First Part that broke in your Revolver

[valor1]

For revolver owners, I'm just making a sort of survey. In your revolver, what's the first part that broke down after using it for x number of rounds. Thanks.

 

[Blueduck]

I've had several issues with timing, wear as in end shake, latereal play. Also had bent ejector rods, bbl/cylider gap problems.

But honestly in 20+ years only part I ever had "break" was the firing pin of a 640 at less than 100 rounds. Figured just bad luck on my part, have never heard of anyone else with this problem.

 

[Ala Dan]

Timing in Smith & Wesson models 15 & 19; the 19
was NIB during the Bangor Punta years, and the
"hand" would not function as it was suppose to!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[larryw]

I shoot Rugers: decapping pin in reloading press.

(Dillon press, they replace it for free)

 

[PlayTheAces]

Hmmmm. Thinking back over the last thirty years, I can only recall doing one repair on a wheel gun. That was on a little Freedom Arms .22lr that was broken when I got it. After a new firing pin and cylinder rod, all was well.

Can't recall any other repairs, and I own Colts, S&Ws, Rugers, an NA, and a few other oddballs. I've had very good luck.

 

[Nick96]

I don't recall anything on a revolver that ever broke or wore to the point that it would not shoot - any big, little, cheap or expensive revolver. Heard stories of such things, just never actually witnessed it first hand.

Don't have any first hand recollection of anything ever breaking on any auto either. However, I did have a couple that did odd things with no apparent reason (drop the magazine during firing, go from SA to DA mode in the middle of a magazine - and of course the occassional FTF / FTE jam).

Not to start any Auto vs. Revo debate here - but if I had no prior experience with the particular guns - and if they were sitting side by side and of similar caliber - I'd be more comfortable grabbing most any reasonably decent looking but obviously used looking revolver over a high dollar NIB looking Auto in an emergency.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I've broken lots of primers!

All my revolvers are Rugers, nothing broke or wore out yet.

 

[Josey]

I break them all! Rugers, Kel-Tecs, Lorcins, Heritages, High Standards, S&W, H&R, Sauers and I even have a busted Colt laying around here. There are many parts to break and I have.

 

[one45auto]

Knock on wood, I haven't broken anything yet and all my guns are still in excellent condition. One or two needed a little TLC/home gunsmithing after I bought them, but that's to be expected.

 

[Majic]

I had a Blackhawk that sheared the screw to the ejector rod housing and launched everything into the deep grass. Also a S&W that broke the hammer mounted firing pin. The DA strut (sear) spring on my old PPS broke once also.
I haven't broken any major component yet.

 

[stans]

I have yet to break a revolver. I don't recall breaking a semi-auto either.

 

[S&W44]

I've been broke from buying ammo,but that's about it.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Bolt return spring or maybe it was the bolt itself, I sort of forget. I only had one part ever break on a revolver (my diamondback I have been shooting for over 25 years now) that you would think I would remember. It is one of those things that just wore out and broke. I guess I should look it up in my records.

 

[Stainz]

My 625, new 9/02 and shot a bunch, has jammed several times due to unseatted or burst primers, skipped timing due to my low power aftermarket trigger spring taking on a short set too quickly (OEM springs work great!) during steel plate competition, had the cylinder & yoke land in my hand, during competition of course, twice because the sideplate screw backed out (... needed Loctite!), and - finally - became stiff on one cylinder bore after a few rounds - the b/c gap had deteriorated to .0015" maximum (S&W limits: .004-.010"). It is back in Teddy-land now for that - a first for me with S&W! Keep in mid, this revolver saw a lot of use in it's short life thus far... probably 8k-10k+ rounds - many while under a timer.

My other S&W's have all been perfect. My Rugers were also - except for the recently acquired new 5.5" SS .45 Colt Redhawk - it went back to NH a few days after I bought it new, although they returned it in unreal condition - great work, Ruger! I can thus far state that none of my revolvers have 'failed' due to a part breakage.

oops... my new SRH .454 - years ago - my first-ever DA revolver - had a defective rear sight windage screw - no detents. It made each shot 'adjust itself', aim-wise. Yeah, they mailed me a screw... but the 2x28mm scope really 'fixed' that problem.

Sorry my experience with revolvers has been so good!

Stainz

PS I, and a friend who bought one a year after I did, had the large primer seatting pin break in my Dillon 550B at ~50 rounds. I had a spare (Maintenance Kit) and they replaced the broken part. Great product/company.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

My sp101 tried to unscrew the barrel near the 15,000 round mark.

Kinda wierd: I looked at the sight picture for the 3rd shot in the cylinder, and it just wouldn't line up right. Found the twisted barrel. Shot a few more (carefully). The barrel didn't move any further, and I was still hitting POA.

Sent it back to ruger, they fixed it for free. I'm now approaching the 60,000 round mark without further problems.

 

[Lone Star]

I have owned many revolvers. Colts wore out the cylinder timing. The Webley Mk. VI (I had two and friends owned others) broke the firing pin, the stirrup lock spring, and the mainspring. We all had these parts break.

Before someone says: well, sure, but those Webleys were over 60 years old. But we also had contemporary Colts and S&W's. (M1917's and S&W Hand Ejector Mk. II). All that went wrong on those was cylinder timing. I presume that American guns just had better steels and/or heat treating. The "solid" Webley firing pin was probably also a bad idea. It's part of the hammer. US guns have floating firing pins pinned to the hammers.

Lone Star

 

[RON in PA]

Last year I bought a 20 year old Smith model 18 that had never been fired, after about 50 rounds the cylinder didn't lock-up properly. The dealer sent it out to a gunsmith who replaced the locking bolt. Essentially a new factory part broke, but that is the only revolver part that has ever broken in approximately 35 years of revolver shooting with at least 40 revolvers.

 

[ClarkK]

Hammer stud on S&W M-65, trigger stud on M-29. Each time, service was first rate.

 

[Hutch]

The next one will be the first one.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Bolt on Colt Official Police. Was tweaking it and it snapped. Entirely my fault.

 

[Chuck Dye]

My Armi San Paolo replica 1858 Remington New Army was stolen in a burglary. Upon its recovery, the trigger/cylinder stop spring was broken. Don’t know if it was the part that broke or the burglar or fence who broke it.

Had a failure, not breakage, of unknown duration in my Ruger Redhawk which I described in another thread.

 

[valor1]

From your replies, I guess most good revolvers in production are good right out of the box. No need to tweaks. If it ain't don't fix it, just buy another one.

 

[Blueduck]

I think if you start a topic listed as "Have you ever had problems with a revolver after fiddling with it to make it better?" thread, you'll likely see how right you are

Seriously I do fiddle a bit with mine (chamfer chambers, occasional rebound spring change etc..). 19 out of 20 changes I've tried though have not really been worth messing with in the long run IMHO

 

[BluesBear]

Firing pin on a Colt SAA Sherrifs Model after 10 rounds.