HELP: My model 36 locked up at the range.

[Will Carry]

I have been shooting this model 36 3" nickel plated revolver for several years with no issues. Yesterday it locked up after two rounds. I was able to get the cylinder to swing out and replaced the ammo with fresh WWB 130 gr target loads. It locked up twice after that, the last time I had a devil of a time getting the cylinder to swing open. Now it seems to work fine (unloaded)

Problem:
The trigger locked up. The hammer would not cock and the cylinder would not swing out. I'm thinking that the center pin in the cylinder failed to depress the button that unlocks the action.

The BIG issue I found is on the firing cone. It has wear marks from rubbing against the cylinder. There is NO GAP. That ain't right. I checked the cylinder gap before I bought it.

Can a gunsmith repair this for a good price?

 

[Retired W4]

Check to see if the ejector rod backed out. Try pulling the cylinder latch to the rear and while holding it back try to cock the hammer. Is there end shake (fore and aft cylinder play)? I'm guessing it is something simple to fix. Good luck.

 

[kaaskop49]

By all means, take it to a gunsmith. You enjoy shooting your gun and it will put your mind at ease. Perhaps there is some gunk inside the mechanism that needs cleaning out...

There may indeed come a time when we have to do our own 'smithing, but that time is not yet here.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[eyegots2no]

MMMM.

No expert here but perhaps the ejector rod/cylinder has unscrewed itself some what---see if you can tighten it---this SHOULD be reverse threads---.

The much OLDER smiths used to do this because of the direction the cylinder turns while in use---so---they went to a reverse thread to alleviate this---but still---via recoil etc, the cylinder can loosen thus it gets LONGER and can make getting the wheel open difficult.

If you can tell it is loose. I would dismantle the wheel ejector etc. (have to take the cylinder off the frame first) Dismantle ---clean and --toothbrush the heck out of the threads and everything etc. Then re-oil/ grease and put back together. It helps to have dummy rounds and/or rounds and speed loader to help when tightening back up cylinder.

I have done this once before and it stopped the problem
If your don't feel comfortable with this---see a real SW gunsmith.

 

[tim c]

MMMM.

No expert here but perhaps the ejector rod/cylinder has unscrewed itself some what---see if you can tighten it---this SHOULD be reverse threads---.

The much OLDER smiths used to do this because of the direction the cylinder turns while in use---so---they went to a reverse thread to alleviate this---but still---via recoil etc, the cylinder can loosen thus it gets LONGER and can make getting the wheel open difficult.

If you can tell it is loose. I would dismantle the wheel ejector etc. (have to take the cylinder off the frame first) Dismantle ---clean and --toothbrush the heck out of the threads and everything etc. Then re-oil/ grease and put back together. It helps to have dummy rounds and/or rounds and speed loader to help when tightening back up cylinder.

I have done this once before and it stopped the problem
If your don't feel comfortable with this---see a real SW gunsmith.

I agree completely

 

[4011]

686 did that. Ejector rod loosened. No revolver armor at the range that night. Didn't get to finish qualify.

 

[Skeetr57]

One of the issues mentioned that no one has addressed is the cylinder dragging on the rear of the barrel. A loose ejector rod will not cause that.The only thing that will allow that to happen is too much end shake, and it may be aggravated by powder residue behind the ejector star or cartridges with thick rims.

 

[eyegots2no]

Yea, it didn't really seem that dragging on the rear of he cone would be caused by the ejector/wheel set up.

I have never really understood endshake.

 

[bananaman]

A friend of mine (shooting buddy) has a revolver that the tolerances are so tight that it does the same thing, He field cleans it, and is good to go. Don't know if this is your problem, but is a good thing to investigate. Bob

 

[handejector]

One of the issues mentioned that no one has addressed is the cylinder dragging on the rear of the barrel. A loose ejector rod will not cause that.The only thing that will allow that to happen is too much end shake, and it may be aggravated by powder residue behind the ejector star or cartridges with thick rims.

You are right- definitely check for dirt under the extractor.
It can also be caused by:
- A loose or poorly fitted yoke (sideplate) screw
- High primers
- Bent yoke

 

[hdfinder47]

Had a similar problem with a GP100 years ago (during qualification). Turned out to be a smidgin of unburnt powder under the star, IIRC.

 

[Twiki357]

I had a similar problem a number of years ago with my Model 27. It was a buildup unburnt powder under the ejector star. Had to keep cleaning it out every 6 rounds until I used up that batch of ammo.

 

[kaaskop49]

PLEASE! If you do try to tighten the ejector rod, PLEASE put fired cased into the chambers first! You don't want to throw the ejector star out of alignment.

More Savvy Posters: please chime in with correct terminology!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[CoMF]

PLEASE! If you do try to tighten the ejector rod, PLEASE put fired cased into the chambers first! You don't want to throw the ejector star out of alignment.

More Savvy Posters: please chime in with correct terminology!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

That's one good practice for exactly this sort of thing. Another is using the proper tool to tighten it. It looks something like a one-piece shaft collar with a hole just small enough for the ejector rod and won't mar the finish.

BROWNELLS - EXTRACTOR ROD TOOL

It's possible to do without the "proper" tool also, but the risk of marring, squashing, or bending the rod increases if you go that route.

 

[Retired W4]

That's one good practice for exactly this sort of thing. Another is using the proper tool to tighten it. It looks something like a one-piece shaft collar with a hole just small enough for the ejector rod and won't mar the finish.

BROWNELLS - EXTRACTOR ROD TOOL

It's possible to do without the "proper" tool also, but the risk of marring, squashing, or bending the rod increases if you go that route.

I'm going to buy one of those, just to have it! I love specialty gun tools.

 

[corgiS&W]

I had excessive cylinder end shake in a 66 no dash that was also a bit resistant when the cylinder was opened. The gap between the barrel and cylinder was less than 0.002". A member here was kind and offered to send me two bushings available from Midway and Brownell's designed to fix this problem. I was more concerned with the end shake, but the first thing I noticed when I installed the bushings was the the cylinder was no longer binding when being opened. Two bushings increased the gap to 0.006" and end shake was reduced to about 0.004" It's a simple fix and Midway has a YouTube video showing how to do it. Takes less than 15 minutes.

 

[jhde69]

Check for any carbon or dirt behind the ejector star. My 28-2 locked up this spring and I had dirt or carbon behind the star. Clean this area well and good luck. J

 

[CoMF]

I'm going to buy one of those, just to have it! I love specialty gun tools.

For a little over $20, you can't go wrong.

I keep telling myself that someday, I'm going to get that special dog-legged screwdriver for removing the rebound slide assembly...

 

[Will Carry]

OP here. After watching some You-tube videos and looking at an exploded diagram of a J-frame revolver I disassembled the cylinder. It was easy. The cylinder was remarkably clean but I found one issue. The exploded diagram showed a bushing on the ejector rod yet there was no bushing on mine. As the poster said above, a bushing is the answer. I need a small bushing to increase the cylinder gap. What I also notice was the one "blemish" on this revolver is one the ejector rod. The nickel plating is tarnished on the rod. I think a previous own disassembled the cylinder and used the wrong tool to unscrew the rod. I think a gunsmith could repair this for a small fee.
This little Chief's Special is a honey. They don't make them with 3" barrels any more. It was made in 1978. It is not a collector's item. It's a serious self defense weapon. I would walk over a mountain of little 380 pocket pistols for a revolver like this.

 

[H Richard]

Somewhere I saw one but it has both large and small extractor rod holes. I can't remember where. Does anyone else recall seeing a double size?