cylinder notch peening

[stonebuster]

I just noticed all the cylinder notches have peening over on a DOC model 10-10 I bought yesterday. Maybe the previous guy rapid fired it or it was used more than the average LE trade in. It shot well through the 50 rounds I put it through yesterday. How much of an issue is this likely to be?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Eventually, your revolver will go out of time. If you insist on fast double action shooting, it will be sooner rather than later. On the other hand, with moderate use and mostly single action, it should last a lifetime.

 

[Dave T]

...with moderate use and mostly single action, it should last a lifetime.

I would not think that kind of use would be appropriate for an all steel police trade in model 10. Its purpose in life was to be a defensive weapon and that means rapid DA shooting.

To the OP: shoot it, repair as needed, and shoot it some more. A visit to a gun smith who knows S&Ws might yield a bit better timing and slow down the wear but these are tools and when used they show wear. In the meantime, enjoy it for what it was intended to do. (smiley face goes here)

Dave

PS: The above comments are because I started my LEO career carrying a M 28-2 (Highway Patrolman). Once out of the academy it never fired another 38 Special. I practiced fast DA shooting with full power 357 Mag reloads and did that weekly, to the end of my probationary year. By then the 28 was out of time, indexing poorly and suffered from considerable end-shake. All problems that could have been fixed by a competent gun smith. The only reason I didn't get it fixed was because the month I got off probation the department authorized carry of semi automatics. I traded the S&W for a MKIV Series 70 Government Model and carried 45 ACP Colts for the rest of my LEO career.

 

[edwardware]

Here's a plug for some research: buy a copy of Kuhnhausen's S&W shop manual. By the time you're done, you'll understand that machine. You might even take the plunge and re-time it yourself.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I would not think that kind of use would be appropriate for an all steel police trade in model 10. Its purpose in life was to be a defensive weapon and that means rapid DA shooting.

To the OP: shoot it, repair as needed, and shoot it some more. A visit to a gun smith who knows S&Ws might yield a bit better timing and slow down the wear but these are tools and when used they show wear. In the meantime, enjoy it for what it was intended to do. (smiley face goes here)

I think you repeated what I just said. Shoot it hard and fast, and it will go out of time. Baby it and it will go forever.

 

[stonebuster]

Thanks for the opinions which were pretty much what I expected to hear. It's not a looker but it's a sweet shooter so I'll keep shooting it and have a smith look at it eventually.

 

[Waveski]

A couple months back I took a flyer on a attractively priced mid 50's M&P which exhibited peening just like yours. The grips were really nice , so I bit. Upon range resulted in occasional indexing problems and slight lead spitting. Fortunately for me , the seller was willing to provide full refund.

I know that is a very small sampling , but there you have it.

 

[cheygriz]

My Ruger Security Six was my duty weapon for several years. All practice was rapid DA.

In about 50-60 thousand rounds, it was sent back to Ruger to be re-built twice.

It's a tool. tools wear. Use it, and when appropriate, repair or replace it.

 

[Mizar]

That peening can be corrected to a somewhat better degree - take a small (and I do mean small - like a jeweler's size one) hammer and carefully peen back the edges while holding the cylinder in your hand. Light strikes, nothing extreme - it doesn't take much to screw it up. Do not expect wonders, but it will definitely make the situation better. After that check the bolt for peening, check timing and cylinder indexing and proceed accordingly.

 

[thomas15]

Shoot the wheel off of it then get another.

 

[Drail]

I would add use a fairly light hammer and a large flat tipped punch and slowly "move" the metal back into the notch. Take your time. If you go too fast and hard you will "move" metal back into the notch too much and the bolt will no longer drop into it. I used to take an old locking bolt and tape it to the cylinder so that the bolt would act as a stop filling the notch so you could not over peen it. Having the cylinder firmly held in a large vise will make it easier and require less energy to move the metal than holding it in your hand. This damage is caused by rapidly cycling the cylinder (usually with a large frame gun that has a heavy cylinder) and when the bolt snaps in and suddenly stops the rotating mass of the cylinder - peening will occur in the notch. I know this from experience because I used to do it a lot when dry firing S&W revolvers. Young and dumb I was. Slow down in DA unless something nasty is about to eat you for breakfast.

 

[GooseGestapo]

What mizar said.
I’ve shot PPC for 30yrs. I’ve got a Mod10 that was customized by Travis Strahan of Ringold, Ga circa 1970’s. He’s been dead for 20+ yrs. I bought the gun from a Pawn shop where the widow of the officer who owned it sold it after his death.

It’s got perhaps 1,000,000 rounds through it. I’ve put perhaps 250,000 through it. It’s been my “loaner” gun, for new shooters, and off season “dry fire” gun.
I’ve rebarreled it twice, and it needs another. Needless to say, it’s slick as snot...

I peened the cylinder lock notches when I got it in ‘89. In 1995, I won the master class with it at the Nationals, and won a new Mod 10-6. I had the 10-6 built and have shot it since. About 15yrs ago, I fitted a new barrel, hand, bolt, and lightly peened the cylinder to tighten it back up. Later that season, I won the regional at South Carolina with a 1493. That barrel is about done, so I plan to send it and a BarSto barrel blank I won in ‘04 to David Sams for him to machine and fit the new barrel.

Your Mod-10 is still just a “babe in the woods”. It still has decades of use left in it! Just don’t do what the prison guard did, “dry-fire” it as fast as you can, as long as you can. (How do I know? I’ve seen it done! Many times) .
Dry firing them doesn’t hurt them. Only makes them (and you) better. But only if done deliberately. Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap.
Not tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttap.
Just ask Jerry Mickelet.

 

[stonebuster]

That's just what I wanted to hear, Goose. I bought another NY DC trade in(10-14) this week. I already shoot both of them better than any other guns I have including my two GP-100s. If what you say is true about decades of use left in them, my grandson will have to take up where I left off.

 

[JONWILL]

That peening can be corrected to a somewhat better degree - take a small (and I do mean small - like a jeweler's size one) hammer and carefully peen back the edges while holding the cylinder in your hand. Light strikes, nothing extreme - it doesn't take much to screw it up. Do not expect wonders, but it will definitely make the situation better. After that check the bolt for peening, check timing and cylinder indexing and proceed accordingly.

Exactly what I was going to post

You can set it on a block of wood also and peen the edges down.

Use a brass hammer or get a wide head brass punch for the contact area.

 

[Drail]

Holding the cylinder in your hand, placing it on a block of wood (depending on what kind of wood) or hitting it with a brass hammer is really not the best way to do this. The cylinder needs to be fixed solidly enough to not move, you need to hit it with enough mass and force (but not too much) and with something as hard as the metal you are trying to "move". Using a punch allows you to place the blow only where it needs to be placed. And Jerry's name is "Miculek".

 

[JONWILL]

Holding the cylinder in your hand, placing it on a block of wood (depending on what kind of wood) or hitting it with a brass hammer is really not the best way to do this. The cylinder needs to be fixed solidly enough to not move, you need to hit it with enough mass and force (but not too much) and with something as hard as the metal you are trying to "move". Using a punch allows you to place the blow only where it needs to be placed. And Jerry's name is "Miculek".

Disagree. For that small area a brass hammer will easily move the steel back in place. Plus the brass won’t damage the finish like a steel punch might