Model 15-3 with cylinder that sometimes spins a little when closing

[biblethumpincop]

I have a model 15-3 in beautiful condition. I am not the original owner. When I close the cylinder, the cylinder sometimes rotates several chambers before it locks. Sometimes it doesn't. What can I do to have it lock up upon closing the cylinder every time?

Thanks!

 

[Protocall_Design]

The cylinder stop is probably catching on something, and not coming up sometimes. Find out what's going on with that.

 

[ralph7]

If you don't want to take it apart, squirt some gun scrubber in it and see if that helps.

 

[ken158]

Check for a weak stop spring and also see if when the catch pulls down does it bind on a burr or go below the frame window before it pops back up

 

[Inusuit]

If you don't want to take it apart, squirt some gun scrubber in it and see if that helps.

I think ralph7 means to squirt the gun scrubber into the recess around the bolt/catch/cylinder stop.

 

[H Richard]

Often a good cleaning solves many problems.

 

[biblethumpincop]

Thanks. I have taken it apart and exchanged the cylinder stop spring with a used spring I had from a parts K frame. It's clean in there too. I will look into a possible burr. Any chance the rebound spring can effect it?

 

[chief38]

If you replaced the little spring then look for a burr on the Frame window that the stop rides up and down in. Look for a burr on the cylinder stop itself.

Other possible causes could be a misaligned cylinder, a burr on a cylinder notch or two, or like others have stated - dirt, but you did say you checked that. It seems like a relatively simple problem but without the gun in front of me I can't be of more help.

 

[S&W revolverman]

Thanks. I have taken it apart and exchanged the cylinder stop spring with a used spring I had from a parts K frame. It's clean in there too. I will look into a possible burr. Any chance the rebound spring can effect it?

The rebound slide spring will not affect the cylinder stop from operating properly.

 

[biblethumpincop]

Update:

I cleaned the cylinder stop area. I had previously replaced the cylinder stop spring with a OEM spring from a model 64 parts kits I had.

I identified that 4 of the 6 chambers allow the cylinder to spin. On each of those four chambers, I can rotate the cylinder clockwise until is hits chamber 5 or 6. I can repeat this over and over. I'm not a gunsmith by trade, but it appears that the cylinder lock isn't the culprit. I swapped trigger assemblies and the same thing happens. So, is something in the extractor/star not locking up with the hand? The cylinder locks up tightly when cocked and can't be moved out of battery on any chamber.

 

[Inusuit]

I'm not a gunsmith or S&W expert either, so I should probably keep my mouth shut as I do not have a solution to your issue.

I'm not sure how the trigger assembly or the extractor star/hand would contribute to the problem.

If it locks up tight when cocked and when shot double action, I don't think I would worry about it. But I have some OCD myself so I can see how you would want to resolve this.

 

[shawn mccarver]

This is not right and should be fixed. The extractor star and hand have nothing to do with it. Get it to a competent gunsmith. I still prefer the factory for this.

 

[dsf]

Is the cylinder bolt wider than the cylinder bolt stop cuts? Edges squared?

 

[biblethumpincop]

Is the cylinder bolt wider than the cylinder bolt stop cuts? Edges squared?

I have another cylinder stop bolt from a parts gun I will try.

 

[biblethumpincop]

I have another cylinder stop bolt from a parts gun I will try.

I dropped in the cylinder stop from my parts gun (model 64-3). It locks up on each chamber now and doesn't needlessly spin as before. All is good in the hood!