Mod 66 cylinder won't unlock.

[Steve St.]

Hello S&W Forum

I have a 66-1 my brother gave me. A few years ago, I took it apart, cleaned it and replaced the stock springs with Wolff springs. It shot and cycled very well.

In December of 22 he showed it to me saying he couldn't open the cylinder. I said I would take it home and find the problem and fix it. He said "OK, but I don't want it brought back here." He made it very plain it was a gift to me, and I was to use it and enjoy having it in my safe.

I finally got around to trying to fix the problem and it took me a couple of days, but I finally succeeded in getting it to work properly.

I found the center pin wasn't pushing into the locking bolt, (the part names are coming off a Numrich parts list). Regardless of how hard I pushed on the thumb release, the cylinder wouldn't swing out without some serious help. When I got it open, I made sure the exactor rod was screwed in tight. It turned about a half of a round which helped, but not enough. I took the exactor rod off and sanded the end of it with emery cloth. It took several tries, but I finally got it shortened enough the cylinder every time I mashed the thumb release.

That wasn't the end of the changes. I also made sure the end of the exactor rod was deburred, took the bolt out of the inside of the frame and polished it well to help it slide easier. I deburred the hole in the frame it goes through to push on the center pin to release the cylinder also. Every part of that cylinder release system was polished, sanded, deburred, lubed and refitted to allow all the components to move freely. I can't remember ever filing, sanding and polishing so much on a S&W to get it to work properly. I am thankful I have the tools, ability and patience to repair a good revolver properly.

Now it needs a trip to the range to get it broke in really well.

Steve

 

[WR Moore]

Sounds like someone "worked on it" after you did. There's a lot of folks out there who claim to be gunsmiths that aren't. Brownell's once mentioned a smith who's motto was "Fixed guns repaired."

 

[Jetsbud]

It also sounds like a problem we had with issued 66's back in the day. They were duty weapons and fed a steady diet of hot duty ammunition. Just out of the Academy out on the range mine locked up. Took half a hour to open it. Striped cleaned, ejection rod tightened with the proper tool. Bout a month later it did it again and made a one way trip to the armory. K frames just cant take that much punishment.

 

[steelslaver]

probably the bolt in the barrel under lug hanging up

Cleaning and polishing everything in the release system is a good p;lan and help it keep in operation

 

[LostintheOzone]

It also sounds like a problem we had with issued 66's back in the day. They were duty weapons and fed a steady diet of hot duty ammunition. Just out of the Academy out on the range mine locked up. Took half a hour to open it. Striped cleaned, ejection rod tightened with the proper tool. Bout a month later it did it again and made a one way trip to the armory. K frames just cant take that much punishment.

My contention is that the model 19 and 66 should have never been built. The frames frequently can't hold up to a steady diet of factory .357 ammo. I have several and won't shoot factory 357 ammo in them anymore. I just load the 357 cases down to around 800 fps. I purchased a model 28 to shoot the normal 357 load.

 

[chief38]

My contention is that the model 19 and 66 should have never been built. The frames frequently can't hold up to a steady diet of factory .357 ammo. I have several and won't shoot factory 357 ammo in them anymore. I just load the 357 cases down to around 800 fps. I purchased a model 28 to shoot the normal 357 load.

I agree with your statement that the M19/66 can not handle a steady diet of Magnums but disagree with your statement that "they should never have been built"! I don't think it was ever built with the intent of steady magnum usage! It was meant to be practiced with using 38 specials and carried on duty with magnums. It will tolerate a few magnum loads through it from time to time without any major issues. It is when guys treat it as though it were an L or N frame revolver and pound the hell out of it issues come up.

I have personally seen a few of 2 1/2" M66's that were "Magnum abused" and they did stretch and have head space issues. They were able to be corrected with shims, however that in turn creates a Barrel / Cylinder gap issue. Those guns (although now a bit loose) still function reliably however there is no disputing the fact that a K frame is too light for steady Magnum usage. Using 95, 110 and 125 grain bullets will even do more harm that the 158 grainers.

I do own several K Frame Magnums and I have only put a very few Magnums through them over the years. When I say very few I am talking maybe a dozen or so and those have been 158 and 180 gran bullets. They are terrific revolvers for woods walks when you are walking where there are small to medium sized bears in the area. I typically use a M65 3" bbl. when woods walking and stoke it with Buffalo Bore 180 grain SWC Hard-cast 357 magnums.

As long as the K Frame Magnum revolvers are used with Magnums wisely and how they were intended to be used, they are great revolvers that are capable if and when needed. I associate the K Magnums with owning an F150 or GM1500 pick up. They are great light duty trucks but certainly not meant to pull 37 foot house trailers! As long as one knows this up front and uses common sense, all will be good and they are terrific Revolvers. Use a screwdriver as a pry bar and you will either wind up with a broken tool, an injury or both.

 

[chief38]

And BTW, if a K Frame Magnum saves my life against a wild animal attack, I couldn't care less about the Revolver stretching afterwards. I'd build a display case for it and hang it on the wall, praising it every day. It would have done its job and can be replaced.

Those short barreled K Frame Magnums are very easily carried - unlike the L and N Frames which are heavy and bulky. Remember the old adage, "the smaller gun you have with you beats the 44 magnum you left at home because it was too large and heavy".

 

[robertrwalsh]

Back in the day when the Model 19 was first built it was common for cops to do all, or almost all, of the training and qualification with target loads. Many cops did not fire their service weapons ONCE with full-power ammo all the time they were at the academy. Under those circumstances the K-frame magnums did just fine. Unfortunately the cops didn't. i.e. Newhall (and similar debacles). I have a Model 19 snubbie. I like it very much. I am unsure I have EVER fired it with full-power magnum loads. I never felt the need.

 

[chief38]

Back in the day when the Model 19 was first built it was common for cops to do all, or almost all, of the training and qualification with target loads. Many cops did not fire their service weapons ONCE with full-power ammo all the time they were at the academy. Under those circumstances the K-frame magnums did just fine. Unfortunately the cops didn't. i.e. Newhall (and similar debacles). I have a Model 19 snubbie. I like it very much. I am unsure I have EVER fired it with full-power magnum loads. I never felt the need.

I just purchased (just recently) an as new M19-4 2 1/2" RB (built in 1974) that I don't think had ever been fired at all. I purchased it from a friend so I know the revolvers history. Looking at it verified what he told me - it had the 3 ring carbon on the cylinder face, typical of the testing at the Factory.

I have so far shot about two hundred 38 specials and three (3) 158 grain Magnums through it just to get the feel of it and see where they impacted. I doubt I will ever again load any Magnums in it - unless needed. I will however continue using 38 spl's.

 

[LostintheOzone]

How is a person going to ever become proficient shooting reduced loads 99% of the time? There is a huge difference in shooting a 38 Spl and a 357 K frame.

Did the cops have to qualify with their model 19/66 using 357 ammo in the days of yore?

Was the 19/66 popular with state police? Seems they mostly used model 28's.

But then there were very few women working as SP. Now I see them frequently.

 

[mscampbell2734]

How is a person going to ever become proficient shooting reduced loads 99% of the time? There is a huge difference in shooting a 38 Spl and a 357 K frame.

Did the cops have to qualify with their model 19/66 using 357 ammo in the days of yore?

Was the 19/66 popular with state police? Seems they mostly used model 28's.

But then there were very few women working as SP. Now I see them frequently.

This is the one of the issues that came out of Newhall, unrealistic training. Shooting real duty ammo even today is something some Departments do just once per year due to budget.