Model 66-2 Blown cylinder?

[studeblu]

I purchased a 66-2 a couple months ago from Gun Envy. It looked to be in very good condition tight lock up ect. I took it for the first time and every few shots the cylinder would stop rotating.
So I called S&W they sent a label to send it back to them.
after 2 months I get a call from customer service and he tells me that my gun has a blown cylinder and they do not have the parts to fix this old gun. I asked him if he would send a letter with the gun explaining exactly what is wrong with the gun so I could take it to a local gunsmith. He said he would.
I got the gun back yesterday and it say nothing in the paper work
of a blown cylinder.What it says is the complaint Cyl. won't rotate.
Performed Evaluate/Repair. They have a red mark on one chamber of the cylinder.I assume that would be the bad one.
I got out my dial indicator and measured every way I can and can not find any thing wrong. Now after all that can anyone tell me how to find out for sure if there is is a problem with the cyl ?
Thanks for any help with this
Jerry

 

[usnrigger]

No clue with out it in hand. I'd assume they are saying cylinder is bad in some form. Who knows. I'd think if the cylinder was locking up that it would be a ratchet, hand, yoke -yoke to cylinder problem. Could be others, but if they say the don't have the parts that narrows it to a major part that they don't have. So hand and other small parts would be ruled out. Take it to good smith he should be able to figure it down, call s&w and talk to guy who started repair. Blown cylinder to me sounds like maybe a bulged chamber.

 

[KLYDE]

I sent a 64 in for a mechanical rehab a year or so ago. When I got it back it had a new cylinder installed and the old cylinder was enclosed in the box. Had the bad chamber marked, same as yours, with a note indicating it was bulged. Probably have a special tool to measure it. Can't help with the inspection.

Try Numrich. Maybe a chance they have something. I bought a new old stock M65 cylinder a couple months back. Saw it advertised as NOS and it was only 75 bucks or something like that.Bought it just to have. Came wrapped in the original S&W package. Spanking new. I don't know if they have any left. Might ask your gunsmith if that would be compatible. Don't know if your dash 2 is recessed.

Good luck

 

[Big Cholla]

With all the seized hanguns being de-miled by PDs all over the US, there are a world of S&W parts showing up in the usual places. Watch ebay for a while. Replace with exact same cylinder, i.e. recessed or flush. Make sure your replacement comes with the ejector star in place. $s to doughnuts a replacement will drop right in. If it doesn't and needs some fitting any competent pistolsmith can do that at a reasonable fee. .... Big Cholla

 

[Geno44]

Don't know if you hand load or not but fire a cylinder full of mild loads. Remove the shells one by one and mike or caliper them. The case that is in an oversize bore should enlarge or swell and be larger in outside diameter than the cases in the normal bores.

 

[WR Moore]

Besides bulged chambers, look at the cylinder stop notches and see if cracks or holes are visible. Not unknown to have happened especially if some handloader was trying to make Warp Factor 5.

 

[studeblu]

Thanks to everyone with input on this problem of mine I will definitely try to shoot it with some mild handloads and measure the cases I think that's my next step and in the meantime I've already found one on eBay.a used one in excellent shape on eBay and I purchased that I should have it in a couple of days
Thanks
Jerry

 

[GBertolet]

I am curious about this. When you said the cylinder does not rotate, do you mean the cylinder jams and ties up the gun, or do you mean your next shot falls on a fired chamber?

 

[studeblu]

Yes the next shot would fall on the same chamber but not always.they have fixed that from what I can tell.
I Hope to try it tomorrow and mic the spent rounds. I got the other cylinder I ordered today. I Don't want to install it until I can figure out if there is really anything wrong with this one.
Thanks
Jerry

 

[GBertolet]

What you have experienced with the cylinder backing up was a common issue with S&W magnum revolvers. The violent inertia of the recoil with heavy loads, occasionally causes the cylinder stop to momentarily unlock. The rifling twist imparts torque during the recoil, causing the cylinder to want to turn clockwise, and winds up between the previous two chambers. Generally replacing the weakened spring on the cylinder stop fixes this. At least it has for me. Wolff sells extra power springs for this problem. Been there done that. S&W finally realized they had a problem with this, and the newer revolvers have an "Endurance Package" upgrade to fix this.

Please let us know of your progress on testing your cylinder out.

 

[studeblu]

I just went out and shot a 66 – to the cylinder there was marked in red after measuring the spent shells they fell between .3745-.3775 and others between.365-.3770 so I can see that that chamber is enlarged. I have just installed the used cylinder I got on eBay. Is there any thing special I should do before I shoot this?
BTW it spots great with a smooth trigger
Thanks
Jerry

 

[drummer007]

Use a range rod to check and make sure that each chamber indexes correctly with the forcing cone. If you don't have one you can order the rod and handle combo here: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...s/range-rods/revolver-range-rods-prod655.aspx

I would also check the barrel/cylinder gap and also endshake.

 

[Sid V.]

I've read that stainless steel cylinders are relativily soft and the cyl.stop notches tend to deform after firing heavy loads,there by
not staying engaged with the cylinder stop. With rapid double action fire they tend to go past the cyl. stop.--- sid v.#1380

 

[studeblu]

The range rod is out of stock at Brownels if I cant find one someplace els I will try to find a gunsmith locally that can check it
Thanks
Jerry