Cylinder opens while shooting weak hand

[jasonford36]

Hello everyone. While shooting my Smith Wesson 296 (the .44spl Ti) Ive noticed a quirky problem. While shooting with both hands, or my right hand only, I have no issues. While shooting with my left hand however, after the second shot my cylinder will open. What gives?

 

[Alk8944]

I would venture your thumb, or other part of your hand, is in the wrong position and pushing the thumbpiece under recoil.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I am left handed, and I just now picked up the revolver on my table and established my grip. No part of my body comes any where near the cylinder latch . . .

 

[jasonford36]

No, I thought of that and there is no way the release is hitting my hand.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Revolvers are not near as susceptible to "limp wristing" as semi autos. Absent more information, that is the only solution I can arrive at, that being that your normally non-shooting hand does not stabilize the firearm enough, and when it ultimately slams back, the cylinder release is dynamically impacted and the cylinder opens.

 

[jasonford36]

Muss, so essentially are you saying that because my grip is weak and the recoil is stout, the combination is actually acting like an inertia hammer and allowing the cylinder to open?

 

[WR Moore]

Just as a nomenlature thing, the latest termimology is "shooting hand" and "support hand".

Without seeing your grip and you shoot, I kind of think that what is happening is that your left hand isn't gripping the frame tightly enough and/or isn't placed properly. During recoil, the thumb latch comes in contact with your finger/hand and operates the latch. Since you note that it happens after the second shot the pistol is moving in your grip to a position where this happens.

 

[Muss Muggins]

That's all I got. It is possible that your right handed and two handed grip somehow creates a situation where your thumb(s) keep the cylinder closed, but I find that unlikely. If the firearm is otherwise mechanically sound, and the other shooting positions do not produce the same result, Occum's Razor suggests what you have described.

 

[jasonford36]

Ok, Ill load some more and try resetting a firm grip on each pull of the trigger. Maybe this will eliminate the "weak" part of my grip for testing purposes. Really I just want to make sure theres nothing mechanically wrong with the firearm.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Just as a nomenlature thing, the latest termimology is "shooting hand" and "support hand".

Without seeing your grip and you shoot, I kind of think that what is happening is that your left hand isn't gripping the frame tightly enough and/or isn't placed properly. During recoil, the thumb latch comes in contact with your finger/hand and operates the latch. Since you note that it happens after the second shot the pistol is moving in your grip to a position where this happens.

There is no way, with eight fingers and two thumbs total, and four fingers and one thumb on each hand, in the normal position, that a body part comes in contact with the cylinder latch using a one-handed, left hand grip . . .

 

[tputto]

My guess is that the cylinder latch moves in recoil and releases the cylinder. It is not necessary for the shooter to touch the latch for this to happen. This was a known problem and caused S&W to bring out the endurance package for M29. Among other things, the cylinder release was modified so that it would be locked unless the trigger is in the forward position. I think a very light 44spl could have the same problem when held in the weaker hand. Maybe a stronger spring for the cylinder pin might help. I don't know if there exists any lighter weight options for the cylinder release parts to reduce inertia.

 

[ironhead7544]

I have seen this happen with some people and the M29. I think S&W put longer cylinder notches to stop this from happening. A heavier cylinder stop spring might work also. Call S&W about this.

 

[jasonford36]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Keep them coming! Im really hoping that Smith & Wesson has a detailed answer for me on Monday.

 

[WR Moore]

I think we're getting some confusion between the cylinder opening (OP) and the long ago problem of the cylinder of model 29s rotating while firing heavy loads (not opening, rotating backwards-usually).

The metallic shiloutte folks and their monster loads were generally responsible for the latter issue. S&W did redesign the cylinder stops and notches and other items. However, this didn't have anything to do with the problem noted by the OP. BTW-excessive endplay also had a lot to do with the problem.

Since the problem doesn't happen with shooting/gun hand only firing, I kinda doubt there's a mechanical problem. More of a technique thing.

Miss Muggins- high speed photography shows a lot of stuff that seems improbable.

 

[jasonford36]

Well everyone, I loaded up some more and headed out to the range. I think that the problem was definitely my weak hand grip. When I made a serious, conscious effort to grip the gun firmly, the openings decreased dramatically. I also held the gun unusually low on the grip (to the point where I looked like a fool) and the cylinder would not open upon firing. Furthermore, I called my gunsmith and he also agreed that my weak grip was causing some part of me to hit the cylinder latch. I'm going to chalk this one up to being solved, and there was no problem aside from my wimpy left hand grip. Thanks everyone.