I've noticed on some S&W revolvers that when the cylinder is latched in to the frame with not a lot of of pressure pushing on the right side of the cylinder you can open the seam between the yoke and the frame. On other S&W revolvers this seam between the yoke and frame really resists opening even with a greater amount of side pressure on the cylinder. What is the difference in these revolvers that this condition may or may not exist? In revolvers that have the former condition: is there a way to correct this. I've pasted on revolvers that look like they have been shot very little and are otherwise tight as far as endshake and carry-up but have this sloppy fit between the frame and yoke.
Question about the seam between the revolver frame and the yoke.
- Thread starter My Toy
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More than likely the yoke is out of alignment and needs adjusting. You need a tool that goes inside the yoke and has a tip on the end of it, which will enter the hole in the recoil shield, when the yoke is closed & the gun it tipped with muzzle up and the cylinder latch held back. If the tool does not go into the cylinder pin hole it is out of alignment.
Well, you have hit on the most important element of revolver fitting in my estimation, the crane to frame fit, and like you, "I hate a sloppy one", I like to see the crane slide into the frame with No gap on the top as you look at the left side of the gun and No discernable gap as you look at the front. It does happen, not often and "not any more man", but in my opinion, it really is the one area that speaks volumes of how a particular revolver has been fit.
In the 90s I drove three hours in an ice storm to pick up a 629 Classic Hunter. When I got home I noticed the rear sight was crooked, so assuming the sight was bad, I removed the sight from my 627 no dash and it too was crooked. I called Smith who were very skeptical, but I sent it back to them, sure enough a bad milling job, they tried to fix it but screwed it up. They replaced the frame, and the crane to frame fit was among the worst I had ever witnessed. The gun was new and never fired so I traded it on a 29 Classic DX, among the nicest crane to frame fits and prolly one of the most accurate Smiths I ever owned.
Those guns are gone, the DX wasn't pinned and recessed, in a weak moment it was traded for a Colt Combat Commander and some cash.
So yes it is important, and no I wouldn't keep one that was sloppy, does it really matter, not to "MOST" guys, but it does to me. Yes, the old guys that fit guns with a hammer and babbit were much better gunsmiths than the cad/cam boys, just the opinion of a very opinionated old coot. Billy
Oh some one just mentioned the side-plate, that is prolly the most important indicator of..............I'll shut up...... maybe......Billy.... just don't get me started.......!
yes, as noted above you can and will see some good ,some not and as Bill says if any doubt check the alignment with the gauge, we do from time to time, but the upper crane leg may line up "perfectly" and still be a slight gap........its in the fit & finish...and when you have problems is when it does get "sprung", usually from 'hollywood' slamming the open cylinder shut by flipping ones wrist!!! a NO -NO...................
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