Ever had a revolver fail?

[hkcavalier]

My 686+ had light strike issues. This is what led me to join the forum actually, to get some help. Trigger is still lighter than factory but reliably touches off primers now.

 

[Realgunner]

In my twenty years as a law enforcement firearms instructor in an agency that allowed a variety of personally-owned weapons, I've seen virtually every make and model of revolver and semi-automatic pistol fail. You just have to go with the ones that seem to fail less frequently.

 

[Jeffrey A. Cooper]

I believe the shrouded ejector was developed so if I missed the BG head with my revolver/club I would not damage the ejector rod.
Once as a kid I loaded some hot 357 with hollow base 100grain 355 bullets, that Model 28 held that jacket at the forcing cone until it was knocked back with a dowel and hammer.

 

[S&W Fan]

Well there is that problem with some no dash 686s................ Or was that an ammo issue? Hmmm.

I have one that would bind, my dad bought it new, sent it back and it's been great since 1981.

 

[BigBill]

My autos are reliable as my revolvers are. The moly lube is the difference my guns are happy, happy.

 

[adwjc]

I had a hammer mounted, firing pin break on a model 13 once. Dont know why?

Back in the mid '80s, I was taking a training course and the guy next to me had a brand new model 65, just out of the box- his firing pin broke off during the first six shots (he had dry fired the night before).

I have never seen or heard of another failure like that in 30 years in a department that was predominantly armed with S&Ws.

That said, I knew a guy with a Colt OP, that had a broken hand spring, so the cylinder wouldn't advance, but was able to rotate by hand and he tried to qualify. Then the range master confiscated the gun and sent him to the armory for a loaner.

Once semi autos were authorized, the majority of failures were traced to ammo problems (late '70s - early '80s). It wasn't until 1989 that recruits were allowed to train w/ semi autos (669s). Prior to that autos were an option for tenured personnel.

 

[GRT3031]

There are a number of things that can and will go wrong with a revolver if you do not maintain it. On the older 4 and 5 screw guns if the trigger guard screw works loose, the gun won't work. Also, any kind of fouling under the ejector star will cause the revolver to bind. And early Smith's, the ejector rod would work loose, and that would mess things up as well. People say Smith quit recessing the chambers on their revolvers as a cost saving measure, I personally believe it was to improve reliability. Any kind of fouling in the recess for the rim will cause drag and other problems.

Another way to look at it, if the revolver was superior to an auto, the Military would still use it.

 

[Waywatcher]

Nope.

Well, I guess it depends what you mean by failure. I've personally had dud primers that no revolver would set off. I've seen squib rounds get stuck between the cylinder and barrel and lock up someone else's gun.

My EDC, a 2014 production S&W 442, has proven utterly reliable; 530 flawless rounds and counting.

 

[686-380]

Here's my saga, I still own and shoot my 686-6..http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...dy-357-158-gr-xtp-ammo-jams-my-new-686-a.html

 

[shouldazagged]

A revolver failure? Never. An ammunition failure, yes. When my first wife's grandmother died in the early 1960's, in a trunk in her attic we found a Smith & Wesson top-break .22 revolver loaded with corroded copper-cased ammo. Nobody else wanted the little gun, which was in wonderful shape considering that it was probably at least forty years old and had been in the trunk for many years, so I took it.

When I got it home I was curious whether the old cartridges would fire. So I tried. Three out of six went bang.

I only shoot factory ammo, and have never had a failure with it in any revolver since that time.

 

[Old TexMex]

Jumped crimp caused total lockup after the first round. Eastern European ammo.

 

[grip frame]

Yes, a revolver failure.

My 36-1 J frame had a hand spring break.

 

[Ranger514]

The only time I had any kind of malfunction was completely my fault. I got light strikes because I backed off the strain screw too much. I had been warned not to do so, but decided to take the chance. I tightened the screw, and never have had any issues with the Smiths I've subsequently owned.

 

[Edknn123]

My 442 has been flawless for over 1500 rounds except during my CPL training. After firing over 100 rounds of dirty reloads bought from the gun range during ammo shortage, I had a powder build up under the extractor star. Cylinder would not lock so trigger froze. Glad it's easier to find ammo now and not have to worry about that happening again.

 

[326MOD10]

My only revolver mishaps have been with ones that I have purchased used.

Had a Model 64, 3 inch, that the strain screw was backed off and loose, causing light strikes. Man, when I got that thing I thought to myself, what a wonderful trigger pull. Haven't had an issue since I tightened it up.

Bought a Model 19, 2 1/2 inch, that had the extractor rod loosen up and it bound up the cylinder. Once I got it open and tightened I haven't had a problem again. I don't shoot this one much though because it is nickel and in pretty good shape.

Both owner induced issues that had or had not been addressed correctly.

 

[silentflyer]

Other than rim fire ammo, no.

 

[Sgt.Peck]

My S&W model 19 cylinder locked up at the range. An armorer looked at it an found that the ejector rod had backed out just enough and froze up the cylinder. Glad it happened at the range.

 

[629shooter]

Other than dirt, and unseated primers, I've had two. The hand and hammer were replaced in a 442 that I had. after two cylinders (ten rounds) it failed to fire. That one was sent back to S&W and was returned in working order.

The other was a strain screw that was backed out(causing light strikes.) that was a R8 that was shipped that way.

 

[OLDSTER]

The only issues I've ever had in 50 plus years of shooting ("mechanically sound, clean, and reputable") revolvers is either ammunition related, or the more common issue of shooting too many rounds of .38 through a .357 without timely removal of the "gunk ring".

 

[CajunBass]

When I hear "gun failure" I take that as meaning the gun itself broke. I've never had that happen with any gun, revolver, semi, rifle, or shotgun.

I have had bad ammo, dirty guns, and just plain operator error cause a malfunction from time to time.