Question on installing "The Plug"
- Thread starter jblack58
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jblack58:
Disclaimer: No smith here but I'll tell you what I did...
Do you see the little fork (looks like a flat shovel) with a tiny spring on it sitting in the frame? You have two options. First option is to push the fork towards the barrel to compress the spring. The tricky part is holding the fork in the compressed position and pulling the "keyhole" piece out. You can use a small wooden dowel to push the keyhole piece while you are pulling straight up on it with some sturdy tweezers. Option two is to remove the tiny spring. A curved embroidery needle will work. Once the spring is out (slide it up the needle), move the fork towards the barrel and lift out that pesky keyhole piece.
Insert the plug, and let the fork spring against the groove. If you took the spring out, it will take some deft finger work with the curved needle to feed the spring back into the channel and onto the finger of the fork. Some needlenose tweezers are handy to feed the spring, coil by coil down into the channel and then further onto the fork finger. This sounds complicated but is isn't. Once the spring is pretty much back in the groove, take a small flat-blade screwdriver and gently press the spring into the channel. It should click as the open end snicks into the channel opening and becomes slightly hidden by the frame. This means it is in place properly. Check that the fork moves freely.
WARNING: if you take the tiny spring out, you have to keep it on the needle or you are going to spend a long time on your hands and knees on the office rug looking for that little sucker. Believe me.
I'll try to track down another thread about this because I am pretty sure some good soul here has posted a (better) method with pictures.
EDIT:
Eureka!! Here's the thread I was thinking of...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/102217-plug-s-w-j-frame-2.html
Check out Post #14!
END OF EDIT
GL,
Chris
Disclaimer: No smith here but I'll tell you what I did...
Do you see the little fork (looks like a flat shovel) with a tiny spring on it sitting in the frame? You have two options. First option is to push the fork towards the barrel to compress the spring. The tricky part is holding the fork in the compressed position and pulling the "keyhole" piece out. You can use a small wooden dowel to push the keyhole piece while you are pulling straight up on it with some sturdy tweezers. Option two is to remove the tiny spring. A curved embroidery needle will work. Once the spring is out (slide it up the needle), move the fork towards the barrel and lift out that pesky keyhole piece.
Insert the plug, and let the fork spring against the groove. If you took the spring out, it will take some deft finger work with the curved needle to feed the spring back into the channel and onto the finger of the fork. Some needlenose tweezers are handy to feed the spring, coil by coil down into the channel and then further onto the fork finger. This sounds complicated but is isn't. Once the spring is pretty much back in the groove, take a small flat-blade screwdriver and gently press the spring into the channel. It should click as the open end snicks into the channel opening and becomes slightly hidden by the frame. This means it is in place properly. Check that the fork moves freely.
WARNING: if you take the tiny spring out, you have to keep it on the needle or you are going to spend a long time on your hands and knees on the office rug looking for that little sucker. Believe me.
I'll try to track down another thread about this because I am pretty sure some good soul here has posted a (better) method with pictures.
EDIT:
Eureka!! Here's the thread I was thinking of...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/102217-plug-s-w-j-frame-2.html
Check out Post #14!
END OF EDIT
GL,
Chris
Last edited:
