith or do it yourself.

BTW, I had the same problem with a Smith and Wesson 617. I reamed those chambers to solve that problem, too.

Really?? So do you think I should still send it to SW? As I've mentioned, it does seem to be triggering fine now and especially from the ending rounds of my range session.. I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to do reaming on my own (don't even know what that is)..

 

[OldChief]

If you're not having a problem loading live rounds or extracting spent brass from your revolver, you don't need to worry about reaming anything. I have to go with the idea of grit under the extractor and/or a loose extractor rod. Now, if your extractor rod is loose, you should know that it has a reverse thread and you have to turn it counter clock wise to tighten it. I have a model 17 (.22 caliber) that was causing a problem extracting spent rounds (a common problem for 17s) I used Flitz polish on a Q-tip in my drill to polish each chamber and that solved the problem. It sounds as if you solved your problem with a good cleaning. As others have noted, we should always give a new revolver a good cleaning prior to shooting it for the first time.

 

[MifflinKid]

Really?? So do you think I should still send it to SW? As I've mentioned, it does seem to be triggering fine now and especially from the ending rounds of my range session.. I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to do reaming on my own (don't even know what that is)..
Reply With Quote

My 625 .45 ACP was a Performance Center model. The chambers were very tight. I could only shoot two cylinders and the rotation became very hard. Further, the cylinder was hard to open and cases would not eject easily. I was shooting my then standard load of 225 grain truncated cone lead bullets (BHN #12) in TZZ cases with 4.8 grains of 700-X.

After the second loading it was difficult to get all of the next six rounds to load. I had to brush out the chambers. Even then some rounds had to be pushed in to their respective chambers.

Try shooting it again with some different ammunition. And, yes, thoroughly clean the chambers and under the extractor. You can also verify the extractor rod is tight as OldChief wrote above.

I would not send it to Smith and Wesson until all other means of correction have been explored.

 

[joonrhee]

My 625 .45 ACP was a Performance Center model. The chambers were very tight. I could only shoot two cylinders and the rotation became very hard. Further, the cylinder was hard to open and cases would not eject easily. I was shooting my then standard load of 225 grain truncated cone lead bullets (BHN #12) in TZZ cases with 4.8 grains of 700-X.

After the second loading it was difficult to get all of the next six rounds to load. I had to brush out the chambers. Even then some rounds had to be pushed in to their respective chambers.

Try shooting it again with some different ammunition. And, yes, thoroughly clean the chambers and under the extractor. You can also verify the extractor rod is tight as OldChief wrote above.

I would not send it to Smith and Wesson until all other means of correction have been explored.

I'm not sure if that was the issue with mine... Since it feels fine for now, I'll just keep it and go to range and shoot some more. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[joonrhee]

If you're not having a problem loading live rounds or extracting spent brass from your revolver, you don't need to worry about reaming anything. I have to go with the idea of grit under the extractor and/or a loose extractor rod. Now, if your extractor rod is loose, you should know that it has a reverse thread and you have to turn it counter clock wise to tighten it. I have a model 17 (.22 caliber) that was causing a problem extracting spent rounds (a common problem for 17s) I used Flitz polish on a Q-tip in my drill to polish each chamber and that solved the problem. It sounds as if you solved your problem with a good cleaning. As others have noted, we should always give a new revolver a good cleaning prior to shooting it for the first time.

May I ask how do you check if the extractor rod is loose? I removed the cylinder yesterday and took apart the extractor rod from the cylinder and thoroughly cleaned it. However I don't remember having to turn anything counter clockwise to tighten anything.. Sorry for keep asking dumb beginner questions.

 

[OldChief]

May I ask how do you check if the extractor rod is loose? I removed the cylinder yesterday and took apart the extractor rod from the cylinder and thoroughly cleaned it. However I don't remember having to turn anything counter clockwise to tighten anything.. Sorry for keep asking dumb beginner questions.

There's no such thing as a dumb question when one doesn't know, that's why we ask questions. Now, when you reassembled the extractor assembly in the cylinder, you had to screw the extractor rod in in a counter clock wise manner. When it's assembled and you can twist the extractor rod in either direction using just your fingers, it's lose! I have a small set of vice grips that I dipped the jaws in liquid plastic and I use it when I have to tighten an extractor rod. Always be careful not to over tighten it, just enough where it won't back out easily. As a last resort, if you have any doubts about what you're doing, take the firearm to a good gunsmith.

