Cylinder shims ??

[What the]

Hello one and all,

 

[OKFC05]

1. Clean the gun. Close it.
2. Measure the cylinder to barrel gap with a feeler gage.
3. While pushing the cylinder toward the rear of the gun, measure the gap again.

Then tell us what you found.

If there is no problem there, remove the yoke, slide the cylinder off, and detail clean. Accumulated grit can bind it.
Be sure the ejector rod is screwed in.

 

[What the]

The gun is clean as a whistle,nothing under the star,ejector rod is tight.
There is no gap at rest on 4 of the charge holes. When I push the
cylinder back by hand there is less than .004 on the shortest 2 cylinders.

 

[k22fan]

I have a S&W model 17 and the cylinder binds once the guns been shot a few times. I'm almost certain the barrel to cylinder gap tightens up and I can't thumb the trigger or pull the trigger double action. Is there a shim I can put on the ejector rod to open up that gap?

Dale

I believe you are describing end shake for which Brownell's sells end shake washers. I've read they work but you'd have to remember to be carefull so you don't lose the washers when the cylinder is removed then reposition them during each reassembly. That does not appeal to me. A better way to go is a quick gunsmith repair using a tool that stretches the yoke or tube that your cylinder spins on. Even better would be a free warranty repair and Smith & Wesson routinely pays shipping both ways. I'd call customer service and ask them before doing anything else.

Incidently, I am not a gunsmith and posting these kinds of questions in the S&W Smithing Forum is more likely to get a response from one.

Please let us know if S&W repairs it for free.

Gil

 

[What the]

k22fan,

You are right I should have posted this in the gunsmith section,my attention span is as long as my ooops!! LOL
If anyone knows how to move this to the gunsmith forum please do.

I have 2 other K22's from the early 1950's and both of them have clearance on every charge hole none exceeding .005 or less than .003
They must have made them a little better back then.

Thanks in advance,

Dale

 

[OKFC05]

The gun is clean as a whistle,nothing under the star,ejector rod is tight.
There is no gap at rest on 4 of the charge holes. When I push the
cylinder back by hand there is less than .004 on the shortest 2 cylinders.

You have an endshake problem as you describe it.
Fixing it is not as simple as throwing in a washer or two, as the yoke needs to be trimmed square with a special tool (Brownells) before the washer is added for good results.
Either a revolver smith or S&W is probably the best answer unless you just want to buy the tool and learn how (Kuhnhauser manual).

They seldom need fixing again after a hard washer is properly installed.

 

[judge]

If the clearance is only .oo1 on the barrel/cylinder gap, the gun will still function as it should. This assumes a clean cylinder. If the cylinder is contacting the aft portion of the barrel, something is wrong. It may not be "endshake", but the barrel was not machined square. Look at it closely and see if the throat area is perfectly square & level - in relation to the front of the cylinder. If it is not square, it can be filed to correct the problem. If the problem is excess endshake, add a shim to take up the excess. Good luck.