Help me fix a Model 60

[Rakkasan13F]

I was recently in the Rossville, GA GT Distributors store and saw they had some used Model 60's in stock. One of them was a Metro Nashville PD gun, marked with the MNPD logo and initials on the sideplate, along with the code 517C on the left side of the frame, just below the front of the cylinder.

According to a friend of mine, who is a MNPD patrol Sergeant, the 517C stands for 5-Hermitage Precinct, 17-patrol zone 17, C-third shift. The hammer spur was broken, but I had to have it because I have another former MNPD Model 60 I bought at the same store. The other one doesn't have the logo, but it is engraved 315C on the left side of the frame which means it was issued to South Precinct, Patrol Zone 15, Third Shift. That Model 60 has had the hammer bobbed, so it's effectively DAO.

Admittedly, I didn't give the gun as close an inspection as I should have, as I got caught up in the fact it had the MNPD logo and markings. I knew I was going to have to replace the hammer, but that wasn't a big deal.

The problem was discovered when I got it home and really started looking it over. We all know S&W revolver cylinders rotate counterclockwise, right? Well, this one does that, but it also rotates clockwise with just a slight hint of hand pressure. It will sometimes catch and stop rotating, but the slightest pressure will cause it to once again rotate clockwise.

Since I was ordering a hammer and planning to replace it, I also went ahead and ordered a cylinder stop, cylinder stop spring, rebound slide and hammer block from vendor on eBay (all four pieces were sold together for a fair price).

I got the cylinder stop, spring, rebound slide, and hammer block on Tuesday and set to replacing the old ones, hoping that would solve the spinning clockwise issue. Unfortunately, it didn't. In fact, the cylinder rotated easier with those parts installed than with the originals, requiring even less effort to freely spin it.

As a test, I swapped the cylinders between the two guns. (The gun I already owned works just fine.) When the new gun's cylinder is installed in the old gun, it works perfectly fine. When the older gun's cylinder is installed in the new gun, it takes a considerable amount of effort to close the cylinder and it doesn't rotate clockwise, but the trigger pull is ATROCIOUS.

When the new hammer arrived today and I installed it, I went ahead and swapped the other parts so that the original ones are back in the gun.

Does anybody have any idea what's causing the issue and how to remedy it?

To recap, here's a breakdown of how the cylinders perform when installed in each frame (I'll refer to the old gun as 315C and the new one as 517C):

517C cylinder in 517C frame: cylinder rotates clockwise
315C cylinder in 315C frame: gun performs as expected
517C cylinder in 315C frame: gun performs as expected
315C cylinder in 517C frame: cylinder difficult to close, trigger pull is extremely heavy, but cylinder doesn't rotate clockwise

I know that's probably a bit long-winded, but I figured more details will better help diagnose the problem.

Thanks in advance, folks.

ETA: Since threads are always better with pictures...

 

[Vtgw938]

Have you tried swapping out the trigger and hammer from your first M60 into the new one?

 

[Rakkasan13F]

Have you tried swapping out the trigger and hammer from your first M60 into the new one?

I haven't swapped the trigger and hammer from the other gun, but I did install the new hammer (the one with an intact hammer spur) and it didn't make a difference.

 

[armorer951]

Check for damage to the cylinder stop slots, and to see that the slots are clean......they need to be clean all the way down to the bottom of the slot. Use a toothpick, solvent, and a magnifier if necessary.

Check for damage or excessive wear on the cylinder stop and/or cyl. stop spring. Damage here, or a weak spring can cause this.

If the cylinder stop is not holding, there is an adjustment step on the top of the body of the cylinder stop, just behind the ball of the stop. You can remove a bit of material off of this adjustment step. Do this in increments and check for proper function. (ck.with the sideplate on) Please do not cycle the revolver under mainspring tension with the sideplate off.

Removal of material from the adjustment step will allow the ball of the cylinder stop to travel a bit further upward through the cylinder stop window in the frame, and cause it to hold properly.









Carter

 

[Rakkasan13F]

Thank you. I'll take a look at that. Though, I agree with Clint Eastwood when he said, "a man's got to know his limitations." This might become a project worth turning over to a professional.

 

[M29since14]

Always good to get help before doing damage. Just be careful who is doing the helping. My experience is, in cases like this one, parts-swapping is usually of limited utility, but I used to know an old motorcycle mechanic who was very fond of that technique. (We miss you, George.)