decide to clean the inside of my 46 year old model 36. I am having trouble getting the side off. The three screws are out and I have gentle prying the side plate off. Does the coil spring need to be removed or what is my next step?
Side Plate removal Model 36
- Thread starter RMS272829
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
DO NOT PRY IT. The way I was taught at the S&W revolver school was to take a non-marring tool (lead bar or brass hammer) and rap on the grip frame below the side plate with the side plate facing up. It should pop off with a rap or two. The safety bar will probably become unseated so expect that to happen. What the above post says will work just fine too, I just like it this way better. Probably what I am used to.
The Smith & Wesson Revolver shop manual by Jerry Kuenhausen as all the info you need.
S&W revolverman
Member
Listen to what robertwalsh says. That will work perfect.
If you pry on it, you will damage the sideplate and will probably never fit back on correctly (e.g. warped).
Take sideplate screws out. Hold gun in your left hand with sideplate facing up. With the palm of your hand over the sideplate and using a lead babbit or the bottom of the handle of a screwdriver (something non marring), hit the bottom of the grip frame (where the strain screw goes) a few times. If it doesn't come loose, hit a little harder a time or two more. This will jar the sideplate loose in your hand. The sideplate is a tight friction fit from factory. Again, do not pry.
Possibly could be a little stuck due to just a tight friction fit from the factory fitter, or because it has never been opened and the factory oil has kind of gelled up some and cause it to be sticky.
Good luck
If you pry on it, you will damage the sideplate and will probably never fit back on correctly (e.g. warped).
Take sideplate screws out. Hold gun in your left hand with sideplate facing up. With the palm of your hand over the sideplate and using a lead babbit or the bottom of the handle of a screwdriver (something non marring), hit the bottom of the grip frame (where the strain screw goes) a few times. If it doesn't come loose, hit a little harder a time or two more. This will jar the sideplate loose in your hand. The sideplate is a tight friction fit from factory. Again, do not pry.
Possibly could be a little stuck due to just a tight friction fit from the factory fitter, or because it has never been opened and the factory oil has kind of gelled up some and cause it to be sticky.
Good luck
Never pry on a sideplate. No screwdrivers, sticks or anything else… Just hold the gun in one hand and rap the grip frame with something non marking like a wooden screw driver handle. It will pop up as already described. Understand how the sideplate attaches and the safety is positioned before you try to replace it.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 8,018
- Reaction score
- 7,100
If you have to ask, STOP. No prying. Not even gently. Hit the grip frame several times with a non-marring mallet and the sideplate will "vibrate" loose and raise up out of the frame. I never turn them over as you could lose the hammer block.
https://www.midwayusa.com/video?VideoID=352736328
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc[/ame]
https://www.midwayusa.com/video?VideoID=352736328
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc[/ame]
On a J frame with a coil spring BEFORE you remove the side plate cock the hammer, stick a pin in the hole in bottom of spring strut and release hammer. This will capture the main spring for removal. You should do this before removing side plate as loading the spring with side plate off, puts all the stress on just one side of hammer stud.
Last edited:
If I recall correctly, the Kuenhausen book mentions a wooden hammer handle to tap the frame to remove the side plate. I have a 2 oz hammer I have used for years in my gunsmithing and the hammer handle is well chewed up from tapping frames.
All of the above is great advice, however, I like to use a touch of penetrant that you can see soak into the critical mating surfaces...this has helped reduce the slight warpage caused when removing the side plate near the top mating joint. Just my 2 cents...never pry the plate off
Last edited:
I never remove the sideplate with it facing up. I can spot guns that have had the sideplate removed that way; if it pops completely loose, it clatters down on the frame and can leaves scratches in the bluing from minor to worse.
Always face the sideplate down to fall free on a padded surface including the hammer block sliding bar! And as c.w. posted above, penetrating fluid is your friend.
Always face the sideplate down to fall free on a padded surface including the hammer block sliding bar! And as c.w. posted above, penetrating fluid is your friend.
kbm6893
Member
Don't mix up the screws. I use a pill organizer, the straight ones with the days of the week on the compartment lids. I put the screws in the proper order in the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday compartments and close the lid. No way of the falling off the bench and vanishing into the 4th dimension that way.
As long as it's apart go ahead and order a spring kit. May as well do trigger while ur in there.
If you'll sit and stare at your sideplate----or anybody else's, you'll see where it transitions from fat to skinny. You'll also see where it would best be pried from if someone would be so ill advised as to pry it. Now just a wee bit of imagination will show you where it's going to bend if/when you pry it. Now this next part takes a little more than sittin' and starin', but if you scrunch your nose up some, you'll see where the outside of the bend is going to stretch some----and the inside isn't so much going to shrink as it is just going to wrinkle up some.
Oh, and good luck getting any of that stretchin' and wrinklin' fixed----it ain't gonna happen!!
And that's why these folks got so excited when you said you were pryin' on your sideplate. They know better----must'a read the instructions.
Ralph Tremaine
Oh, and good luck getting any of that stretchin' and wrinklin' fixed----it ain't gonna happen!!
And that's why these folks got so excited when you said you were pryin' on your sideplate. They know better----must'a read the instructions.
Ralph Tremaine
That being the case, you are now in position judge the value of whatever these You Tubers have to say. My very first exposure to a You Tube S&W Expert showed him prying the sideplate. I just went on to the next one.
Ralph Tremaine
smithra_66
Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2020
- Messages
- 1,307
- Reaction score
- 2,140
Never never never pry it.
Tap the grip frame (with the grips off) with a plastic mallet, or turn it over and tap the grip frame on a padded bench while keeping your hand under it to catch the side plate.
There are many videos on Youtube showing how to do it.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2021
- Messages
- 5,166
- Reaction score
- 8,956
Holy Cow! Always have used a small wrapped leather hammer on the off side while holding revolver in my hand over work bench. Screws removed and placed in marked magnetic parts tray.
