S&W Second Model, .38, 3-digit ser#

[oberon]

Boys, am I glad I found this site!
I have this old revolver: s&w 2nd model .38. I'm reasonably certain it was mfg.1888. It is a shooter. It has character and charm, but is somewhat of a physical wreck. No pics, sorry.
It has some buggered screwheads and such, and pretty much zero finish. The black rubber grips are good. The hinge pivot bushing and screw were installed backwards, and the (tiny) flat spring in the extractor cam mechanism was missing. The thing still works as it should. It locks up ok, and actually shoots. It is the gun that was kept in the kitchen drawer and used to slaughter pigs down on the farm. It was probably just shoved back in the drawer after each use, and never wiped off or cleaned. Such is the life of an old revolver.
My question: I would like to detail strip, de-crud and reassemble it. I would especially like to remove the cylinder from the cylinder pin and get at the extractor and spring. It is the screw type cylinder pin, not the pinned type. I have looked at a parts diagram for a similar model. There will be several parts involved. It appears that the ratchet is, in fact, screwed onto the back end of the cylinder pin. It looks easily do-able; I just need a little guidance. I am well equipped. Reference, perhaps?
The sideplate and lockwork can wait. I already removed and puffed up the hammer stud cap, and had the sideplate loosened but not opened up.
Thanks.

 

[DWalt]

I can't help you, but I've had two revolvers (not S&Ws) and one .22 rifle that were used pretty much exclusively for slaughtering farm animals, and they were in even worse condition than yours seems to be. One of the revolvers, as the result of an accident, inadvertently killed the user while he was shooting a cow. I got that one from the deceased guy's brother. I didn't waste any time in considering fixing them up. I just traded them off as curios.

 

[opoefc]

oberon, Get yourself a copy of the Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disammbly, Part II, Revolvers, by J.B.Wood. There's a 10 page section on the S&W Model 1880 .38 Double Action revolver ( yours) that takes you through a complete overhaul,with photos. Ed,

 

[oberon]

Thanks, OPOEFC. I can get that at the local trading post. He has a pretty extensive reference section, and a lot of the guys are familiar with the materials on hand.
I know the gun is good. I have a need to strip and examine the insides of nearly everything that drifts through my transom. Sometimes I get into trouble and have to make time to rectify the issues. I once had a Colt apart on the bench for over 2 weeks before I straightened it out.(with no instructions or even pictures) Another time I had a revolver with a broken main spring, and all the guts flew out all over the place. I had to drag the floor of the shop with a magnet to get all the bits. I had to invent a jig method to keep everything while I reinstalled the sideplate. I solved thet problem over a period of days.
In the current case, I hope to avoid those kinds of difficulties.
I have a gunsmith nearby also, and even he admits that there are some real tricky setups that suck your time away.
After I finish the overhaul, I do intend to shoot it, then put it back on the shelf.
Has anyone here ever got the new old gun home and promptly dropped it on the concrete floor? That's another story.