I actually figured this one out (yea me) but I thought I would share. At the range shooting my K-38 suddenly I couldn't get the cylinder to close with out forcing it and then it wouldn't rotate. I have another K-38 that I kept comparing it to. The cylinders seemed identical as far as position and slack. I was ready to post here looking for help and/or head off to a smith. But, the first rule is to make sure everything is clean. Right? To shorten the story there are two indexing holes on the extractor that match up with pins on the cylinder. Apparently there was just enough buildup of grit and dirt in the holes that prevented the extractor to fit tightly with the cylinder. A little work with a dental pick and voila, everything works. If you can't follow my description just go look at cylinder and extractor, you'll see what I mean.
Tight cylinder on K-38
- Thread starter jag22
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Protocall_Design
Vendor
Good catch. On all revolvers some trash (burnt and unburnt powder, carbon, lead, etc. can fall out of the chambers onto the underside of the extractor during the unloading of fired cases. It is then trapped between the extractor and the cylinder and holds the extractor from returning all the way. The easy fix is to use a toothbrush, preferably brass or stainless, and clean out the recess of the cylinder and bottom of the extractor occasionally, or if needed to remedy a problem.
Crud under the extractor will do that alright. One thing that helps to avoid that is the keep the muzzle pointed up as you work the extractor and remove spend cases, let it return to cylinder before dropping down to load fresh ammo. Lots of people hold a revolver muzzle down, work the extractor and fouling in spend cases fails into this area and is then trapped and compressed upon releasing extractor. Depending on loads and powder it can build up fairly fast.
I too had this experience some 40 yrs. ago. My problem was traced back to using Red Dot powder in my reloads - Low pressure Target loads, hence, unburned powder flakes under the extractor. Remember, S&W guns are precision instruments. Do whatever necessary to preserve the inherent accuracy that was built into them.
The K-22's get dirty more often then the center fire revolvers. I put an old toothbrush in the range bag to cure the problem. Don't use stainless ones, brass is OK. Larry
