S&W 586 cylinder release hangs up

[Rio Laxas]

I just got a barely used 586 no dash in nickel. Everything about it is great, but for some reason the cylinder release sticks on two of the chambers and they are next to each other.

I've had other Smiths where the ejector rod was not screwed all the way in, but that is not the problem in this case. I unscrewed the ejector rod and screwed it back in as tight as I could get it, but it didn't help.

Any ideas?

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

I bet the ejector rod is wobbling enough to drag when it's in the right position. Open the cylinder and give the cylinder a spin. How bad is the run out of the ejector rod?

 

[Rio Laxas]

It doesn't seem out of the ordinary as best as I can tell.

 

[cmj8591]

Check the center pin. Open the cylinder and push in on the pin. (The pin is in the middle of the extractor star and engages the hole in the center of the rear of the frame) It should spring back out without sticking. Then turn the cylinder 1/6th of a turn and try again. If the pin binds, and I bet it will, then the center pin, the ejector rod or both are bent and need to be wacked back into line.
Don't use the gun a lot with the sticky cylinder release as the bent center pin/ejector rod can cause the bolt hole in the frame to become out of round and then you will have a problem that you will need a gunsmith to fix.

 

[Rio Laxas]

I tried that and the pin returns to the out position fine, but I did notice that if I keep the pin pressed in and rotate the cylinder part of the face of the pin recesses in at the barrel side. So I think the face of the pin that presses on the locking bolt (?) in the shroud is uneven. It is kind of weird though because in certain positions, the full face of the pin protrudes, but as your turn the cylinder one edge of it sinks back into the extractor rod.

What do I need to replace to fix this problem? Do I need to send it back to S&W or is it a simple parts replacement? I can't tell if the problem is the pin or the ejector rod itself.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

Either a new rod, or straighten the one you have.

 

[cmj8591]

Yep.. the ejector rod is bent.
It's not a difficult repair but if you've never done one you could spend a lot of time chasing it around.

 

[Rio Laxas]

I replaced the center pin with a new one from numrich and it works great now. It looks like either the one that came with the revolver was too short from the factory or someone had ground the end off (which would explain why it was uneven to the naked eye). Thanks for all the replies.