Removing side plate

dlstewart01

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Any one remove their J-frane side plate for cleaning, oiling?

I have a model 60 that hasn't been used in a long time and I believe the oil has dried, binding it up quite a bit.

Thanks,

Don
 
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Any one remove their J-frane side plate for cleaning, oiling?

I have a model 60 that hasn't been used in a long time and I believe the oil has dried, binding it up quite a bit.

Thanks,

Don
 
At times it would be necessary to remove side plate and do a therough cleaning, Some folks will remove the grips and submerge the firearm in kerosene for a day and then shake out, blow out. I dont like this method,,, The side plate can be removed without damage by removing screws and tapping grip frame with hammer handle while holding in such a way to not allow sideplate to fall off.
A gun smithing book will help you along with this.
I have had a couple of older ones which needed a detail strip and cleaning, and came out like a new gun!
Someone should come along and give you a reference to a good book.
Peter.
 
I'm hoping you have resisted the urge to pry it off. Holding the gun with the sideplate down, tap the grip frame with a plastic hammer. You should see the sideplate begin to loosen. Keep tapping and it will eventually pop loose. If it is indeed glued on with dried up oil, spray the frame with CRC Brakleen to dissolve the gum. Resist the urge to attempt prying the sideplate off.
 
....if you pry it, it will create a dimple at the top curve of the sideplate; when looking at photos of guns for sale on the auction sites this is a dead giveaway that the gun was monkeyed with.
 
I do know not to pry it off. I believe I will have to soak it though. Thanks for the replies.

Don
 
Originally posted by tdan:
Holding the gun with the sideplate down, tap the grip frame with a plastic hammer.

I have not seen it done or demonstrated with the sideplate down. I was taught and have always seen it demonstrated that the revovler is held more or less in a horizontal position with the sideplate up while tapping the grip frame with a non-marring hammer. The sideplate will loosen and vibrate up, which allows it to be removed. By having it up, the hammer block does not drop out. Have they changed the way this is taught at the Armorer's school?
 
Jerry Kuhnhausen's book "The S&W Revolver, a shop manual" is what you need.

http://www.amazon.com/S-W-revolver-shop-manual/dp/B0006...d=1234330382&sr=1-12

However, I just got a shock. I went to Amazon and learned that it is out of print!

I have had mine for many years and while I know quite well how to take a Smith apart I still refer to the manual from time to time.

Another source for Smith information is Jerry Miculek's DVD "Trigger Job".

http://gunvideo.com/index.php?category_id=314&tpl=pgrou...&pid=5533&return=%3F

This is not brain surgery but if you are not mechanically inclined leave this to a good local pistolsmith.

Dale53
 
Originally posted by tdan:
I'm hoping you have resisted the urge to pry it off. Holding the gun with the sideplate down, tap the grip frame with a plastic hammer.
I find it easier to hold it with the side plat UP while rapping the grip frame with a plastic screwdriver handle. The side plate loosens and rises up but doesn't fall off.
 
Originally posted by dlstewart01:
I do know not to pry it off. I believe I will have to soak it though. Thanks for the replies.

Don
If you do soak it, do this after:

cock the hammer and thoroughly hose the works with gunscrubber or carburetor spray cleaner shooting in from all directions. Then relube with gun oil spray. It's not the best way to maintain a gun, but it's better than letting the thing gunk up.
 
I have not seen it done or demonstrated with the sideplate down. I was taught and have always seen it demonstrated that the revovler is held more or less in a horizontal position with the sideplate up while tapping the grip frame with a non-marring hammer. The sideplate will loosen and vibrate up, which allows it to be removed. By having it up, the hammer block does not drop out. Have they changed the way this is taught at the Armorer's school?

I had to pull out my Kuhnhausen manual to see if I am giving bad advice. The manual says to hold the gun in an upright position and tap the right side of the grip frame with a hammer handle. You are to hold the sideplate while doing this in case it suddenly pops loose. I guess there are other ways to skin a cat. I hammer better in a down direction. I always have the gun over a towel in case the sideplate drops suddenly. I always figured if the sideplate suddenly sprung loose, it would land in my right hand or on the towel......less chance of it dropping down and scratching the bottom of the frame. I hammer with my left hand.
 
Originally posted by tdan:
I have not seen it done or demonstrated with the sideplate down. I was taught and have always seen it demonstrated that the revovler is held more or less in a horizontal position with the sideplate up while tapping the grip frame with a non-marring hammer. The sideplate will loosen and vibrate up, which allows it to be removed. By having it up, the hammer block does not drop out. Have they changed the way this is taught at the Armorer's school?

I had to pull out my Kuhnhausen manual to see if I am giving bad advice. The manual says to hold the gun in an upright position and tap the right side of the grip frame with a hammer handle. You are to hold the sideplate while doing this in case it suddenly pops loose. I guess there are other ways to skin a cat. I hammer better in a down direction. I always have the gun over a towel in case the sideplate drops suddenly. I always figured if the sideplate suddenly sprung loose, it would land in my right hand or on the towel......less chance of it dropping down and scratching the bottom of the frame. I hammer with my left hand.
We all hammer downward. What we were saying was you can hold it horizontally with the plate up, hammer downeward on the frame from the top, and the plate will come loose and raise upward to where it is loose enough to lift off. Sounds wierd, but it does do it.
 
I have two S&W revolvers, a 637 bought six years ago, and a 686+ bought three years ago. I've put about two thousand rounds through each, all .38sp and mostly range loads. I clean them after each range session, but I have yet to remove the side plate. From what I have read, frequent side plate removal is a mistake because it almost guarantees that the screw will get buggered up and the side plate will end up warped. So I'm leaving that to my grandsons, when they inherit them.

Cordially, Jack
 
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