Buy a large oven cooking bag at the grocery store. Get the one for turkeys. Plenty of room to work and no lose no parts.
S&W Model 52-2, failure to fire quite often.
- Thread starter mikemyers
- Start date
donk52
Member
Lighter cocking could mean the plunger is missing or someone cut the spring.
I didn't know what those parts were, or did, until I just looked them up. I took off the grips and looked into the gun, and can now see them, but if there's dirt in the plunger, I won't know that until I get it apart. I guess I could try to flush it out, but I'll wait until after I test what I did for the firing pin.
Once I clean out the plunger, replace the mainspring, and use the tie-strap to keep it properly aligned, is it going to go right into the gun, or does that take a lot of pressure somehow? If it slides in and out, that's easy.
Oh yeah, when taking off the grip screws, there were three steel and one aluminum. Now I know where the loose steel grip screw bouncing around in the magazine came from.
donk52
Member
You shouldn't fire the gun unless EVERYTHING is working properly. To reassemble plunger, spring and backstrap. If your right handed, hold the gun in your left hand, mag well to the right, place spring and plunger on the stirrup, line up button on bottom of plunger with indentation on backstrap, push narrow part into frame and lign up pin holes. insert pin. I find this easier if I hold the gun close to my chest.
It's a little late for that - the previous owner, and who knows how many others, have been shooting it for going on two years I think - certainly more than one year.
I will follow your instructions. I forgot about this video that shows this, and a lot more:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOzAu1oGug&t=508s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOzAu1oGug&t=508s[/ame]
The video also gets to where he will re-install the backstop, but he just says "it's a little difficult but we will manage", then nothing - next scene, it's all done. Maybe he didn't want to show how hard it was, because he didn't know your trick of using the tie strip?
All this is new to me. I haven't gone this far into any gun, let alone the Model 52.
By the way, if I do everything at once, how would I know what specifically was wrong, or maybe that isn't so important. Just do it all at once, and it should work like new.
I will follow your instructions. I forgot about this video that shows this, and a lot more:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOzAu1oGug&t=508s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOzAu1oGug&t=508s[/ame]
The video also gets to where he will re-install the backstop, but he just says "it's a little difficult but we will manage", then nothing - next scene, it's all done. Maybe he didn't want to show how hard it was, because he didn't know your trick of using the tie strip?
All this is new to me. I haven't gone this far into any gun, let alone the Model 52.
By the way, if I do everything at once, how would I know what specifically was wrong, or maybe that isn't so important. Just do it all at once, and it should work like new.
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donk52
Member
donk52
Member
It seems like there are a number of things going on with this gun. I personally would completely disassemble, clean and reassemble, but a model 52 has a little more going on compared to a 39 when it comes to setting the trigger stops. But it can be done. I could try to do a video with my 469. I made mine a single action with the same trigger stops as a 52.
Thank you for posting that video - you make it look effortless. At any rate, I'm now pretty sure I can do it.
Any other videos you have posted that would bel helpful? I would especially like to see one on how to remove the safety, and re-install.
So much going on, you're right. Probably no proper care in a long time. Other than three wasted holes in the slide, in an attempt to mount optics, it actually looks pretty good. Not in any way beat up.
Everything it needs is beginning to sound do-able now, with the biggest question mark being how to remove the safety safely. The big turkey bag will resolve the problem of not wanting to lose parts. What I've learned so far, is to push the firing pin in all the way, and clamp on it with a hemostat (if that's the right name) so it stays in, then (inside the bag) to push/pull out the safety, with the spring and plunger, and I think at that point the firing pin and spring will fall out from the back of the gun. At that point, I can clean and re-assemble.
Trigger feels awesome - trigger pull is 3 pounds.
I hope to try it this afternoon with the firing pin (at least temporarily) moving freely.
The new mainspring should be here early this week; will clean out the plunger at the same time, if needed.
I'll buy the turkey bag today, so I'll be ready to clean out the firing pin channel.
donk52
Member
You make all of this seem so simple! Or maybe it's just that I made it seem so complicated from the other things I've read. Thanks for posting - I noticed all the parts stayed where they belonged, nothing went flying. I guess that's because your hand was in the right place to keep everything in the right place.
I guess I also ought to go looking for a Model 39 I can buy. Hope they're not as scarce (expensive) as the Model 52.
