Old S&W Model 38 Cylinder Hang-up

[Snubby 38]

I have an old model 38 (1955?). It had some holster wear, but function was perfect, maybe 3 boxes of ammo run through it in it's lifetime. S&W wouldn't refinish it because it was obsolete and the concerns about cracking the aluminum frame. Made the mistake of sending it to Gun-Kote in Wisconsin that refinished it (horrible job) and now the cylinder hangs up when I try and open it. Cylinder release fully forward, ejector rod tight and no apparent finish build-up that shows. You have to really press hard against the cylinder to get it to pop open. I did send it back to Gun-Kote, but it didn't make any difference. Any suggestions??

 

[SaxonPig]

Check the latch that secures the front of the ejector rod. It could be sticking. Does the rod move freely when the cylinder is open? If not it could be binding.

Have you looked at the barrel/cylinder gap to make sure it's still there? Any rub marks on the face or back of the cylinder indicating a tight spot?

Another reason why I am against refinishing 99% of the time. Sorry you got a buggered up refinishing job.

 

[XavierBreath]

In addition to what Saxon has suggested, the ejector rod hole in the recoil plate of the Model 38 can, over time, become rather egg shaped. Check to make sure this has not happened to yours. When this type of wear occurs, the metal must be displaced somewhere. It could be a burr beside the hole itself.

 

[JoeHatley]

The ejector rod may seem tight, but is it screwed in far enough. Could be excess finish inside that is preventing it from fully seating.

Long shot: Wrong(too long) yoke screw.

If it's that hard to open, there should be some wear/rub marks starting to show up. Their location would really help narrow down things.

Joe

 

[Snubby 38]

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. I've already tried a few, but have a few more to go. The yoke screw is a possibility I'll try that next since when they returned the gun, they had all the side plate screws messed up.

I'll keep you posted and thanks again....