[Parke1]

Hi all,

I haven't posted in forever, since I've been getting a little out of shooting lately. Luckily for me, I recently acquired another S&W, so I'm back in the saddle. :)

I picked up a used Model 66 with a 2.5" barrel for basically a song. The gun's in great condition, but when dry firing it, the trigger feels a little gritty, so I'm thinking it needs a good detailed strip and cleaning.

Anyone out there with instructions on how to do this? I'm normally a semiauto man, so I don't want to just start tearing it apart and mess something up.

Thanks a lot!
-Parke1

[dfariswheel]

I don't know of anything on-line, but the absolutely best instructions on disassemble, check-out, and reassembly is Jerry Kuhnhausen's book, "The S&W Revolvers: A Shop Manual".

This is available from Brownell's, Midway, and on-line book sellers, for about $18.00.

This is a MUST if you do anything at all with S&W's.

[4v50 Gary]

Start with screwdriver that is hollow ground and fitted to the screw heads.

1) Remove grips.
2) Remove three screws for sideplate. The foremost screw secures the cylinder and yoke. Set this screw aside as you don't want to confuse it with another screw.
3) Using the handle of a hammer, rap on the grip frame to "rattle" the sideplate off. The hammer block can be picked up and set aside.
4) Loosen the screw for the hammer spring (located on the front strap of the frame and near the butt). You may unhook the hammer spring from the stirrup and remove it.
5) You can use a flat bladed screwdriver to push the rebound slide spring in and lift it up from the pin. The rebound slide and slide spring may now be removed.
6) Cock the hammer such that it may be disengaged from the trigger. You should be able to disengage it and lift the hammer from the frame.
7) Depress the cylinder release and open the action. The cylinder and yoke comes out now. Note: if you remove the cylinder and yoke before you remove the hammer, you'll find the bolt" prevents the hammer's rearward rotation; making it difficult to remove.
8) Depress the trigger to clear it and lift it from the frame.
9) Remove the cylinder stop spring and afterwards, the cylinder stop.

[Standing Wolf]

Note: if you remove the cylinder and yoke before you remove the hammer, you'll find the bolt" prevents the hammer's rearward rotation; making it difficult to remove.

I wouldn't have thought of it that way in a hundred years! I've always removed the cylinder and yoke early on so the gun would be lighter and I could push fingers through the window for a better grip, but I've always had to horse around with the cylinder release latch, too.

Thanks, eh? I'll try that next time.

[4v50 Gary]

Heck, if you remove the cylinder first, just push back on the cylinder release to give the hammer clearance to rotate. Either way works well.

[Standing Wolf]

...just push back on the cylinder release to give the hammer clearance to rotate.

Yeah, but it doesn't always go straight back. Most do most of the time, by my model 27-2's bolt invariably goes back katty-whompus unless I remember to push down on it while pulling back the cylinder release.

That's the 1978 gun that came from the factory with a scraped hammer and barrel that wouldn't shoot straight even with the rear sight screwed all the way to the right. The hammer still abrades the side plate, but the Clark replacement barrel is every bit the equal of a Python barrel.

[Parke1]

Thanks for all the help, guys! I tore 'er apart and gave everything a good cleaning, and now the trigger is as clean and crisp as I knew it could be.

Standing Wolf, that is a BEAUTIFUL 27! What kind of grips are those? I think I have to have some!

Thanks again for all the help,
-Parke1

[labgrade]

& for a "quicky repair," (due to not cleaning forever) one can remove side plate & spray liberally (& I mean a coupla cans worth) of any carb-cleaner/Casey's BoreScrubber (or the like) while working the action & flushing out all the junk.

After-dry, a quick shot, or two of CLP helps ....

Certainly not a detailed stripping, but much better than someone stripping parts & trashing the whole shebang & mucking it up.

Not in the "gun-smithing" arena, but results are usually much better than before & cheaper than replacing "that spring" you can never find again.

Many a shooter merely requires a goodly flushing ....

(& yup, the retardants on) ;)

[4v50 Gary]

StandingWolf - that Clark bbl is purty! :) I've a model 10 S&W that I'd like to put a 5" heavy barrel on along with a ramp sight. One of these days I'm going to do it.

Parke1 - welcome to the Loyal Order of Gun Plumbers. ;)

[Standing Wolf]

Hello, Parkel!

The reddish stocks shown above are Badgers, which is what my model 27 wears around the house. I'd include a link, but the place I bought them is out of business. Someone probably carries them, since they're fairly inexpensive and medium-sized. They don't fit my hand remarkably well, and are made of plywood, but they're in the same quality category as Hogues, and look a little better to my eye. Strange to say, the idential-looking Badgers on my pre-agreement model 60 carry gun fit my hand perfectly.

When I take the model 27 to the range, I toss the Badgers on a shelf and put on the Fungs. Randall Fung (http://jnb.com/~funggrip/index.html) makes the best match-type stocks I've ever found. He normally works only in walnut, but did me a favor by making these out of maple. I'd always preferred hand-cut checkering, but his stippling gives me at least as secure a grip, and has a charm all its own.