 

[joonrhee]

There's no such thing as a dumb question when one doesn't know, that's why we ask questions. Now, when you reassembled the extractor assembly in the cylinder, you had to screw the extractor rod in in a counter clock wise manner. When it's assembled and you can twist the extractor rod in either direction using just your fingers, it's lose! I have a small set of vice grips that I dipped the jaws in liquid plastic and I use it when I have to tighten an extractor rod. Always be careful not to over tighten it, just enough where it won't back out easily. As a last resort, if you have any doubts about what you're doing, take the firearm to a good gunsmith.

Thank you for your kind response. I will have to go back home and check that out. I don't think I even needed to turn clockwise to disassemble the extractor assembly from the cylinder. I will try to find a youtube video as well but will definitely check out if mine is correctly in place. Thanks again!!

 

[joonrhee]

There's no such thing as a dumb question when one doesn't know, that's why we ask questions. Now, when you reassembled the extractor assembly in the cylinder, you had to screw the extractor rod in in a counter clock wise manner. When it's assembled and you can twist the extractor rod in either direction using just your fingers, it's lose! I have a small set of vice grips that I dipped the jaws in liquid plastic and I use it when I have to tighten an extractor rod. Always be careful not to over tighten it, just enough where it won't back out easily. As a last resort, if you have any doubts about what you're doing, take the firearm to a good gunsmith.

Ok I just watched a youtube video and realized I didn't take apart the extractor rod from the cylinder. I only unscrewed the right side of revolver and took out the cylinder to clean. I never disassembled the extractor rod from the cylinder. Is it necessary to disassemble extractor rod and clean that part as well? I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on cleaning any parts of my revolver. I will still check if the extractor rod is not twisting and make sure it is tight. Thanks again!

 

[JDinAZ]

the gammut will surely get ran on why it wouldnt function properly.

i got an ol trick ive used for a long time on 1911s when i run a ton of winchester white box thru em. rarely do it to my wheels guns cause a bit of carbon never bothered me on those.

fer as cleanin in General. this is bout like a solvent tank on truck parts but the liquid wont hurt squat and you can reuse it since all the gunk will fall to the bottom of the container.

get a decent sized plastic container with a lid. throw an inch or so of 91% rubbing alcohol in it. soak the cylinder, kinda gently scrub with a new clean green Marine Corps CLP brush. the carbon bout falls off most stuff doing this and the rubbin alcohol and CLP brush wont hurt the finish. then hit with 100psi air to dry, then give er a good coat with yer favorite gun lube.

i still use CLP its never let me down in the field or in garrison. i slather the insides of combat rifles and handguns along with the action of revolvers so when its time to clean em it aint much more than wipe down and re-oil only gotta scrub a few spots real good to pass inspection. dont forget to put a wrap of black tape over the little hole where the ol M16-A2 stock meets the lower or youll squirt CLP mist in yer eye which burns and blurs yer eye real bad

 

[OldChief]

Ok I just watched a youtube video and realized I didn't take apart the extractor rod from the cylinder. I only unscrewed the right side of revolver and took out the cylinder to clean. I never disassembled the extractor rod from the cylinder. Is it necessary to disassemble extractor rod and clean that part as well? I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on cleaning any parts of my revolver. I will still check if the extractor rod is not twisting and make sure it is tight. Thanks again!

Ok my friend, it shouldn't be necessary to disassemble the extractor assembly to clean a new revolver. When you clean it, be sure to press the extractor rod in and clean under the extractor. That's the part that looks like a star. If carbon or what ever builds up and causing the extractor not to seat in the cylinder as it should, it can cause binding. I use Hoppe's solvent and an old tooth brush for cleaning that area. When I've finished and dried the area, I put a small drop of oil on the extractor shaft under the star. On some revolvers you will notice a flat side of the shaft and others a notch running the length of the shaft. That's a good place to put your drop of oil. Then push your extractor rod in and out a few times to spread the oil. My email address is [email protected], send me yours and I send you an email with diagrams of some of these assemblies so you'll have a general idea how things should work. Some things may be slightly different on the newer revolvers due to periodic engineering changes in each model but what I'll send will give you a general idea of things.
Keep your powder dry,

 

[joonrhee]

Ok my friend, it shouldn't be necessary to disassemble the extractor assembly to clean a new revolver. When you clean it, be sure to press the extractor rod in and clean under the extractor. That's the part that looks like a star. If carbon or what ever builds up and causing the extractor not to seat in the cylinder as it should, it can cause binding. I use Hoppe's solvent and an old tooth brush for cleaning that area. When I've finished and dried the area, I put a small drop of oil on the extractor shaft under the star. On some revolvers you will notice a flat side of the shaft and others a notch running the length of the shaft. That's a good place to put your drop of oil. Then push your extractor rod in and out a few times to spread the oil. My email address is [email protected], send me yours and I send you an email with diagrams of some of these assemblies so you'll have a general idea how things should work. Some things may be slightly different on the newer revolvers due to periodic engineering changes in each model but what I'll send will give you a general idea of things.
Keep your powder dry,

I sent you an email. Thanks so much!!

