I believe I had a endshake on my 686 can someone help?

[uad7116]

When my dad first gave me my 686 I was concerned with excessive front to back play in the cylinder when it was open, now I'm concerned with the movement when its closed. I pulled the cylinder to the rear and measured the barrel to cylinder gap and it measured .009 I didnt pull it forward and measure but I know its atleast .004-.006 play (i'll check it tomorrow) anyways I was looking and found some kind of shims to correct endshake, is this want I need? Also would the shims work if I just wanted to tighten up the gap? I only use this gun for hunting and some paper punching, I usually only fire 25 to 50 round per range session and clean afterwards, If I do tighten it up is there anything to gain in performance? Sorry for all the questions, I know plenty in the rifle and cartridge world, but I'm a newbie in the revolver world. Thanks for the help, Kris

 

[cobra44]

The .009 from front of cylinder to barrel, when it is pushed to the rear, is about as much as you want as far as the maximum.
The front is alright.
You can add the shims, but you should use a tool to smooth out the area before you install the shims. The tool is available from several sources.
I have seen people just install the shims without doing anything else. They are still holding up. Not sure how long that will hold up.
I am not sure if the shims will improve accuracy. I have never really checked the accuracy out.
I have seen, heard of several L frames being in this condition.
Do you know if this revolver was shot a lot in the past?

Forgot to mention, the shims are available in several sizes. If I remember correctly, the gap should be in the .005 to .007 range when puched to the rear. I f I am wrong on this, I am sure someone will correct the information.

 

[OKFC05]

Well, where to start?
First, this sort of post will get more attention in the gunsmithing section.
Second, your concept of what an endshake bearing can do is rather different from their actual function. An endshake bearing reduces endshake but does not "tighen up the gap." When you hold the cylinder all the way to the rear, that's about where it will be after endshake is corrected. A B/C gap of up to .010 is considered within S&W tolerances, and reducing it is neither simple nor cheap: the barrel has to be set back.
Third, the yolk endshake should be checked and corrected before tackling the cylinder endshake.

This is a good book for understanding how a S&W revolver fits and functions.
"The S&W Revolver: A Shop Manual" Book by Jerry Kuhnhausen - MidwayUSA