extraction problems with new 17 (1960)

[Aviator]

I have to hit the extractor rod with the palm of my hand to eject spent rounds from my 17.
It looks like the eject star and cylinder are misaligned.

Attached is a photo. The overlap is the same for each chamber and is visible at the area nearest the center of the cylinder.

It looks like the cylinder may have been replaced as there is no serial number on it.

I would like to remove the cylilnder and send it out to be fitted correctly if this is possible.
Smith is six months behind.

Is there someone in the forum who does this sort of work.
Or maybe some advice I can pass to the local smith.

Thanks,


Frank

 

[Alk8944]

What you see with the extractor is perfectly normal, and it does not affect extraction. The extractor is not finished when it is installed in the cylinder except for the rim cut. If you look closely you will see that the toolmarks across the rim cut match, it is original.

What does affect extraction is dirty chambers. Simply take a cleaning rod with you when shooting, with a bronze 6mm rifle bore brush. When extraction starts getting a bit still simply make 1-2 passes through each chamber and everything will be alright for a few cylinders. This is one of the most commonly remarked about "problems" with S&W .22 revolvers. There are several hundred posts a year about this!

 

[Aviator]

Just got the gun so I dont know how well it was cleaned.
I removed the cylinder and cleaned it with gunscrubber.

Now the rounds drop easily into the chambers and I am headed for the ranger.

After several rounds of cleaning with hoppes 9 and a brush the patches are comming out clean. However there is some visible irregularity about midway down the chambers.

Thanks,

Frank

 

[Hondo44]

Like Alk8944 said, that will probably solve the problem. However, if the problem still persists, before you leave the range, do this to help diagnose the problem:

Number your chambers with a felt pen from one to six. Then shoot one round in each chamber to determine if just one chamber is causing the problem. For example, the chamber that you observed with the irregularity.

 

[Aviator]

Cleaning the chambers often helped a great deal.
I may not have had it completly clean to start with. Even though dry patches came out clean if if I brush and scrub some more it may loosen up more grud.

I will be experimenting with some different ammo as well. It seems to favor standard velocity.

When I bought this gun I planned to shoot it a lot but it looks so nice I am not sure I want to put the wear on it.

Probably need to find one a little newer maybe with some wear on it.

Thanks,

Frank:

 

[Geezer]

I've had similar problems with all of my K-22's when I tried to use Wolf or Lapua ammo; I think their brass isn't as springy as the Winchester or Federal brass made here.

 

[EdF702]

With my 17, I must use standard velocity ammo or ejection is very difficult. If I shoot HP ammo, like CCI Mini Mags, I almost can't get them out.

With Federal bulk pack, it ejects fine. Those high velocity rounds just expand too much in the cylinder on mine.

 

[TACC1]

What EdF702 said;
Had some misfires with Rem bulk, so I tried some
Mini-Mags. They stuck tight in my KitGun, and had
to be punched out.
TACC1

 

[CJS57]

Why does this happen on S&W's but apparently does not happen on other revolvers?

When I was 18 I saved up and bought a brand new K22 M-17 about 1964. It was jammer like above. No internet etc. then, I ended up selling it............

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Each one of my six children was given a Model 34 for their tenth birthdays. Everyone had "Tight" chambers. A trip to the S&W Repair Center and the chamber polished cured this.

 

[Lobster Picnic]

Maybe that's why the K-22 is so accurate...very tight tolerances in the charge holes.

 

[Göring's S&W]

With my 17, I must use standard velocity ammo or ejection is very difficult. If I shoot HP ammo, like CCI Mini Mags, I almost can't get them out.

With Federal bulk pack, it ejects fine. Those high velocity rounds just expand too much in the cylinder on mine.

I came to the same conclusion with my 1953 K-22. My theory is that from shooting high velocity stuff (most of it you find today is high velocity) the gun heats up, which probably many of you have observed. I don't know how many rounds it takes but I have gotten my cylinder hot enough to where it was too hot to hold on to. My theory is that when the gun gets this hot, the metal expands, which increases the tightness of the tolerances. Another piece of evidence is that for the first few cylinders, the ejection is easy, and the gun is cool. I occasionally still shoot high velocity in my K-22s but when I do, I expect these issues.

Why does this happen on S&W's but apparently does not happen on other revolvers?

Maybe that's why the K-22 is so accurate...very tight tolerances in the charge holes.

The K-22 is one of the finest 22lr revolvers ever made, its a masterpiece of 22 DA revolvers, if you will. The gun was made to be an extremely accurate target revolver. The tolerances are very close to enhance the accuracy. Other guns, such as the Rugler Single six, and perhaps even the famous Colt Diamondback most likely do not have as tight of tolerances, and so this sticky extraction is not seen. I also don't recall sticky extraction on my Colt OMM 22, but is still a fine revolver. FWIW, my friends Colt Officers Model (before the Officer's Model Special and before the Officers model Match) had sticky extraction as well. I'm not sure how much he cleaned his however.

It looks like the cylinder may have been replaced as there is no serial number on it.

The "soft fitting" department which was responsible for numbering the separate pieces, and then hand fitting them, was gone by 1958. Hence, revolvers after that time period will commonly NOT have serial numbered pieces throughout.

 

[bgrafsr]

However there is some visible irregularity about midway down the chambers.

Thanks,

Frank

The irregularity you see is from the chambering reamer and is perfectly normal. Do not give it a 2nd thought.