I guess I also ought to go looking for a Model 39 I can buy. Hope they're not as scarce (expensive) as the Model 52.
donk52
Member
Model 39's are a lot easier to work on. When I was at S&W I'd build 60 to 80 guns per day. The model 52's on the other hand would be more like 15 guns a week on average from start to finish.
Quick question - in your video, I noticed both end of the recoil spring were "flattened out", rather than just being "snipped off". Are M-52 recoil springs the same?
I'm asking, because when I took this M-52 apart to clean it, one end of the spring was "finished" and the other end was "open". The "open" end went over the "plunger" - I assumed it was in backwards, and turned it around. Based on everything else going on, I bet the person who tried to install a scope also cut off that spring. I'm not sure what effect, if any, it would have on the gun, but I suspect I should replace it with a new spring. I should probably do it anyway, just to start out with everything being "right".
Maybe a better question - do we know how long that spring should be?
I'm asking, because when I took this M-52 apart to clean it, one end of the spring was "finished" and the other end was "open". The "open" end went over the "plunger" - I assumed it was in backwards, and turned it around. Based on everything else going on, I bet the person who tried to install a scope also cut off that spring. I'm not sure what effect, if any, it would have on the gun, but I suspect I should replace it with a new spring. I should probably do it anyway, just to start out with everything being "right".
Maybe a better question - do we know how long that spring should be?
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donk52
Member
It's been a long time, I'm not sure how long. I remember the tight end would go over the guide. This would have no effect on light strikes.
Back to the original topic. I got to the range this morning, and fired around 25 rounds.
The very first round didn't fire - so much for cleaning out the debris in the firing pin area. I still need to do that anyway, but it's not the culprit. For the rest of the shots, maybe 1/3 of the time they failed to fire on the first attempt. All but one fired on the second attempt, and that one fired on the third.
I was pleased to find that at 25 yards my groups are better than I was able to do last year - but I used two hands. I'm not ready yet to start firing this gun one handed. Yet.
Added later - if I can fix my gun by replacing the mainspring, I might "un-fix" it and put the weak mainspring back in for a while. The way it is now, it's a perfect "ball and dummy drill", as I never know if it's going to fire or not.
The very first round didn't fire - so much for cleaning out the debris in the firing pin area. I still need to do that anyway, but it's not the culprit. For the rest of the shots, maybe 1/3 of the time they failed to fire on the first attempt. All but one fired on the second attempt, and that one fired on the third.
I was pleased to find that at 25 yards my groups are better than I was able to do last year - but I used two hands. I'm not ready yet to start firing this gun one handed. Yet.
Added later - if I can fix my gun by replacing the mainspring, I might "un-fix" it and put the weak mainspring back in for a while. The way it is now, it's a perfect "ball and dummy drill", as I never know if it's going to fire or not.
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donk52
Member
mikemyers, did you tke the backstrap off? was the plunger there?
Also, push the firing pin forward, slide off barrel pushed forward with no recoil spring/guide. How far does the pin stick out? is the tip rounded?
There is something strange going on with this gun. I have many questions.
Is there any way for you to post pictures?
Also, push the firing pin forward, slide off barrel pushed forward with no recoil spring/guide. How far does the pin stick out? is the tip rounded?
There is something strange going on with this gun. I have many questions.
Is there any way for you to post pictures?
I took a photo with the grips removed; will post that after this post. The browser locked up when I just tried, maybe it will work now.
Yes, other than what's going on right now, I can take any photos you wish to see. I haven't removed the backstrap yet, as the new spring hasn't arrived.
Not sure what you want me to do with the photo of the firing pin?? Should I remove the slide, push the firing pin forward, and take a photo? It sticks out a LOT when I do that, pushing with a small punch.
Yes, other than what's going on right now, I can take any photos you wish to see. I haven't removed the backstrap yet, as the new spring hasn't arrived.
Not sure what you want me to do with the photo of the firing pin?? Should I remove the slide, push the firing pin forward, and take a photo? It sticks out a LOT when I do that, pushing with a small punch.
I can take it apart now, and take a photo of the pieces, but the new spring won't be here until later in the week.
Dave Salyer builds bullseye guns. He thinks that someone mounted optics on the slide (three tapped holes are there), and the gun didn't cycle, so the person might have shortened the mainspring just to get the gun to cycle. Sounds plausible to me.
Dave Salyer builds bullseye guns. He thinks that someone mounted optics on the slide (three tapped holes are there), and the gun didn't cycle, so the person might have shortened the mainspring just to get the gun to cycle. Sounds plausible to me.
