I don't post much but I was hoping for some help. I am fairly new to revolvers. My 586 is a gun I love but don't get to shoot but maybe once a month. The problem is that after it sits for a couple of weeks the cylinder becomes really hard to advance. And when I open the gun it is also really hard to turn. I thought I was using too heavy of a gun oil (gunzilla which is a clp type cleaner) so I tried remoil instead. Still gums it up pretty bad. What am I doing wrong?
Cylinder becomes hard to turn after gun sits a couple of weeks
- Thread starter me3
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Tired Gunsmith
Member
Needs a GOOD cleaning and removal of accumulated debris.
Remove the yoke assembly, slide the cylinder off the yoke, then clean. Lube (I use Brownells Action Lube) and reassemble.
If the action is still stiff when the cylinder is out, then that needs cleaning.
In general, you should not pour oil into a mechanism without cleaning it.
If the action is still stiff when the cylinder is out, then that needs cleaning.
In general, you should not pour oil into a mechanism without cleaning it.
Last edited:
Remove the screw on the right side above the trigger with a hollow ground screwdriver that fits properly ( a junk drawer screwdriver will bugger it up).Open the cylinder and slide the yoke forward and off of the frame.Slide the cylinder off of the yoke.Clean those areas
Clean with a dissolving type cleaner, such as brake and carb cleaner or Gunscrubber. Get up inside the cylinder shaft hole as well as the face of the cylinder and the inside of the chambers. Make sure the dissolved crud is wiped out, then very lightly lube with a clp type lubricant.
TAC
Member
Welcome to the S&W Forum!
Here is great video showing how to completely, and properly clean a revolver. It's not always necessary to be this through after every shooting however. Normally cleaning the barrel bore, and the cylinder chambers, and a wipe down with a cloth sprayed with a good CLP product will suffice.
How to Clean a Revolver Presented by Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NAZOr33nUo[/ame]
This is all the cleaning that is normally required:
Cleaning Revolvers
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeM8f0FFuJY[/ame]
ContinentalOp
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2009
- Messages
- 6,315
- Reaction score
- 12,813
In addition to cleaning as described above, I would add that lube should be used very sparingly as too much can accumulate gunk and potentially gum up the action. When you have the cylinder off the yoke and have everything cleaned, just use a drop of a good lubricant (I've never used Gunzilla but CLPs in general should be ok...I've used Break Free CLP...I currently use Gun Butter) and spread it around the outside of the yoke (the shaft the cylinder turns on). When you put the cylinder back on, give it a few turns.
For cleaning and general maintenance guidance, I like Grant Cunningham's book The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver.
For cleaning and general maintenance guidance, I like Grant Cunningham's book The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver.
When things get really gummy, I take off the side plate, take out the yoke and cylinder, and spray the whole thing with WD-40. Then a carefully blow everything with a pressurized hose. Repeat the process, lightly oil with a light gun oil and assemble. If you have one of those delicate anti WD-40 finishes then use what the manufacturer suggests for the cleaning/degreasing.
Please use a water separator in line with the hose and drain regularly.
The lube you are using.....
It sounds like the lube that you are using gums up FAST.
It sounds like the lube that you are using gums up FAST.
cowboy4evr
Member
Old oil and too much oil is causing your problem . I bought a revolver with same problem . I removed the yoke/ cylinder assembly and soaked over night in kerosene . Problem solved .
SLT223
Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 3,536
- Reaction score
- 5,586
I bought a 19-3 like this. Even after cleaning with solvents there was so much caked up old lubricant making the cylinder stick, it took gasoline on a q-tip to finally cut through it. Then I popped the side plate and found the action just about packed with molly grease....
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 7,806
- Reaction score
- 7,249
In addition to what's above, please consider the following. I can't recall if the L frames have a gas ring attached to the cylinder or if part of the yoke has that job. In short, if when you remove the cylinder from the yoke, there's a projecting shoulder on the cylinder face around the bore for the yoke-you have a gas ring on the cylinder.
If not, the yoke acts as the gas ring and will deflect combustion and bullet particulates into the cylinder/yoke area. These can be very difficult to remove. Back in the day, I saw model 10s so contaminated I machined the deposits out of the yoke counterbore at the front of the cylinder.
Since your difficulty seems to be periodic, not constant, this probably isn't the issue. That said, if you don't have a gas ring on the cylinder you definately need to clean the counterbore in the cylinder to prevent debris from becoming a problem.
If not, the yoke acts as the gas ring and will deflect combustion and bullet particulates into the cylinder/yoke area. These can be very difficult to remove. Back in the day, I saw model 10s so contaminated I machined the deposits out of the yoke counterbore at the front of the cylinder.
Since your difficulty seems to be periodic, not constant, this probably isn't the issue. That said, if you don't have a gas ring on the cylinder you definately need to clean the counterbore in the cylinder to prevent debris from becoming a problem.
