Finicky cylinder on a 625-3

[tominboise]

I have two 625-3's, one 4" and one 5". The 5" shoots great and is very accurate. The 4" shoots well but has a finicky cylinder. Ammo in moon clips that drops into the 5", will hang up about 1/4" out on the 4". I can seat the clip but it takes a lot of pushing. This happens with multiple different clips, including steel and nylon clips. Each round in these clips pictured will drop into each chamber easily when unclipped (loose rounds). But clipped into three different moon clips, will not chamber all the way.

I believe the cylinder was not machined correctly (hole circle diameter too large or too small) when the pistol was made.

Would you send it back to S&W or to a gunsmith? Buy a cylinder off of ebay? Gunparts (Numrich) shows a new style and old style cylinder but neither description mentions 625-3. How much fitting would be required to fit a new cylinder, and are they all (-2, -5, -6 -8) interchangeable on a -3?

 

[Protocall_Design]

Use a caliper to measure across opposite holes in each cylinder. The 5" one works, how much different is the 4" one? Are the chambers larger on the 5" one? Maybe the 4" has small chambers?

 

[DixieRanger]

Sounds to me as heard before...send to mother ship for analysis hopefully by professionals?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[tominboise]

Use a caliper to measure across opposite holes in each cylinder. The 5" one works, how much different is the 4" one? Are the chambers larger on the 5" one? Maybe the 4" has small chambers?

Good idea. Measuring opposite holes in each cylinder, outside to outside, using my Starrett dial caliper.

The "bad" revolver:

Pair 1 - 1.555"
Pair 2 - 1.553"
Pair 3 - 1.560"

The "good" revolver:

Pair 1 - 1.566"
Pair 2 - 1.563"
Pair 3 - 1.566"

So the bad revolver has a smaller diameter hole circle approximately 0.011-0.013" depending on what pairs compared.

Furthermore, testing with various combos of ammo in clips - two rounds opposite, two rounds next to each other, two rounds one hole off, three rounds, four rounds, etc, etc. All combos will easily chamber into the chambers on the 5" gun. No combos will chamber easily on all holes on the 4" gun.

So I believe I have a cylinder that was machined out of tolerance. I didn't buy the gun new, maybe that's why it was for sale. Anyway, I hear such horror stories about S&W quality these days I am hesitant to send it back for repair, even though it is a manufacturing defect.

 

[Pig Hunter]

Since the 625 series has been discontinued I believe they sold off all the parts on hand. I bought a cylinder on ebay still in the factory wrapper.

 

[tominboise]

Since the 625 series has been discontinued I believe they sold off all the parts on hand. I bought a cylinder on ebay still in the factory wrapper.

An ebay seller has a couple of new cylinder assemblies for $130 + shipping. I wonder what the odds are that one would fit my revolver?

 

[Krogen]

Here are some ideas that would avoid sending the gun back to S&W or trying to fit another cylinder:

1) try clips from different suppliers. They may have slightly different dimensions and hold the rounds differently.

2) try half-moon clips or maybe 1/3 moon clips

3) if you handload, abandon moon clips altogether and use .45 Auto rim cases.

Myself, I've fussed with moon clips and developed a strong distaste for them. I happily use .45 AR cases.

 

[tominboise]

Here are some ideas that would avoid sending the gun back to S&W or trying to fit another cylinder:

1) try clips from different suppliers. They may have slightly different dimensions and hold the rounds differently.

2) try half-moon clips or maybe 1/3 moon clips

3) if you handload, abandon moon clips altogether and use .45 Auto rim cases.

Myself, I've fussed with moon clips and developed a strong distaste for them. I happily use .45 AR cases.

Using A/R cases may be just the ticket - great idea that I hadn't considered. One gun with moon clips, the other with A/r cases. Or maybe just A/R cases in both.....hmmmm

It is interesting that 500 Starline A/R cases cost about the same as the new cylinder....

 

[stansdds]

Auto-Rim brass certainly eliminates the need for moon clips, but does away with the reload speed of moon clips.

 

[dogdoc]

Try flex hone cylinder polishing process available from brownells . Worked great on some of mine.

 

[Protocall_Design]

With the holes that far off, honing won't be enough. I would get a new cylinder. The holes are off center to the barrel, too. A cylinder may be a drop in, or may require minor fitting.

However, some other good alternatives have been suggested, and if it shoots well enough as is, you have choices.

 

[tominboise]

Auto-Rim brass certainly eliminates the need for moon clips, but does away with the reload speed of moon clips.

Yeah, I have the two 625's and two 1911's. Going to A/R means different ammo for one of the four, which doesn't appeal to me that much.

 

[jcelect]

Measuring the cylinder holes outside to outside tells you nothing! If the cylinder holes are +/- a couple thousands that number will be doubled in an outside to outside measurement! The cylinders are bored off the center line of the cylinder! It the cylinder is bored incorrectly the alignment of the bores to the barrel will be off. This will cause the barrel to shave lead! I would look in the area of the cylinder bore size! I would change your resizing die, looking for one that is smaller than the one you are using now and/or reboring/polishing the smaller cylinder bores.
jcelect

 

[Protocall_Design]

If you measure the diameter of the chambers, and they are the same, it tells you one is a larger bolt circle. If the chamber diameters are different, you can figure that into the equation. Not measuring is just guessing. Accurate measurements give you facts.

 

[tominboise]

I measured the cylinder bores and they are all in the 0.480" range (+/- 0.0005"). Both guns measure the same, if anything the 5" "good gun" is a bit tighter. No holes that are grossly off the rest.

I think I will do some more experimenting with factory ammo and a variety of clips to see what happens.

 

[StrawHat]

If you can get some of the 1/2 moon clips, that might help as only three rounds need to drop in. If you get 1/3 moons, only two.

If you prefer full moon clips, Ranch Products in Malinta Ohio is the manufacturer of the original modern full moon clip. The moon clip that was designed to work with all of the cases in production at that time. I have them and prefer them to others.

Using Auto Rim cases is not that big of a deal. All you need for your reloading setup to work is a new shell holder or shell plate.

A flex hone will do more damage than good. If you think the chambers are out of round or too small, get a proper chamber reamer and use it or find a good gunsmith who has one. I recommend Andy Horvath, but there are others.

Kevin

 

[rvolvr]

Brief rant:

Common problem across all gun forums when discussing revolvers.

If you mean "cylinder", say cylinder. If you mean "chamber", say chamber. Yes, I can read between the lines, but it's painful to see otherwise intelligent gun people mixing up the two.