Repaired .32 Hand Ejector - Range Report

[H Richard]

Possibly a good cleaning will solve a lot of minor problems. If you are planning to get the book and then disassemble the gun lots of different cleaners and lubricants are available. Q tips and pipe cleaners help get into tiny area's. Parts are often available at Numrich, (Gun Parts Corp). Google them and there should also be a parts diagram o line.

Good luck.

 

[huskerbob]

Possibly a good cleaning will solve a lot of minor problems. If you are planning to get the book and then disassemble the gun lots of different cleaners and lubricants are available. Q tips and pipe cleaners help get into tiny area's. Parts are often available at Numrich, (Gun Parts Corp). Google them and there should also be a parts diagram o line.

Good luck.

Thank you Sir!!! I have a pretty good assortment of cleaners and lubes I've used on my Colt SAA's. I'm familiar with Jerry Kuhnhausen from his book on those guns. Numrich has proven to be a great source for me in the past...........provided you don't mind paying more for shipping than you do for the parts you're buying!!

Thanks for responding!!

 

[glowe]

I may have missed this point in all the above posts, but notice some might think the gun is a 32 S&W?? Wanted to make sure the OP knows that the 32 CTG is not how the gun is stamped. It would have been stamped 32 LONG CTG. If you get the gun in working order, the ammo for your Model 1903 is 32 Long, not 23 S&W.

 

[huskerbob]

I may have missed this point in all the above posts, but notice some might think the gun is a 32 S&W?? Wanted to make sure the OP knows that the 32 CTG is not how the gun is stamped. It would have been stamped 32 LONG CTG. If you get the gun in working order, the ammo for your Model 1903 is 32 Long, not 23 S&W.

That is how my gun is stamped, .32 LONG CTG. It was my error in identifying it incorrectly. I am aware of the correct ammo but thanks for mentioning it!! It wouldn't be the first time I've made a critical error!!

Thanks again!!

 

[huskerbob]

I've measured the ID of the cylinder as explained by "BC38" and found it to be .362. The OD of the K frame shims are .376 and come in a pack of 8 that will allow for a combined shim of .010 with some room for flexibility should a different thickness be needed.

I've placed the order. In the meantime, I'll give the gun a thorough clean and lube.

Now we wait.........................

Thanks to all who chimed in to help this poor pilgrim!!!

Bob

 

[Muley Gil]

That is how my gun is stamped, .32 LONG CTG. It was my error in identifying it incorrectly. I am aware of the correct ammo but thanks for mentioning it!! It wouldn't be the first time I've made a critical error!!

Thanks again!!

The .32 Long is just a longer version of the .32 S&W, loaded with more powder. If you happen to find .32 S&W, you can shoot it in your revolver. It's like shooting .38 special in a .357 Magnum or .44 Special in a .44 Magnum.

Generally, .32 Long is easier to find than .32 S&W.

 

[huskerbob]

As an aside to all who have responded to my OP:

I have always been a 'Colt Guy'. One of the reasons for that is the friendly and helpful reception I have always received when visiting or asking for help on the Colt Forum.

I have been floored by the flood of information and assistance I have received HERE in less that 24 hours!! You guys have been amazing!! You have made me want to know more about the world of Smith and Wesson!

That's a fact that should make me ANGRY instead of THANKFUL because I know it can only lead to additional expense for me if/when I add S&W's to my lowly collection!

Thanks to all who have responded!!

 

[mtgianni]

An excessive barrel cylinder gap will cause lower velocities as some pressure will be lost through the gap. It should not but may spit some lead as bullets enter the forcing cone. This would be unacceptable on a self defense gun or a large magnum but should be fine for punching paper, cans or jackrabbits. Enjoy that revolver and imagine it's history.

 

[JP@AK]

The .32 Long is just a longer version of the .32 S&W, loaded with more powder. If you happen to find .32 S&W, you can shoot it in your revolver. It's like shooting .38 special in a .357 Magnum or .44 Special in a .44 Magnum.

Generally, .32 Long is easier to find than .32 S&W.

All true. I'll add the fact that the .32 S&W wasn't chambered in any hand ejectors. Those were always chambered for the .32 Long, ever since 1896 (I frame and the later J frame variants). This would also include the relative handful of K frame guns chambered for .32 caliber cartridges.

S&W did continue to produce top break guns chambered for the shorter .32 caliber cartridge, well into the HE period.

 

[BC38]

I've measured the ID of the cylinder as explained by "BC38" and found it to be .362. The OD of the K frame shims are .376 and come in a pack of 8 that will allow for a combined shim of .010 with some room for flexibility should a different thickness be needed.

I've placed the order. In the meantime, I'll give the gun a thorough clean and lube.

Now we wait.........................

Thanks to all who chimed in to help this poor pilgrim!!!

Bob

I'm hoping you typed the numbers backwards - because if the ID of the hole through the center of the cylinder is.362 and the OD of the shims is .376 then the shims will be .014 too big in diameter to drop into the hole.

If you DIDN'T type the numbers backwards you need to contact the seller straight away and cancel that order. They should also have some smaller than the ID of your yoke-tube hole of your cylinder. Possibly for a J-frame?

I may have mis-stated which shims I got, and for that I apologize. They may have been for a J-frame, I honestly don't recall. Don't even remember where I ordered them - details lost to time.

 

[huskerbob]

I'm hoping you typed the numbers backwards - because if the ID of the hole through the center of the cylinder is.362 and the OD of the shims is .376 then the shims will be .014 too big in diameter to drop into the hole.

If you DIDN'T type the numbers backwards you need to contact the seller straight away and cancel that order. They should also have some smaller than the ID of your yoke-tube hole of your cylinder. Possibly for a J-frame?

I may have mis-stated which shims I got, and for that I apologize. They may have been for a J-frame, I honestly don't recall. Don't even remember where I ordered them - details lost to time.

YIKES! Another of those 'critical mistakes' I mentioned earlier in the thread!

The outside diameter of the center hole in the cylinder IS .362. I wasn't thinking clearly..........obviously!

I will call the seller (TriggerShims.com) tomorrow to cancel and try to locate the correct shims. I received an email from them shortly after placing the order saying that due to MLK Day tomorrow, the shims would not ship until Tuesday so I should be OK.

Thanks for thinking clearly 'BC38'.......when I didn't!!!

 

[BC38]

YIKES! Another of those 'critical mistakes' I mentioned earlier in the thread!

The outside diameter of the center hole in the cylinder IS .362. I wasn't thinking clearly..........obviously!

I will call the seller (TriggerShims.com) tomorrow to cancel and try to locate the correct shims. I received an email from them shortly after placing the order saying that due to MLK Day tomorrow, the shims would not ship until Tuesday so I should be OK.

Thanks for thinking clearly 'BC38'.......when I didn't!!!

LOL, glad to be able to help.
They should have the right ones to substitute. The more I think about it the more certain I am that the ones I got were for a J-frame - and I'm thinking Trigger Shims may actually be where I ordered them too.

EDIT: I searched my email for Trigger Shims and sure enough, that is where I ordered mine. They are .357" OD and .242" ID.

I thought I would also mention that I put a couple of the shims under the extractor star around its center shaft too. That way the extractor holds the cartridges back a little farther in the cylinder (towards the recoil shield) which in turn allowed me to use fewer shims inside the cylinder, and not move the cylinder so far back from the end of the barrel. That was done to reduce the barrel to cylinder gap to a more acceptable range. Not sure what others will think about doing it that way, but it seems to be working just fine in my case.

 

[huskerbob]

LOL, glad to be able to help.
They should have the right ones to substitute. The more I think about it the more certain I am that the ones I got were for a J-frame - and I'm thinking Trigger Shims may actually be where I ordered them too.

I re-thought and re-measured. Here's what I need (I think) to fit inside the cylinder.

The ID of the cylinder is .3625. The OD of the 'ejector rod/star assembly' (or whatever it's called) is .2315.

So............I need shims with an OD slightly less than .3625 and an ID of slightly more than .2315................right???

 

[BC38]

I re-thought and re-measured. Here's what I need (I think) to fit inside the cylinder.

The ID of the cylinder is .3625. The OD of the 'ejector rod/star assembly' (or whatever it's called) is .2315.

So............I need shims with an OD slightly less than .3625 and an ID of slightly more than .2315................right???

Yup. See my edited post above...

 

[huskerbob]

Yup. See my edited post above...

Do you happen to remember how the shims you bought were identified? The ones I ordered are too big but the ones shown for a "J" frame would be too small.

 

[BC38]

Do you happen to remember how the shims you bought were identified? The ones I ordered are too big but the ones shown for a "J" frame would be too small.

I just looked on their site. The ones I ordered are listed as S&W 22 Rimfire Shims on this page
Revolver Cylinder Shims Endshake Crane and Yoke Shims

They also list them as the right shims for the S&W Model 30 - which is the later model .32 S&W Long revolver.

 

[huskerbob]

I just looked on their site. The ones I ordered are listed as S&W 22 Rimfire Shims on this page
Revolver Cylinder Shims Endshake Crane and Yoke Shims

They also list them as the right shims for the S&W Model 30 - which is the later model .32 S&W Long revolver.

Thanks!!! I'll check them out!

 

[huskerbob]

I just looked on their site. The ones I ordered are listed as S&W 22 Rimfire Shims on this page
Revolver Cylinder Shims Endshake Crane and Yoke Shims

They also list them as the right shims for the S&W Model 30 - which is the later model .32 S&W Long revolver.

I was able to change my order. The correct shims you referenced will be mailed to me on Tuesday.

Thanks!
bob

 

[glowe]

An excessive barrel cylinder gap will cause lower velocities as some pressure will be lost through the gap. It should not but may spit some lead as bullets enter the forcing cone . . .

Just a note that there was no forcing cone installed on this and other models before 1922 and the OP's gun is around 1910. An engineering order of August 22, 1922 mandated the forcing cone for HE's. I have owned several early 38 M&Ps that one did not want to stand in line with the cylinder face, but that was because of a small amount of play in the cylinder lock-up. The tight ones do not seem to spit lead, so my observation is that the problem is mostly from poor lock up and not from too much gap.

Plus, blowing a little excess pressure out of the gap is probably not such a bad idea for these 110 year old veterans.