 

[richrd]

All of the gun makers it seems have poor customer service when it comes to repairs.

I would not send anything in except as last resort.

 

[cowboy4evr]

Well , I have heard that Charter Arms has great customer service . I have no personal knowledge , only the countless comments that I have read . Regards Paul

 

[OldChief]

I've read some of the horror stories about S&W customer service but all I can say is that I've had nothing but great results from the folks there.

 

[Pizza Bob]

Has anybody wondered if the moon clips might be the problem? How did he load the moons and how did he extract the empty cases. A damaged moon would act similar to debris under the extractor.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[joonrhee]

Has anybody wondered if the moon clips might be the problem? How did he load the moons and how did he extract the empty cases. A damaged moon would act similar to debris under the extractor.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Hi, I don't believe it was moon clips.. As I've previously mentioned, it was doing that while dry shooting without moon clips. And I was using the BMT demooner. What a great tool!

As of now, I still haven't sent it to SW. And don't plan to for the moment. I've been dry firing everyday and I simply can't replicate the issue I was having a single time. So, until I take it to range for another session and see same issue again, I think I'd like to stick to what I have right now.

BTW, I well received your email about moon clips. I already have the BMT tool and absolutely love it.

 

[joonrhee]

Last weekend, I took it out to range and shot 100 rounds. It was flawless except 2 misfires. Is misfiring somewhat common? It was twice in one cylinder. It fired, then misfired, then fired, fired, misfired, then fired, fired, and fired. It eventually all fired and didn't get stuck like my first time. I don't know what was the cause but it except for these 2 misfires, all other 98 rounds were perfect. I even shot better than my first time out. There is no reason for concern here right?

And do you guys always take apart the cylinder (not the extractor rod assembly) by unscrewing the right side, when cleaning it? I personally think it's more effective cleaning while cylinder is out, but just wanted to know if this is normal cleaning or do you just clean it without popping out the cylinder? I'm not loosening anything by taking out the cylinder every time cleaning it right?

Thanks again in advance for your inputs!

 

[Liftrat]

Just speaking personally, I only remove the cylinder occasionally to clean it. I feel that a good scrubbing with brushes and patches does well enough for between session cleanings, but that's just me - others might be a bit more rigorous in their methods.
I hope your 625 has cured itself of whatever the glitch was, and that you continue to enjoy it. Not sure what to make of the misfires - have you checked your strain screw (on the front of the grip frame, under the grip)? It should be tight. Just a thought. I love my -6, and hope yours treats you as well.

 

[joonrhee]

Just speaking personally, I only remove the cylinder occasionally to clean it. I feel that a good scrubbing with brushes and patches does well enough for between session cleanings, but that's just me - others might be a bit more rigorous in their methods.
I hope your 625 has cured itself of whatever the glitch was, and that you continue to enjoy it. Not sure what to make of the misfires - have you checked your strain screw (on the front of the grip frame, under the grip)? It should be tight. Just a thought. I love my -6, and hope yours treats you as well.

Thanks for your feedback! I'll be sure to check if strain screw is tight.

 

[nedlate]

And do you guys always take apart the cylinder (not the extractor rod assembly) by unscrewing the right side, when cleaning it? I personally think it's more effective cleaning while cylinder is out, but just wanted to know if this is normal cleaning or do you just clean it without popping out the cylinder? I'm not loosening anything by taking out the cylinder every time cleaning it right?

I would not take the cylinder off the frame very often. The same with disassembling the extractor rod. It is rarely necessary. Clean the cylinder and the extractor star/rod while still attached to the frame. You'll figure out a rhythm.

Of course that is just my opinion!

Ed

 

[joonrhee]

I would not take the cylinder off the frame very often. The same with disassembling the extractor rod. It is rarely necessary. Clean the cylinder and the extractor star/rod while still attached to the frame. You'll figure out a rhythm.

Of course that is just my opinion!

Ed

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[jjfitch]

dirty powder!!??

The next time the cylinder becomes difficult to rotate, STOP. Open the cylinder and gently see if any cases are pushed back away from the rear of the cylinder. To do this just use a little pressure with your finger to push in every case. Firing will cause cases, fired and unfired to be pushed rearward causing friction against the recoil plate (where the firing pin resides) during rotation. Crud build up in the cylinders can cause stuck cases!

If you are shooting reloads or promotional ammo (white box!) may be the source of the problem due to "dirty" powder!

All the best,