What wears out on a S&W revolver?

[ColColt]

I've sent three revolvers back to S&W for excessive endshake.

The third gun is a 686-1 that I bought used.

For the uninformed, what is "end shake"?

 

[stantheman86]

End shake is the movement of the cylinder front and back while the gun is in lockup. Put in a snap cap or fired casing, dry fire the revolver and hold the trigger back, and grip the cylinder and pull and push it forward and back. If it moves excessively, get some feeler gauges and measure the b/c gap while in lockup, measure with the cylinder pushed forward all the way and then back all way to get your endshake measurement.

I have a very loose 28-2 that has .002 in endshake, doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. If I shake the gun I can hear the cylinder rattling against the recoil plate. Debating wheither to send it back to S&W or just try endshake bearings. I have $380 in the gun and bought it as a "range blaster" so I am hesitant to sink any more into it when I own much tighter examples. It must have taken a LOT of .357 to loosen up this Highway Patrolman. If you find yourself a nice Model 28 that's tight and just shoot .38 out of it, I imagine it would last several lifetimes.

 

[Wayne M]

Cylinder endshake is being able to push the cylinder back toward the recoil shield when it is closed into the gun. Too much can cause misfires since the hammer nose or firing pin cannot make adequate impact with the primer(a small amount is very common).

I can attest for certain that 19K of a mixed bag of HOT 38's and 357 Magnums(99 % cast) doesn't even phase a 686. Not trying to wear one out, I just keep shooting. Still.....you gotta have parts just because, well, ya gotta have parts! The time may come when you need service and you're the ONLY one to do it. Supersticious I guess.

 

[minconrevo]

I too am putting the wear on a 686. Around 10k hard cast lead 158 gr, loaded to +P. No real wear at this point, although I did correct the endshake; it was a used gun when I got it, direct from the road trooper who carried it.

The cylinder sidewall thickness (in bolt notch area) on an L-frame is more than an N-frame. I think it is going to be difficult to wear out this 686.

I'm trying to avoid the broken firing pin nuisance by using snap caps when dry firing. Additionally I've used Powers washers to center the hammer and trigger, so the hammer stroke is always straight.

 

[stantheman86]

99% of what I shoot through my .357 S&W's is standard .38 Special, that includes my 581 and 3 M28's. I don't think I have much to worry about I don't think an L or N frame would even blink at a lifetime of .38 Special going through it.

I think of all my .357's as .38's with .357 capability. I see no need to put un-needed stress on the guns just for punching paper. IMO my 581 is the world's best .38 Special revolver, that can use .357's if I need to