Looking for guidance, diagnosis, recommendations

[Tanners Owner]

I used my S&W 581 no dash at a recent ICORE match and it was progressively spitting lead more and more throughout the match. What should I look for as the source and fix for this problem. I really enjoy shooting it, but want it to be safe for me and the ROs

My thoughts are it could be timing but not sure how to determine as it appears tight. What should I look at to determine cause?

Suspect if I sent it to S&W they'd say it's normal wear & not repair under warranty, so any recommendations who could help diagnose and repair?

 

[Protocall_Design]

For the timing, check to see that the cylinder locks into place on every chamber before the hammer falls. If it isn't all the way on one or more chambers, the bullet will get shaved off the right side as it passes from the cylinder into the barrel.

If shooting lead bullets, check for a leaded barrel in the forcing cone area. If that is leaded up, you need to look at the forcing cone. Make sure it's big enough and has a smooth surface. Also, check for barrel constriction where the barrel threads into the frame. You can do that with gage pins, or by driving a lead slug through the barrel, then measuring it's diameter.

 

[Tanners Owner]

@Protocall_Design - if I needed to clean up my forcing cone, is there a cutter or reamer I should use? I plan on polishing it first to see if that may help along with checking my end shake. Is there a min/max I ought to look for regarding end shake?

Thanks in advance

 

[Protocall_Design]

Brownell's has the cutters and gauge for that. The cutter set is kind of expensive for a one time use. You may want to find a gunsmith or someone local who already has the cutter that can do it for you.

You want .002 max or less endshake. Minimum is where the cylinder can still rotate freely.

 

[Tanners Owner]

Thanks

 

[-BTM-]

I'd be very careful about polishing the forcing cone on your own. The angle is important, as is the centering of the cone on the bore. You might make a bad problem worse.

If this got noticeably worse during a match, I'd look for something that went south and affected timing. Ratchet damage, hand wear, stop notch damage, etc. a forcing cone issue wouldn't just appear out of nowhere.

Could be wrong, though. Make sure you check timing in DA