frustrated

[1911A1]

revolver works fine except::
To move the trigger, you have to pull the cylinder release back toward the grip (pushing the cylinder release forward releases the cylinder).
Any Idea how to fix this?

 

[john traveler]

The cylinder release thmbpiece is connected to a drawbar that pushes the cylinder center pin in to free the cylinder for opening. This drawbar is tensioned with a small coil spring where the drawbar touches the rear of the frame. If any dried oil, dirt, rust, etc prevents the drawbar from going fully forward, it interfers with the hammer motion. Sometimes the small coil spring gets kinked or broken.

The fix is to disassemble, clean, and inspect the action.

Or, if are uncomfortable with removing the sideplate and working on the internals, squirt cleaning solvent into the action, work the cylinder release repeated, and squirt more solvent to rinse and wash out the dirt.

Relubricate, wipe off, and try it again.

 

[1911A1]

Thanks John, I will try the WD-40 and see if that works.

 

[kscardsfan]

Avoid WD-40 at all costs unless you want to seize it up tight and stop movement entirely. I can vouch for at least 2 or 3 choke tubes I've seen that had to be removed with a choke tube breaker wrench/jack assembly. Use some break-free/clp or remoil. Jigaloo is pretty good for this too.

 

[Alk8944]

If you can easily pull the thumbpiece to the rear, and when you release it it moves forward again, the problem is with the cylinder center pin.

The center pin spring pushes the center pin back to lock the cylinder in place when the cylinder is swung in. The end of the center pin pushes against the bolt to push it back and allow the hammer to be cocked. This is a safety interlock to prevent the gun from being fired if the cylinder is not properly latched in and you are defeating its purpose by pulling the thumbpiece back to allow firing the gun.

What needs to be done is the cylinder disassembled, completely, and clean it. Something is keeping the center pin spring from exerting enough pressure to overcome the much lighter bolt spring that pushes the bolt (that's the part the thumbpiece is attached to) forward. The problem, unless someone has tinkered with it previously, is simply it is dirty (or possibly the center pin and extractor rod are bent) or old oils are gummed up inside the extractor rod.

kscardsfan is absolutely correct about WD-40! It contains fish oil which will oxidize and become gummy. There is a good chance that someone used WD-40 on the gun previously and his is what caused the problem in the first place. WD-40 is also a lousy lubricant, it was never intended to be one. Use only mineral or synthetic lubricants, CLP is excellent in all ways and will never gum up.

And, BTW, you don't have to open the sideplate to do any of this!

 

[RychenCop]

sounds like he used wd-40 in the past. clean it out with some recommended scrubber and lube it.

 

[kscardsfan]

I want some credit, I never used WD-40 on any of my guns. But only because I saw what it did to a shotgun choke at the local trap range before I had a chance!

 

[1911A1]

Thanks ALK8944 and others,
I pulled the sideplate and wiped it dry. Removed the spring and hammer to get to what S&W calls the "bolt" (I call it a cylinder release bar) The bolt slides in a trough in the frame. All seems in working order - nothing bent, loose or too tight. But with the hammer forward, the BOLT is at rest, blocking rearward travel of the hammer.
Could someone have replaced the original bolt with one form a "k" frame so it is too short?

 

[Alk8944]

Thanks ALK8944 and others,
I pulled the sideplate and wiped it dry. Removed the spring and hammer to get to what S&W calls the "bolt" (I call it a cylinder release bar) The bolt slides in a trough in the frame. All seems in working order - nothing bent, loose or too tight. But with the hammer forward, the BOLT is at rest, blocking rearward travel of the hammer.
Could someone have replaced the original bolt with one form a "k" frame so it is too short?

Surprisingly many of the internal parts of K and N frame guns are the same. All I am sure is different is the hammer, so the bolt being changed isn't likely the problem.

Did you disassemble the cylinder completely and clean it yet? I still think the centerpin isn't pushing the bolt back as it is supposed to. You didn't say if you still have the problem, just what it wasn't.

 

[1911A1]

No I did not try to dis-assemble the cylinder as it spins freely and the ejector rod moves smartly without any friction. The only friction seems to be in the movement of the "bolt". When I remove the thumbpiece and slide the Bolt to the rear, the Bolt stays to the rear, allowing the hammer to move. (with the thumbpiece in place the Bolt remains at rest, forward, blocking the hammer.)
Then with the Thumbpiece off, if I want to release the cylinder, it requires some manipulation - seems or catch on a rough spot (you have to pull the thumbpiece stud toward you so that it will release and go forward.)
- so I smoothed the milling marks in the trough in the frame where the Bolt rides, with emery cloth. No improvement. I also smoothed the matching Bolt surface-oiled and re-assembled - no improvement.
The Bolt has a spring and pin to the rear, that freely moves - IF it was stronger, it might force the Bolt forward though it appears to be the same tension as my other Smith.

 

[WR Moore]

Thanks ALK8944 and others,
I pulled the sideplate and wiped it dry. Removed the spring and hammer to get to what S&W calls the "bolt" (I call it a cylinder release bar) The bolt slides in a trough in the frame. All seems in working order - nothing bent, loose or too tight. But with the hammer forward, the BOLT is at rest, blocking rearward travel of the hammer.
Could someone have replaced the original bolt with one form a "k" frame so it is too short?

OK, if the cylinder isn't in place, the bolt is supposed to go forward. The center pin is supposed to push the bolt back sufficiently to allow the hammer to move. Brownells S&W parts show the J, K & L frame bolts as different parts. Numrich shows different part numbers for K and N frame bolts. If you can get sufficient movement to allow the weapon to operate, I doubt that an incorrect bolt is the issue.

Either the center pin is too short, the bolt nose (goes inside the breech and rests against the center pin) is worn and/or the center pin spring needs replaced. The plunger and spring at the back of the bolt can cause a problem if there's binding and/or debris inside the little plunger hole.

To remove the bolt, remove the thumbpiece and then move the bolt to the rear so that the nose comes out of the breech. Lift the bolt slightly and allow it to come forward, then remove the plunger & spring and clean the hole. Reverse the removal to install.