END SHAKE

[stuch77]

its it normal to have no end shake. i was goig over my 686-6 tonight and noticed it has none. my other smiths do 637-2 686-1 and 28-2.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I believe that factory specs call for .001"- .002" endshake, so if you absolutely have none, your gun is too tight. That can cause problems like the cylinder binding when the gun heats up from firing, etc.

To check it, push the cylinder forwards, and place a feeler gauge in between the forcing cone and cylinder, then pull the cylinder back as much as you can, and re-check the gap. It should be approximately the difference I mentioned above to be within specs.

 

[stuch77]

thankx. ok i'll do that

 

[stuch77]

ok i checked it with the feeler gauge i have exactly that gap .0015 with cylinder pushed forward and .002 pushed back. ok heres how it boils down. 686-6 new gun .0015. 28-2 .007 used 686-1 .005 used gun 637-2 .0015 new gun. is there to much endshake on my 28-2 and the 686-1? both shoot great. and if there is too much what can i do about it?

 

[SW357Addict]

Remember that there is both yoke endshake and cylinder endshake which can both contribute to how much barrel to cylinder gap there is. Usually, the wear is mostly cylinder endshake.

These can both be corrected with yoke and cylinder endshake bearings. They are usually .002 inches thick.

Also, it is a good idea to check endshake with some fired cases in the charge holes. The cases may prevent the cylinder from moving back quite as far and so without the cases it can indicate a larger endshake than there actually is.

 

[Alk8944]

Measuring tells you how much endshake you have, but isn't the first thing to be concerned with. .001 clearance in imperceptible when manually checking for it. If you can feel no end shake, but the cylinder rotates freely, everything is as good as it gets. Don't worry about it.

 

[dfariswheel]

S&W considers end shake to be acceptable until it gets to around 0.006", or until the cylinder starts contacting the rear of the barrel.

All cylinders have some end shake or the cylinder wouldn't rotate.
On a new S&W from back in the good days, this end shake was undetectable.
As quality standards on all brands falls, you start seeing more and more new gun end shake and other slacking specifications that used to be tighter.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

I'm with gun 4 fun on this. Too tight is not right on a revolver. You will experience at times a heavy trigger pull. Dirt will get under the extractor and she will start to bind.

Shoot it first. If it acts up, its easy to loosen up.

 

[S&W-Keeper]

I probably have at least a dozen, probably more with no end shake at all.