New 929 owner and I broke it first day at the range

[Cakley]

.

I used the moon clips for the first 24 shots. Perfect shooting machine. My first revolver and it nice. But those moon clips were tight as I tried to unload the brass. I just decided to load the wolf steel case ammo straight into the cylinder I went to unload the steel case and most of them fail out. Three of them were stuck.

I didn't know 9mm was rimless and that rimless ammo required moon clips. I bought a 9mm pistol to shot 9mm. I knew that some of the multi caliber .45 revolvers required moon clips to shot the .45acp.

Now I am still thinking the it's a new gun using cheap steel case ammo and that I just need to tap it out. I used the Allen wrench and tap out two of the cases without much effort. One case required more effort to knock it out.

So now the cylinder or the extractor to be more exact is rubbing on the rear of the pistol. Very tight to close and makes for a very stiff trigger pull. I can see a small gap underneath the extractor and cylinder.

How much is my mistake going to cost me? I guess I can find a good gunsmith to polish up the internals.

 

[JCFindley]

I am sure someone will be along that can guess at the price.

I am pretty sure all the revolvers shooting 45 acp only shoot 45 acp and any ammo made primarily for an auto need a clip in the revolvers. The multi calibers in 45 shoot 45 colt and 410 and in some the 454 Casull.

 

[da gimp]

look to see if there are particles of unburned powder or other minute debris between the ejector/extractor star & the face of the cylinder... or on the star itself. If there is, gently brush it clean, and see if it returns to its proper position. More knowledgeable experts will be along soon here...

Also post this question on the Smith&Wesson Gunsmithing board here... that's where it probably belongs anyway. Go back to the main page here where all the boards are listed & you'll find it. hope this helps.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

I am sure someone will be along that can guess at the price.

I am pretty sure all the revolvers shooting 45 acp only shoot 45 acp and any ammo made primarily for an auto need a clip in the revolvers. The multi calibers in 45 shoot 45 colt and 410 and in some the 454 Casull.

All double action revolvers need clips so that the extractor has something to grab to push the cases out of the cylinder.The single actions revolvers don't need the clip since the rod extracts the cases one at a time by pushing on the solid bottom of the case.
The headspace is taken care of by a step machined in the cylinder so the case's mouth has something to butt against.
I once had a Smith revolver chambered for .45ACP.Beautiful piece of machinery(stainless 5'' barrel model 1985 limited edition)!You could fire it without the clip but it was a pain in the neck to extract the empty cases.I sold it.Dumb move!
Qc

 

[Cakley]

Upon closer inspection, one side of the extractor is level and the opposite side is slightly higher.

 

[Cakley]

The manual mentions rimless ammo must use the moon clips. It specially mentions .45acp. But it doesn't mention 9mm in that appendix section. I'm not a fan of lawyers or warning labels. But 9mm should be better listed in the manual to better protect the manufactor. Might should even be stamped into the revolver frame or cylinder. "9mm with moon clip" in the barrel or "moon clips required" on the cylinder.

It appears a gunsmith could ever slight bend the extractor lips back into level shape.

Any recommend gun smiths in Georgia area to fix and performance tune the revolver?

 

[Jingles]

Personally,I would acknowledge my mistake to S&W and send it back to have them make it right. They might even cover it under warranty, but probably not since you pounded on it.

 

[505Gibbs]

Did you not see the moon clips that came with the gun??

 

[Smoke52]

Sorry to read of your mistake in not using the moon clips with that fine firearm. I have one also and would never not use the clips. That being said get yourself a BMT moonclip tool. Pricey but very much worth the investment. The tools are caliber and gun specific so multiple guns with moon clips will get expensive, but this hobby is certainly not know to save anyone of us a penny!

Here is a link to the BMT people

BMT Equipped, Inc.

 

[Cakley]

Did you not see the moon clips that came with the gun??

Did you not read my full comment.

I not only saw them I also read the manual before use. Didn't see in the manual that 9mm required the moon clips. I - assumed - the moon clips were just for high speed reloading. After all I purchased a modern and expensive gun that uses modern caliber. I didn't think that it required moon clips.

