Cylinder gap
- Thread starter bwaters
- Start date
- Joined
- May 2, 2012
- Messages
- 6,698
- Reaction score
- 13,236
- City & State/Province
- Evansville, Indiana USA
Check out the FAQ section at the top of the "smithing" page.
And, when you visit this rather long thread you are looking for the "AIR GAP" section, reproduced in part below. Mr. Armorer951 has offered excellent advice. The entire thread is well worth reading.
AIR GAP:
Proper air gap on S&W revolvers is .004-.010 inch. Rotate the cylinder and check it in more than one spot. The cylinder won't be perfectly square, it will vary some. Measure it at the forcing cone. Too little gap the gun will jam, too much and the gun will start spitting, plus lower bullet velocity and accelerated top strap erosion.
Best of luck!
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2006
- Messages
- 21,108
- Reaction score
- 35,447
The "OLD S&W max was .006". The "NEW" S&W max is .012" which is way too much for my liking. My own standard is something between .003" and .006". .007" wouldn't bend me out of shape, but beyond that would.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2012
- Messages
- 9,233
- Reaction score
- 15,901
- City & State/Province
- Northern NY-AdirondackMts
PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the years go on the amount allowed for in the gap gets bigger. Amazing is it not they get all sorts of expensive machines that work to ridiculously close tolerances and the number they accept gets bigger.
The closer to 6 it is the better I like it.
My son is a CNC programmer and forman in a big machine shop and he just laughs at some of the tolerances Smith and other companies get AWAY WITH! Do not even get him going on barrels that do not have their sights lined up as he is also a gun person!
Similar threads
