[General Geoff]

So I just got done putting a couple hundred rounds through my S&W 610, and after I got home I was fiddling with it and noticed that when the cylinder is closed up and locked in sync with the barrel, the cylinder can be "jiggled" very slightly, just enough to make noise (not quite enough to visibly see it move unless you look very carefully). This isn't back and forth, but when attempting to rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise. Is this bit of play normal?

[yeti]

To keep from shooting my mouth off prematurely, I shook the cylinder of every revolver I own, everyone moves a hair, and if I listen closely I can hear them 'tink'. There has to be a little play, what you describe is natural and it would seem you revolver is still tight.

[Phydeaux642]

All of my Smiths do that, new or old. End shake is what you need to be concerned about. Colt's are a different story from what I understand, though.

[General Geoff]

thanks guys. :)

[win308]

I sent a beat up model 29-2 back to S&W for a little work one time, and then called after a couple of weeks to talk to the gunsmith. He went and got the gun out of their 'receiving dept' and brought it to his bench. He went over the gun as we talked on the phone and said the 'hole' where the cylinder pin locks the cylinder was slightly oversize....but not too much. He agreed to install an oversize pin through the cylinder to correct any mis alignment problems. He advised that this would be the last chance for this particular gun, as once the hole gets too enlarged, or egg shaped, the frame is ruined and the cylinder will never perfectly align with the barrel. Now when buying any used revolver, I have added that to my list of things to inspect... in the picture, this one is perfect in size and roundness:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/win308/DSCN0056.jpg

[btg3]

...once the hole gets too enlarged, or egg shaped, the frame is ruined
I would imagine that hard closure (slapping or wrist snapping) of the cylinder accelerates this wear (in addition to potentially resulting in other ills). As this is among the many things I've gratefully learned at THR, I mention it again for the benefit of others.

[gcrookston]

A good way to check the lockup of a DA revolver is to cock, hold the hammer, pull the trigger and hold it depressed, then gently let the hammer down. Then check the "jiggle" of the cylinder, it should be about none (certainly considerably less than if the hammer were not depressed).

When buying a used revolver, it is a good idea to check each chamber with this method. Occasionally worn pistols will not index correctly on one or more chambers.

[dfariswheel]

Sorry, that test is only valid for the older Colt revolvers, like the Detective Special and Python.
It's NOT a valid test for any other modern DA revolver.

ONLY these older Colt designs lock up tight when the trigger is pulled.
It was known as Colt's "Bank Vault" lockup.
All other DA revolvers, like S&W, Ruger, Dan Wesson, and Taurus are specifically designed to allow the cylinder to be slightly loose at the moment of ignition (trigger pulled).

This is to allow the cylinder to align itself with the bore when the bullet passes from the chamber to the barrel.
In the old Colt design, the cylinder is forced into perfect alignment with the bore, then tightly locked there.

The up side to the older Colt action is, since the bullet enters the barrel perfectly centered, the bullet isn't deformed by striking the forcing cone off-center, so the gun is more accurate.
The downside is, the action has to be hand assembled and fitted to work properly, so the gun costs more.

The up side to the S&W and others that allow the cylinder to align itself is, the action requires much less fitting and so the gun costs less.
Downside is, since the bullet always hits the forcing cone slightly off center, the bullet gets distorted, and accuracy isn't as good as it could be.

[btg3]

With regard to accuracy, I wonder if Colts or S&W more predominant in competition? Seems everyone would be shooting Colts, if the difference were significant. I've no idea, but just wonder if this is so.

[Archie]

When the cylinder pin hole in an old S&W revolver wears out of round, it can be fixed by machining out the hole oversize and installing a hardened steel insert with the correct sized cylinder pin rod hole.

It takes a machinist to do properly, but I have two such altered revolvers. They work well. Sadly, the man who did mine no longer is in the gun repair business, to my knowledge.

I don't know if the newer Smith revolvers can be so altered. I would think so, but I don't know what differences have been made in the interior.

[machinisttx]

When the cylinder pin hole in an old S&W revolver wears out of round, it can be fixed by machining out the hole oversize and installing a hardened steel insert with the correct sized cylinder pin rod hole.

It takes a machinist to do properly, but I have two such altered revolvers. They work well. Sadly, the man who did mine no longer is in the gun repair business, to my knowledge.

I don't know if the newer Smith revolvers can be so altered. I would think so, but I don't know what differences have been made in the interior.

+1

Unless the frame is destroyed/twisted/warped/etc., it is fixable....sometimes the cost may be prohibitive though.