Oversized Cylinders

[GBertolet]

I recently read in a magazine article, that when revolvers at the factory, having excessive cylinder gaps, the factory uses a longer cylinder, to fix cylinder gap issues. The author did not specify which company, or companies, are claimed to do this. Much faster I guess, than setting back the barrel. It would be great if these cylinders were offered for sale.

Paying a gunsmith their hourly rate to set back a barrel, or buy a new cylinder, and have it swapped out. I wonder, which would be cheaper?

I have never heard of this before. Has anyone?

 

[robertrwalsh]

Never heard of that. One would think that maintaining a stock of oversized cylinders would be MUCH more expensive. Sounds like bum info to me.

 

[series guy]

Also never heard of that. If the barrel/cylinder gap is too big the shroud portion of the barrel is trimmed to let the barrel protrude farther into the window of the frame.

 

[stang1911]

Not oversize but on the high side of the tolerance.

 

[GBertolet]

The cylinders were described as +. Might very well be on the large side of tolerances. Possibly, just recycling of the larger cylinders.

 

[MygunisaS&Wrevolver]

With a longer cylinder you would decrease the barrel cylinder gap but then you would have to fit each of the ratchet faces to the hand and this is time consuming. Each ratchet is a factory fitted part to the cylinder and it would be unlikely that the old ratchet would fit the new longer cylinder. The only exception would be is one of the newer mim style ratchets with the new type cylinders. So unless this is the case, I don't think it would be easier or would save much time.

 

[Hondo44]

The cylinders were described as +. Might very well be on the large side of tolerances.

That's it. That holds true in production assembly for any parts the assembler is using. All parts are made to tolerances and vary slightly. A cyl, hand, hammer, trigger etc., that doesn't fit is put back and the assembler reaches into bins of these parts and finds one that does or fits better and needs less hand fitting to work.

That issue is the main reason why S&W and others switched to MIM production of parts. They're virtually all the same exact size. Much less time, skill and money needed to make a revolver that's affordable and price competitive.

Simple economics.