New cylinder install: drop-in or hand fitting?

[sparkyvega]

I want to modify a new, second cylinder for my M610-3. Does anything require hand fitting or is it a drop-in? Will I be able to swap the original and new cylinders with just the yoke screw, or does the side plate and other fitted parts such as the hand also need to be swapped?

Thanks, folks.

 

[teletech]

It would be good practice to use at the least a range-rod to verify the timing is decent. Prudent also to use a feeler gauge set to verify B/C gap and endshake. That said, cylinders seem to interchange just fine much more often than they don't

 

[Nightowl]

I do not have much experience with switching cylinders, and others will add their experience soon. But, I had a cylinder changed at the factory, and apparently a new yoke was installed, because the yoke tube was too long to work with the old cylinder. So, if I reinstalled the old cylinder, I would have to cut the new yoke to fit and then the new cylinder would not fit correctly. So, solely based on that limited experience, I would advise a separate yoke fitted with each cylinder.

It would be a unusual for the same hand to fit both cylinder ratchets. So one ratchet would have to be cut to fit the existing hand. A wider hand may be needed for one cylinder, then the other cylinder ratchets would have to be cut to fit. If one cylinder is used a lot more than the second, the hand and ratchets may be worn enough that a wider hand would be needed, then the other cylinder would have to be redone.

Several folks on here have two cylinders for their guns and have much more experience with the practical side.

I, too, have a 610 and it would be interesting to have a cylinder for the 10mm Magnum round, and keep the original 10mm cylinder as is.

 

[ken158]

Lots of things that coordinate together could be affected. Yoke, yoke screw, hand, ratchets may need cutting, barrel cylinder gap could be out of spec… A NEW cylinder will not have the ratchets cut and the B/C gap will need to be adjusted.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I've had about 50/50 drop in/need fitting. There are many places that might need a minor adjustment. If the drop in option doesn't work, you need to find a good revo guy to do the fitting. It can be a juggling act to get 2 cylinders to work in the same frame, so you need to know what you're doing before you start.

It is doable, but you need to know some good tricks. Revolver smithing is mainly the art of adjusting that which is non adjustable.

 

[steelslaver]

about 50/50 is my experience and the newer the more likely.

On the 2 cylinder deal, 2 yokes are nice, but if you only have one adjust the yoke to clearance both and then put end shake shims in other. They will stay in place as long as ejector rod and springs are left in that cylinder.

 

[sndbggr1484]

But the big problem is that the OP says new cylinder and that won't be a drop in part.

 

[DWalt]

The only time I swapped a cylinder was in a K-frame, no problem at all.

 

[stu1ritter]

I installed a new 648 .22 Mag cylinder in my pre-18 .22. The ratchets had to be cut to fit (hand filing and stoning), the flat under the barrel had to be enlarged to accept the later cylinder with its larger extractor rod collar. The yoke had to be shortened .002" to make headspace on the .22 Mag cylinder and the .22 LR cylinder shimmed to take up that .002".

Stu

 

[steelslaver]

But the big problem is that the OP says new cylinder and that won't be a drop in part.

I bought a brand new TI cylinder for my 325, it fit right in and timed on every chamber. I also bought a new 44 mag cylinder and not only did I have to file the ratchet I first had to remove material to get the rear gauge correct. The TI cylinder was of course for recent gun. The 44 cylinder a new old stock that was recessed and so was from a much earlier time frame. I have bought a used cylinder with ejector rod and had to trim the rod and center pin. ETC ETC

You pay your money and you take your chance.

I got lucky the first time or 2. Now I figure if I chance the barrel or cylinder I will probably end up doing some small adjustments.

I have model 12 on the way with a funky pitted cylinder and barrel. I have a stainless J frame 38 cylinder and 2" barrel. Gonna bead blast the aluminum frame and install the stainless parts. Be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[sparkyvega]

Thanks Gents. This is pretty much what I expected. A second yoke is a great suggestion.

You pay your money and you take your chance.

I've had about 50/50 drop in/need fitting.

Yup, this was my plan.

I, too, have a 610 and it would be interesting to have a cylinder for the 10mm Magnum round, and keep the original 10mm cylinder as is.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

10MAG is a blast

I have had good success installing new cylinders in my revolvers but for me the key to an easy swap is reusing the ratchet/extractor assembly from the original cylinder; new cylinder, reuse everything else from the original.

I've done several 38/357 J-frames, a 325TR, 329PD & a 629-6, all newer than 2010.

Reusing the original cylinder's ratchet/extractor assembly the worse I've had to do is add a few shims/bearings to tighten up the excessive endshake with the new cylinder.

I converted my 610-3 to shoot 10mm Magnum but I used the original cylinder.

Even though it could also handle 40 S&W & 10mm Auto, with moonclips, I only shoot 10MAG in it now, largely without moonclips.

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