586 locked up

pittspilot · Jul 5, 2010

I am having the worst luck with guns lately. I don't even want to go into my Dan Wesson issues.

Shooting my 1983 Nickel 586 (no dash) (also no mod) with Magtech 158 grain .357 and right after a shot, the cylinder locks up. Can't cock it, can't pull the trigger, can't open the cylinder.

I checked the front most screw to see if it was loose, and it is not. So, thoughts? Could it be the lockup that is fixed with the mod? I have never heard of a 586 going down with this, and I understood the problem to occur with the hot loaded 110's, not the moderately loaded 158's.

I am a little nervous futzing with it because the gun it loaded. The hammer is down on a spent round, but there are live ones to follow.

BTW, this also begs a question about shipping it back to S&W, which is what I am likely to do. How do you certify that the gun is not loaded, as required by federal law, when it is, and you cannot unload it?

Thanks for your time.

guy sajer · Jul 5, 2010

It's been a lot of years , but I believe the L frame was recalled for this exact problem . The guns would lock up with some 357 loads . S&W installs a shorter FP and the problem is solved .

S&W will fix it for NC

Here's an earlier discussion . Probably many others as well .

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=48428

pittspilot · Jul 5, 2010

OK, I got the cylinder out by slight cocking the hammer back and then moving the cylinder forward.

The spent primer on the round under the hammer had an "outie" and that seems to be what jammed the gun up because it seems fine now, although I am going to have to test fire it.

blackrussian · Jul 5, 2010

I had an "outie" issue as you describe it. I was able to get the cylinder out, reloaded and finished the rest of the box. Unmodified 586, build date circa 84-85. Remington 125gr sjhp ammo. I have since shot 100 .38 spl and about 25-30 magnum rounds through it. In my limited experience with revolvers, Im blaming the ammo in this case. It looked like the primer was pushed back out of the case, causing the lockup.

Ratdog68 · Jul 5, 2010

If you're unseating a primer, that sounds to me like a rather "hot" load. M'be check with the manufacturer if they were factory loads and see if they have any notices of excessive pressure signs on that lot of ammo?

I've got a 686 (no dash) that I bought new in '86. I've put thousands of .38 and .357 ammo through mine. My only hiccups have been casings being a little slow to eject when it was getting really gunky after a day's worth of heavy shooting... a brushing fixed that though.

Fleetman · Jul 6, 2010

There was (is?) is a recall on the L-frames. .38's worked fine but some brands of .357's, particularly Remingtons, jammed. I had mine re-worked around 1989 and it has been flawless since.....probably 8k rounds ago. I believe it involved installing a new firing pin bushing.

Hawk · Jul 6, 2010

If you're unseating a primer, that sounds to me like a rather "hot" load. M'be check with the manufacturer if they were factory loads and see if they have any notices of excessive pressure signs on that lot of ammo?

I thought primer unseating during firing was normal. Recoil against the breachface re-seats it. Seemed plausible as the primer is only held in by friction.

And, if memory serves, "primer only" wax bullet loads will routinely tie up a revolver - hence the reaming of the case for type 209 shotgun primers.

Compliments of C&R Wax Bullets:

The primer backs out and jams the gun - How do I stop this?

We recommend Remington, Rio or Fiocchi 209 shotgun primers for use with our wax bullets.

REMEMBER: Any primer with a domed center button instead of a flat top will jam the gun.

MrBorland · Jul 6, 2010

If you're unseating a primer, that sounds to me like a rather "hot" load.

I was thinking the opposite, for the reason Hawk outlined; an "outie" often being associated with a load that's way too light and lacks to oompf to reset the primers when the pressure whacks the back of the frame.

WRT wax bullets, I think you can also drill the flash hole and continue using your regular primers as well.

To the OP - was the primer on the "outie" actually pierced, by chance?

Randall · Jul 6, 2010

I had a 686 repaired and all it needed was a firing pin bushing.S&W had a recall on them.

586 locked up

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