misfired

[mc nickel]

i recently bought a 38 double action 4th model dated 1899-1901 by smith and wesson. i loaded it with .38 s&w it shot perfect when hand cocked but misfired every time when used as double action leaving a firing pin mark to the far right edge of the shell and what seemed to be a light mark in the center can someone explain what is wrong what i should or should not do thanks.

 

[deadin]

Sounds like the cylinder isn't carrying up all the way to lock. Try pulling the trigger through without any pause. (i.e. Trying to "stack" it.) Or, try pulling the trigger very, very slowly and stopping the pull the instant the hammer falls and see if the cylinder is locked at that time.
I would guess that the timing is off due to wear in the hand and/or star.

 

[glowe]

As deadin states, something is not functioning correctly, probably due to parts wear. Pull the trigger through using the double action mode. After the hammer falls, keep pressure on the trigger and try to turn the cylinder. If it clicks into battery, the hand is not pushing the cylinder far enough. Second, try the single action mode and do the same thing, plus make sure the cylinder does not wobble or have any side play while holding the trigger back. Lastly, is there any hesitation while the hammer is falling? Sometimes, due to internal wear, the hammer will catch and therefore not drop freely or drop before full cock. In DA mode, as the trigger lets the hammer go, there should be no interference and the hammer should fall freely from full cock.

It is not necessarily easy to determine which part is out of spec and also hard to find good quality parts for these revolvers. Unless you are well versed in gunsmithing, I would try to find a gunsmith that has experience with these old DAs and get an estimate for repair. Good luck and hope you get your 38 back in working order.

 

[mc nickel]

the cylinder appears to turn slightly after trigger is pulled and firing pin strikes in da mode and the star has wear on it, rounded edges not sharp. my wife loves this gun and wants to use it for home defence. is it safe to use as a single action gun until i can fix the problem. and does anyone know where i might find the parts to fix it original or reproduction thanks mc.

 

[glowe]

If the single action lockup is tight, you should have no problems shooting the gun. It sounds like the hand is now too short to bring the gun into battery in DA mode, but there could be internal wear causing the problem, like worn parts, or someone filing the hammer stop notch that shortened the hammer travel. I would do one of 3 things, first post your message on the Gunsmithing section of this forum, since there are many experts that frequent that section. Second, I have repaired a couple of Model 1 1/2 tip-ups by adding a weld bead on the top of the hand to lengthen and push the cylinder into battery. You would need to reshape the hand and file the top until it works for both DA and SA mode. Third, you still have the option to have the revolver inspected by a competent gunsmith who could offer a specific opinion on what part is affecting the DA lockup.

Oldwestgunsmith.com, David Chicoine often has parts for 38DAs, once you find out what needs replacing.

 

[opoefc]

With old guns like this one, first things first: There's probably over 100 yrs. of old grease, dirt & crud in the internal parts. Disassemble the gun by removing the side plate & grips. Soak action in good oil ( Kroil, etc. ) to loosen crud, then blow out crud with air hose. Try the action. Problem is often solved, as the timing on DA was hampered by old dirt & grease. If thorough cleaning does not help, go to Plan B, as described above. Ed.

 

[mc nickel]

thanks for the help i will try cleaning first, my save me some money. thanks to everyone for there help and advice it is greatly appriciated