My cylinder gap is way too big

slabside2

slabside2

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I was shooting my Smith & Wesson 442-1 and I noticed the flames shooting out the side of the cylinder. I have other revolvers and I know you do have some flam shoot out but not like this one. I decided to check the cylinder gap and it measured.012 I checked a couple of my other revolvers and they measured anywhere from .004 to .007 I bought the gun in May of this year new and this was the second time I shot it so I really never noticed it before. I sent an email to Smith and Wesson and told them the problem hopefully they'll send me a shipping label to ship it back. But my question to you guys is will they replace the barrel on it or send me a new gun? Has anyone else had this problem?....... Hopefully they won't respond and tell me it's in spec.
Thanks
Mike
 
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How did you check the gap? Was cylinder held all the way rearward while measuring?
 
slabside2 said:
I was shooting my Smith & Wesson 442-1 and I noticed the flames shooting out the side of the cylinder. I have other revolvers and I know you do have some flam shoot out but not like this one. I decided to check the cylinder gap and it measured.012 I checked a couple of my other revolvers and they measured anywhere from .004 to .007 I bought the gun in May of this year new and this was the second time I shot it so I really never noticed it before. I sent an email to Smith and Wesson and told them the problem hopefully they'll send me a shipping label to ship it back. But my question to you guys is will they replace the barrel on it or send me a new gun? Has anyone else had this problem?....... Hopefully they won't respond and tell me it's in spec.
Thanks
Mike
Click to expand...

To be honest I do not know what THEY call in spec, but to me over .009 is too much. A bit less is better! If it is over their spec and they fix you will get a gun back with a little shorter barrel.
 
NYlakesider said:
To be honest I do not know what THEY call in spec, but to me over .009 is too much. A bit less is better! If it is over their spec and they fix you will get a gun back with a little shorter barrel.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but I recall seeing posts from time to time saying that S&W now considers .012 to be within spec. Wouldn't have been the case back in the day.
 
Per the Kuhnhausen's book, industry revolver barrel/cylinder clearance specification is .006" for jacketed bullets. Some lead bullet bullseye shooters set clearance at .008.

.012 seems a bit excessive. How is the yoke to frame fit? Does the yoke rocks form side to side you apply side to side pressure with the cylinder is locked? I would check that, in case the wrong yoke screw was used or if it's damaged.

Cheers,
686PC
 
I just measured my 642-1 that I have had for several years now. The max thickness feeler gauge that will fit, with the cylinder pushed to the rear, is .007".

Dale
 
My Model 34 was brought to spec using end shake washers - but it had the opposite problem. The gap was too small.

Truthfully. If the gun was shooting good I wouldn't worry about it. Yes, you will lose velocity - but just think what you will be gaining in special effects with all that flame!
 
Unless I am mistaken, S&W now considers a barrel-cylinder gap of 0.012" to be the maximum, but that means it is still within safe specifications. Personally, I think 0.008" should be the maximum, but that's just me.
 
slabside2 said:
I remeasured it today and it was .015 it was tight but it slid through. I'm sending it back today. The count down begins.
Click to expand...

Just in case anyone is sending a gun in for repair it took 24 days to get it back. Now what they did to repair it. They installed a new barrel and repaired the yoke. The cylinder gap is now .004 And it looks perfect. I'm 😊 happy.
 
I had a 317 with excessive cylinder gap, took the cylinder and crane assembly in ultrasonic cleaner for about 15 min. Dried it off and lubed it, cylinder gap returned to what it was when new.
 
I agree with the .004 to .007 gap readings. Yours sounds like it is in proper specs now. It was worth the wait and at least they took care of it.
Jim
 
FWIW on a side note, I have an old 686 that had a gap of 0.009-10" that I had a LGS shave the shoulder that came back with a renewed gap of 0.003" that made me very happy. The lesson is that you don't always have to send your Smith off to the mother-ship. Sure, it cost me 2C note$, but at least I was/am able to support a local gun shop. :D;)
 
Personally, I like revolvers that shoot flames sideways. It looks great on videos posted online and it keeps the hair off my knuckles much more effectively than a razor. :D
 
FlyFish said:
I agree with you, but I recall seeing posts from time to time saying that S&W now considers .012 to be within spec. Wouldn't have been the case back in the day.
Click to expand...
Cylinder gap SPEC per 31 July 2020 was .004 to .010. Which is sad seeing how Ive bought 3 Smiths this month 2 being poorly machined and my Model 19-9 Classic was so bad I had to have it sent back and cylinder replaced. That being said it returned with a .011 cylinder gap. So after a month of waiting on the cylinder issue to be fixed looks like it has to go back due to an out of spec cylinder gap. .006 should be the standard but it looks like S&W is going for quantity over quality now days. Its a real shame.
 
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