EAA Windicator Cylinder malfunction.

[CZ-75BD]

I have problems with EAA Windicator cylinder not turning loaded with .357, 38 Special is fine and empty is fine too.
Not happened all the time but it is not reliable. What can be the problem and is it possible to fix without gunsmith services?

 

[rcmodel]

My first guess is you have .38 Spl carbon build-up in the chambers preventing the longer .357 Mags from fully seating.
So they are dragging on the recoil shield.

No other possible reason it works empty & with .38 Spl, but not with .357.

Chuck a .40 cal bronze bore brush in a cordless drill and using bore cleaning solvent, clean the crap out of them by spinning the brush and working it back & forth in each chamber.

rc

 

[Jim K]

Could the .357 bullets be moving forward under recoil and sticking out the front of the cylinder? Or could the primers be flattening back due to higher pressure and jamming the cylinder? We need more information and I think you may need to do a bit more analysis yourself to narrow down the problem. One obvious question is whether the ammo is factory or reloads.

Jim

 

[CZ-75BD]

"My first guess is you have .38 Spl carbon build-up in the chambers preventing the longer .357 Mags from fully seating.
So they are dragging on the recoil shield"
First time that happened when gun was brand new. I used factory Magtech bullet.
Second time happened with Fiocchi factory also. It looks like bullet to long to let cylinder turn.

 

[ljnowell]

I can tell you from personal experience(a friend owned one) that they have very short cylinders. Ammo loaded to max oal would stick out the front of the cylinder just a hair and tie up the gun.

 

[CZ-75BD]

That was my impression too

 

[frankiestoys]

I hate to be a downer but My experience with the Windicator was not so good either ,the cylinder bound up on me and the trigger was like a broken ratchet , with less then 100 rounds of 357 down range . Personally I don't think they are built strong enough for 357's . I sent it back to EAA and after 2 weeks they deemed it unrepairable ! The sent me a new one I sold it and never looked back ... This seems to be a common problem with these and if yours can be fixed I would suggest 38's only .As for your issue it very well maybe the larger round catching on the frame

 

[Jim NE]

I can tell you from personal experience(a friend owned one) that they have very short cylinders. Ammo loaded to max oal would stick out the front of the cylinder just a hair and tie up the gun.

I don't know anything about the Windicator, but this is a possibilty. Remember that the very first Ruger SP101's could only use certain bullet types in .357, as the round would be too long for the cylinder to turn otherwise.

The fact that it doesn't happen all the time doesn't exactly fit this explanation, but it could be that the bullet is just barely making clearance, and some of them just don't quite make it as ljnowell said. Very easy thing to check for before going on to more involved explanations.

 

[CZ-75BD]

Next it I'm on a range I will push cylinder lock and spin it around, if it not stops it should mean good to go?

 

[Panzerschwein]

Hmm perhaps sometime is better to save up for the better gun, eh?

I'd sell the Windicator (sounds like a weather radar or something) and save up for something like a Ruger GP100 or S&W 686.