bent extractor rod

[peetee32]

so im cleaning my 686 P 6" revolver and checking everything over for a trip i am about to take where im probably going to put 500+ rounds through it.

after cleaning and checking over, i spun the cylinder and noticed a slight wobble on the extractor rod. maybe a few mm off center

there doesn't seem to be any resistance when extracting shells, and the wobble is not so big as to interfere with gun frame when the cylinder is in place in firing position.

i googled this problem and it seems fairly commom, one site described it as a "costly" problem as far as repair.

should i:
-bring it to a gunsmith find out how much it will cost to fix it (saw a video where the smith just removed it and hammered it straight)
how much wout that cost me?
-buy a replacement part and have a smith install it
-leave it alone, it doesn't interfere with the function of the gun
-don't fire the gun again until it fixed, it can cause damage to other parts of the gun

 

[bja5006]

definitely take it to a smith, get his opinion on it. find out how much the part will cost.

can't you just replace it? or is something inside the cylinder bent? (doesnt sound like it)

i dont think you'd need a smith to screw in a new rod. you dont get a smith to reassemble your gun after cleaning it do you?

i'd say go ahead and fire it, as long as nothing else is bent.

 

[Old Fuff]

I wouldn't be concerned if the rod wobbled a bit when the cylinder was unlatched. In that case any number of non-critical things could be the cause.

Instead, latch the cylinder and pull the hammer backwards about 1/4" to drop the cylinder stop down. Then rotate the cylinder to see if there is any binding or unusual drag. If not you're probably good to go. If you're still worried do have a gunsmith check the gun over - but be sure you pick one that is qualified to work on S&W revolvers. Not all are.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

A common approach for determing if the rod is bent is to take it off and roll it on a sheet of glass. This will show if it's bent. Usually if it's bent your cylinder will bind (sometimes a little othertimes a lot). Don't shoot it in this condition. It is a very easy fix for a s & w smith and a very common problem.

 

[peetee32]

I wouldn't be concerned if the rod wobbled a bit when the cylinder was unlatched. In that case any number of non-critical things could be the cause.

Instead, latch the cylinder and pull the hammer backwards about 1/4" to drop the cylinder stop down. Then rotate the cylinder to see if there is any binding or unusual drag. If not you're probably good to go. If you're still worried do have a gunsmith check the gun over - but be sure you pick one that is qualified to work on S&W revolvers. Not all are.

i did exactly this, and there was no binding or drag, everything looked normal. i'll still take it to my gun guy just to have him check it out. thanks again for all the info.