 

[Cakley]

Personally,I would acknowledge my mistake to S&W and send it back to have them make it right. They might even cover it under warranty, but probably not since you pounded on it.

I will check with the gun shop. They are a rather large store and I bet they will work with me. I bet a good gunsmith with a smooth grip plier could easily and slightly bend it back into level shape. It's just enough bent to stick and cause friction.

I didn't pound on it with a hammer, just my fat hand....

I got a contact for a local smith and might let him fix and tune it all at the same time.

 

[Fishinfool]

I don't own a 9mm revolver, so I will avoid that aspect of your post, BUT - Do your self a big favor, and contact S&W. They will send you a free shipping label. Ship them the gun. They will fix it. Worst case, they charge you, same as your gunsmith will, but at least you know its done right. "Bending with pliers" is not going to cut it. Really. The factory also does "action jobs" if you want it slicked up.

Larry

 

[Jingles]

I got a contact for a local smith and might let him fix and tune it all at the same time.

Are we talking about the same 929? Performance Center 929? I don't know if I would want a local smith to work on a brand new PC gun, and it shouldn't need to be tuned. Not trying to be preachy but think about sending it back to the factory to make sure it is done right. Who knows they may find out it was a factory defect. Beautiful gun by the way.

 

[bigwheelzip]

You have a new gun, under warranty. I'd be inclined to let the factory make sure everything is OK, even if they charge for the abuse damage.
If you use a local gunsmith, you may not have the expertise to know if the job is done right, or if the gun is safe.
Good luck.

 

[H Richard]

In all likelihood, there is unburnt powder particles or residue under the extractor star. A good cleaning with some solvent and a brush should eliminate them. Holding the gun barrel straight up when extracting the empties helps eliminate this problem, but it may re-occur, it is a fact of life with revolvers. Keep a brush in your range bag.

 

[RichCapeCod]

Unless the handgun is marked or has some written material prohibiting a specific type of ammunition (such as lead bullets out of Glock handguns) then the burden is on the manufacturer, not the user.

Rich

 

[Cakley]

I don't own a 9mm revolver, so I will avoid that aspect of your post, BUT - Do your self a big favor, and contact S&W. They will send you a free shipping label. Ship them the gun. They will fix it. Worst case, they charge you, same as your gunsmith will, but at least you know its done right. "Bending with pliers" is not going to cut it. Really. The factory also does "action jobs" if you want it slicked up.

Larry

Thanks for the advice. It's an ever slight amount of bend. maybe .01 or .02 of a inch. Just enough bend to cause friction in gun that was factory right to start.

I'll contact the local big gun shop that I purchased it from and see what they advise. Thanks again.

 

[Cakley]

Are we talking about the same 929? Performance Center 929? I don't know if I would want a local smith to work on a brand new PC gun, and it shouldn't need to be tuned. Not trying to be preachy but think about sending it back to the factory to make sure it is done right. Who knows they may find out it was a factory defect. Beautiful gun by the way.

Agreed. I spoke with a 929 owner and he used the same gunsmith. He claimed a lower DA and a lower SA pull.

I wanted to research the 929 before I had it "tuned". To see if it's any such tuning is within proper specs. It does feel like there is room to polish it's rotation. Or I could just shoot a case of ammo to break it in.

 

[Cakley]

Wow, cheap foreign junk ammo. Like having your Mercedes serviced at Walmart.
Just a thought here, revolvers may not be well suited for you. Or perhaps try a Taurus.

I wasn't looking for competition ammo or tight groups. I just wanted trigger time to get used to the weapons pull and recoil. It's a revolver and should eat up anything loaded into it.

 

[RichCapeCod]

Cakely, before permitting a 'smith to polish the innards of a revolver put around a 1,000 rounds through the gun. Polish is another way to say removal of metal. That 1,000 rounds will show the gunsmith where the wear marks are so that the gunsmith can polish the proper spots within the action.

Rich