Crack in .44 frame

[Mizar]

Just looked in a new owner's manual from S&W - there is no parts schematic anymore... Maybe they think that this is a too complicated technical information, I don't know. So yea, we cannot be too harsh to the OP - there is almost no "normal", easy way of learning, that this crack is actually the side plate. Which is rather sad if you think about it for a moment.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

i thought this was a joke and i thought this guy is really commited to the joke with such a long post. as explained it is the sideplate.

Ya. I got that. A couple of days ago.

 

[hemiram]

I hadn't even thought about that sideplate line in years, until a friend bought an older S&W revolver. It was his first gunbroker purchase and he was very nervous about it. He called me up after he picked it up, all upset when he noticed "The crack". I asked him where it was, and of course, it was the sideplate seam. Being the worrier he is, I had to take one of my S&W N framed guns over to show him it was supposed to be there, and I wanted to see the gun anyways, as it looked pretty much NIB in the pics. The pics weren't lying, it was/is one of the best 28-2's I have ever seen.

 

[Pudge]

You know, there is so much stuff about firearms I have learned on this site from people who know more than I, there just doesn't seem to be a question anyone here should feel self-conscious about asking. That's how you learn things.

 

[CajunBass]

I learned a long time ago, that I wasn't born knowing everything, and have forgotten most of it since then.

Welcome to the forum. I don't know how long you've been around here, but this is a good place to learn stuff, so pull up a chair, and sit on the floor. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. Get a cup out of the sink. Not that cup...that one is for the dog, and he's funny about others drinking out of his cup.

 

[ontarget]

Ya. I got that. A couple of days ago.

Honestly the fact that it appeared to be a crack is a very good thing. That means it probably is fit very well and Bubba hasn't been prying on it to get inside and mess with the action.
Nice gun BTW.

 

[Onty]

Now the next step in the learning process
is to get screw driver(s) properly sized for
the slots of the screws that hold the side
plate.

Periodically check the tightness of the screws
after shooting sessions. They do come loose.

A very loose or lost screw over the trigger guard will
allow the cylinder to fall out of the gun. The
other screws if loose will allow the innards to
not mesh properly and the gun will cease
working properly.

Mas Ayoob amusingly tells of time he switched
to a Ruger GP100 in competition because he
lost the cylinder screw and the cylinder fell to
the ground during a reload.

Older Colts not only had the cylinder screw but
an adjacent slightly overlapping second screw to
double secure the cylinder screw. It was a pretty
neat setup.

As far as I know, apart from rear sight, Ruger GP 100, Redhawk and Super Redhawk have just one screw; on grips. Basically, there is nothing to get loose. In that respect, those Ruger revolvers are the best designed ever.

Regarding screws getting loose, the truth is that my friends having their cherished 5 screw S&W 29-s in fact are having revolver with number of screw just waiting to get loose. Same goes for all SA revolvers, just count how many screws are on 1873 style revolvers. When I asked a smith to swap parts (grip frame, hammer and trigger) between Bisley Vaquero and SBH, I specified that all screws to be secured with Loctite.

 

[UncleEd]

Same goes for all SA revolvers, just count how many screws are on 1873 style revolvers.

The Colt 1873 Model P has 14 screws, 15 if you count the later models with two-piece stocks.