Jamming 38

[CB38NC]

Hi all
My revolver(WWII mod 38SP)has the bad habit of jamming after one or two firings,I can "reset" it again by opening the cylinder &closing it back;I suppose it has to do with a retaining spring that's too weak but in fact if somebody experienced that issue I'll gladly hear his point.

 

[Pointblank2U]

I am not a gunsmith, but have been shooting revolvers for many decades. First I'd clean under the star, (the thing the ejects the spent cases). If that doesn't do it, check the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. If it's too narrow it can bind when the gun heats up and gets dirty during shooting. I am sure some actual gunsmiths will chime in to help also. Good luck with it.

 

[CB38NC]

Hi Badge
Thanks for the idea,I'll check that even though I doubt it comes from this;this part and the gun in general are well kept and clean;this gun hasn't had too many rounds through it from what I see,but there's one thing that i can see,if I open it and snap the cylinder to rotate,it shows a bit of "run out",and when the cylinder is back into place I have a little play if I catch it and try to turn it from left to right and back,maybe it's just normal but better you know about it.We have no gunsmith here to give it to for a check up so I have to try and find it myself,so thanks for any help.

 

[WR Moore]

When you say "one or two firings", do you mean individual shots or cylinders full? What do you mean by "jamming"?

Your description of "runout" is puzzling, "snapping" the cylinder to rotate?????? With the cylinder closed, a slight bit of rotational movement left & right is normal, don't try to force it. The cylinder stop and hand lock the cylinder into position when firing.

Now then, a burr on the recoil shield around the firing pin hole could cause the cylinder to lockup and not rotate. This would cause the trigger to not be able to move. Check the area around the firing pin hole carefully. If it's burred a very careful light stoning will remove the burrs.

Excessive runout of the ejector rod could possibly create enough binding that the cylinder won't rotate. I've never seen it, but it's possible. Is the ejector rod loose? A WWII era ejector rod uses a right hand thread. When checking it make sure you have at least two fired cases in chambers to keep from breaking anything.

You may not have a gunsmith in the neighborhood, but the S&W Service Department is only an email/phone call and UPS shipment away.

 

[gboling]

When in doubt, call them out Contact Us - Smith & Wesson

 

[CB38NC]

Hi WR
Thanks for your answer,so far you're about the only one who tried to investigate the case,so I'll try and make myself clearer:1:After 1 or 2 firings cylinder full.2:Snapping the cylinder to rotate,ie snap the tip of the cylinder rod with your fingers to get a quick rev movement so you're able to see if it rotates square or wobbly like(run out like then).From what I've seen during check out,no part wherever seems to be loose,ejector rod,crane,star,cylinder,no consequential play in all these parts,if I pull the cyl.backwards I see no notable play,ditto if I push it,it shows little lateral play but it seems normal and acceptable as from people here who know better than I do,I can see no burr in the back shield(another word I learn,thanks),everything seems plain"normal" but it still jams;meaning everything gets blocked,trigger,cylinder,and I have to open it and close it again till it jams again....That's the way it goes.Go figure..Thanks for trying to help,much appreciated WR. Concerning S&W smithing dept.,I emailed them 2 years ago about this issue,didn't get a wink of an answer...Plain nothing,so it feels real good to have feed back and attention from you folks,thanks a million...

 

[WR Moore]

OK, it's possible that the yoke/cylinder has some **** in that area. You'll need a hollow ground screwdriver that properly fits the screw slot to remove the screw that holds the yoke in the frame. Looking at the right hand side of the revolver, it'll be the screw just above and forward of the trigger and is located on the sideplate.

Carefully remove this screw and place it in a safe place, it's different from the other screws on the sideplate, being fitted to the yoke. With that screw out, swing the cylinder out of the frame. Pull the yoke forward to remove it from the frame.

If there's a large head on the ejector rod, the cylinder will not come free of the yoke, but will be able to be pulled forward to the end of the rod. With the parts in this position, hose the yoke barrel (part that goes into the cylinder) and the hole it came out of down with gum cutter or other aresol solvent (NOT WD-40) while wearing goggles. Also get under the ejector star. If you see any lead particles or other stuff remove them with a patch. Also squirt some down the centerpin hole in the ejector rod.

A couple of drops of lube on the yoke barrel and the end that bears on the cylinder is all that's necessary, possibly two on the centerpin.

You might also try hosing down the locking bolt and lubricating that. This is the pin under the barrel that enters the end of the ejector rod. If this part doesn't put enough pressure on the center pin, the bolt will move forward and prevent the hammer from moving. You can test for this if the gun is locked by pulling the thumb piece (cylinder release) back toward you and see if that frees the action up. If that's the problem, changing the spring on the locking bolt will probably take care of it along with a good cleaning of the centerpin.

Reassemble and give it a try. If it doesn't work, try giving S&W a call. A 60 some year old gun might just need a real good cleaning.