At the Smith and Wesson armorer's school, they give you a big round hunk of lead. Hold the barrel in one hand, crack the handle (grips removed) real hard one time. Side plate off, no damage to pistol . . .
Sideplate Rermoval
- Thread starter Cyrano
- Start date
Big Cholla
Member
The original gunmakers (note the use of that term) used the babbitt bar to bring barrels back to an alignment of POI/POA. The early spotty metallurgy and rifle/pistol barrel initial bore job often wandered a bit. Rather than junk that barrel it was wacked in the appropriate direction to eliminate the misalignment problem. The gunsmiths then picked up the use of the babbitt bar to realign most any part of the metal frame and barrel assembly of most any gun. This practice originated in the blacksmith/machinist/millwright trades when producing and setting inplace manufacturing machinery. Some of their 'babbitts' were 12 to 15 lb. hammers with a head of lead!
I use a light bar of lead to aid in removal of all revolver sideplates. I was taught to cradle the revolver in my left hand held horizontal with the sideplate down. Then the right hand raps the grip part of the frame from the bottom in an upward manner. Most S&W sideplates fall out into the palm of the left holding hand with one rap. A few have taken a couple more raps. I don't remember ever needing more than three raps. ......
An aside; I have three cast bars (2"w x 1" d x 3.5" l) of lead on my workbench at all times. Midway centered across the 2" face, one has a "V" groove, one has a round trough and one has a square keyway about 1/4" deep x 1/2" wide across its face. I use them for all sorts of events while working on guns in general. The lead will cushion a blued barrel or frame without damage. The lead might 'smear' slightly on a SS finish, but it can be wiped right off. I often use these lead 'helper' blocks while polishing, honing or lightly filing a part. ...........
I use a light bar of lead to aid in removal of all revolver sideplates. I was taught to cradle the revolver in my left hand held horizontal with the sideplate down. Then the right hand raps the grip part of the frame from the bottom in an upward manner. Most S&W sideplates fall out into the palm of the left holding hand with one rap. A few have taken a couple more raps. I don't remember ever needing more than three raps. ......
An aside; I have three cast bars (2"w x 1" d x 3.5" l) of lead on my workbench at all times. Midway centered across the 2" face, one has a "V" groove, one has a round trough and one has a square keyway about 1/4" deep x 1/2" wide across its face. I use them for all sorts of events while working on guns in general. The lead will cushion a blued barrel or frame without damage. The lead might 'smear' slightly on a SS finish, but it can be wiped right off. I often use these lead 'helper' blocks while polishing, honing or lightly filing a part. ...........
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
Good old rubber hammer.
Since we are talking lead babbits here, I will relate my first experience with one. Not me using, but watching!
In 1970 bought a brand new 5 inch model 27, my pride and joy. A Skeeter gun. But, as you turned the cylinder it would get harder, and then easier, so that is was more difficult to turn on about two cylinders. At this time I was a young officer with about three years experience, and we were attending our second National PPC match in Jackson, MS. I took the brand new gun, unfired at that moment, into the trailer where there were two or three Smith factory personnel working on officer's guns all the while chatting away while their hands worked.
When it was guns turn for their attention, I explained the problem, and he took the gun in hand and worked the cylinder around a few turns, then to my complete surprise and astonishment, took the gun in left hand, muzzle skyward, picked up the round babbit that he called German Silver, and whacked the face of the right side of the cylinder with a very solid impact, I think he hit it two or three times. He then checked the rotation of the cylinder and handed it back to me and said it had a burr on it and now it didn't. It worked perfectly after that.
I was shocked to see a gun that I had just bought, a premier gun of the line, and at that time pretty hard to find, just whacked by a lead bar! Not a mark on the gun, but I just barely avoided fainting!
I attended armorer's school in 1986 and now have my own set, along with the other armorers tools. I still shy away from striking guns with the babbits, though!
In 1970 bought a brand new 5 inch model 27, my pride and joy. A Skeeter gun. But, as you turned the cylinder it would get harder, and then easier, so that is was more difficult to turn on about two cylinders. At this time I was a young officer with about three years experience, and we were attending our second National PPC match in Jackson, MS. I took the brand new gun, unfired at that moment, into the trailer where there were two or three Smith factory personnel working on officer's guns all the while chatting away while their hands worked.
When it was guns turn for their attention, I explained the problem, and he took the gun in hand and worked the cylinder around a few turns, then to my complete surprise and astonishment, took the gun in left hand, muzzle skyward, picked up the round babbit that he called German Silver, and whacked the face of the right side of the cylinder with a very solid impact, I think he hit it two or three times. He then checked the rotation of the cylinder and handed it back to me and said it had a burr on it and now it didn't. It worked perfectly after that.
I was shocked to see a gun that I had just bought, a premier gun of the line, and at that time pretty hard to find, just whacked by a lead bar! Not a mark on the gun, but I just barely avoided fainting!
I attended armorer's school in 1986 and now have my own set, along with the other armorers tools. I still shy away from striking guns with the babbits, though!
The round babbit is also used to true up the yoke if the center pin is not making proper contact with hole in face of recoil shield.
Use hardened center pin to see which way yoke is off then tap the yoke to bring into alignment. I had to do this to a 2nd model 44 HE I bought in February that was very had to close.
Use hardened center pin to see which way yoke is off then tap the yoke to bring into alignment. I had to do this to a 2nd model 44 HE I bought in February that was very had to close.
I always lay down a cloth, rap the grip part of the frame with a hammer handle, ( right side down) and let the sideplate and hammer block fall onto the cloth. about 2s" above said cloth. No chance of sharp edges of sideplate scratchin the frame.
lamarw
Member
I think of it as "Good Vibrations". DWalt mentioned the inertia bullet puller as a good tool. I think removing the side plate is similar to removing bullets in that it is not a matter of how hard you wack it as much as the type of hit that caused reverberation in the lick.
It is why I strike my bullet puller against the end of a piece of 2 X 4 in my vice. Once again, it is the "Good Vibrations".
It is why I strike my bullet puller against the end of a piece of 2 X 4 in my vice. Once again, it is the "Good Vibrations".
