How many rounds does it take for your .357 to stop working?

Status
Not open for further replies.
NoirFan

NoirFan

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
671
I have noticed this problem occurs when I shoot magnum rounds out of my 19-2; after about 60 rounds the trigger starts to "hitch" rather than pull smoothly. When I swing out the cylinder it does not spin freely in the open position. Every time I have to scrub out the entire cylinder hinge and ejector area to make it turn smoothly again.

It seems gunpowder soot or heat expansion of metal parts is causing this. My question is how many rounds does it take for your .357 revolver to gum up like this?
 
My GP-100 has never done that to me and the most 357 rounds I've shot between cleanings was probably 150-200.

Maybe your barrel-cylinder gap is too big and allows too much fowling to get into the moving parts.

What kind of ammo are you shooting? Maybe it's real dirty ammo.
 
How many rounds?

Hi,
I have noticed this on a few revolvers. Typically it has been a loose extractor rod. Check your rod and make sure it is tight.
 
Folks, this is a S&W 19-2! And yes, your barrel to cylinder gap is probably too large allowing fouling to occur. Have someone else fire the gun while you stand just back and to the side of the cylinder--how is the blast? Lots of fire and smoke coming out? If so, take it to a smith to be professionally checked and repaired.
 
Your biggest problem sounds like dirty ammo....and possibly too much gun oil.

I suggest removing the yoke and cylinder assembly from the frame, and then removing the cylinder from the yoke. Clean the outside of the yoke barrel, then reinsert it into the cylinder. Give the cylinder a good spin, then take it off the yoke again. Wipe down the yoke barrel and repeat as many times as necessary to get the thing clean. The two bearing surfaces need a drop of oil for proper lubrication. The ejector rod only needs a drop of oil to function properly. Wipe away any excess--otherwise it will attract and hold fouling which creates more problems.

After doing this, use some different ammo. If the outside of the gun is filthy after a few shots, the insides will be too.
 
+1 what Matt said. I had this happen for a while. I finally cleaned out the threads on the ejector rod, screwed it in nice and tight, and the problem went away. I guess crud/oil got in the threads and it was working just a hair loose.
Good luck and good shooting.
 
I agree.
A 19-2 should never gum up and stop working, no matter how many rounds you put through it.

Follow machinisttx instructions for cleaning the crane & cylinder and try it again. If it still does it, you have a gun problem of some sort.

19-2's shouldn't ever do that.

rcmodel
 
Around about 200 rounds, fired fast enough to make the barrel truly toasty, my Model 66 or 686 will have enough screws working loose to force a break.:evil:

Your problem sounds more like one of fouling and/or timing.

You might try shooting a batch of something jacketed. If the problem persists, search out a gun smith who understands the timing thing.
 
Huh? I have three .357 magnums and none of them have had that problem nor have I had no stoppages of any kind from any of them. And that includes a mod 19 with thousands of rounds through it and all were magnum rounds.
 
I've shot about 100 rounds through a 28-2 once and the brass was binding in the cylinder. It took some pulling on them to get them out of there. I figured it was because of poor maintenance, (not my gun) and heating/expanding metal.
 
Thanks all for the replies.

Hmm, I take it that this is supposed to be abnormal for a .357 revolver. I should clarify that the gun does not stop working, but the trigger gets heavier, grittier and more uneven as I approach the 60-round mark with magnums.

The problem is, I cannot take the yoke and cylinder assembly completely out of the frame. I used to be able to, but ever since I sent the gun to S&W for some work the screw holding the yoke in the frame will not loosen. I think they may have glued it in. Same with the sideplate screws.

I don't think it's the ejector rod either because the cylinder does not spin freely in the open position.

My usual fix is to open the cylinder and scrub cylinder face, hinge joint, and ejector rod top/bottom with Hoppes #9. After doing this the cylinder again spins freely in open and closed positions. I don't know if this is because of the actual cleaning or if it's because the cleaning gives the gun time to cool down.

I am shooting Magtech 158 grain SJSP magnum rounds. Do these have a reputation for firing dirty?

Thanks,
 
Earlier 19s actually had something of a reputation for binding when hot. This was addressed with the dash 4, I think it was, when they moved the gas ring from the yoke to the front of the cylinder.

In the OPs shoes I would put the gun down for a while and then come back to it after it cools. If it goes back to work, then you've discovered the problem.

<edit> S&W is in the habit of Loc-Titeing the yoke screw. It usually takes a properly fitting screwdriver -- expect to make this yourself -- and a good deal of torque.
 
My 19's, 65's and 66's quite often bind when shooting multiple hot loads. They were designed to carry .357's for duty and use .38's for practice. Be careful shooting a lot of hot loads, you will eventually get some severe flame cutting on the top strap and the cylinder gap will mysteriously grow.
DAMHIK :banghead: I can get about 3 cylinders of CorBon's out of the 65 before it needs a nap.
Go buy a Ruger or a 686 if you want to play with the heavy loads in practice.
 
I was given a NIB Ruger Security Six when I was 18 and I shot it with the enthusiasm only an 18 year old with and almost endless supply of .357 ammo could enjoy. Several times the revolver looked like it had been sand blasted and lightly burnt from the cylinder forward. Not once did it ever stop working or even have the slightest hiccup.

I'll be 37 at the end of this month and to date the Ruger has never failed in any way.

M'bogo
 
20,000 round count without a hiccup...mostly in club competitions.

But then it was a Ruger Security Six....:eek:

Giz

P.S. Maybe Clark Custom had something to do with it:evil:
 
When I swing out the cylinder it does not spin freely in the open position
Click to expand...

There's a substantive clue. Next time you're out and this happens, only clean the interface between the cylinder and crane. See if that solves your problem. If so, then there's possibly no issue with the lockwork, extractor or barrel-cylinder gap as others have suggested. The next step at that point would be to determine how much endshake you have. There could be sufficient room to collect fouling between the cylinder and crane. This is an issue that can be addressed by shims or replacing the crane and/or cylinder.
 
The problem is, I cannot take the yoke and cylinder assembly completely out of the frame. I used to be able to, but ever since I sent the gun to S&W for some work the screw holding the yoke in the frame will not loosen. I think they may have glued it in. Same with the sideplate screws.
Click to expand...

Assuming you are using gunsmith screwdriver, if you can get the screws out, they probably did locktite them in. A little heat will take care of the adhesive. I like to use a soldering gun to heat the screws rather than a torch.

If you want to glue them in, use low strength lockite, also sold as guntite.
 
It's blue Loctite that I have seen lately. Shouldn't require heat, but does require a properly fitted driver.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Ej3
  • Locked
GP100 - Hard Trigger Pull - Hitching/Binding Issue
Replies
8
Views
2K
Cienega27
C
D
  • Locked
How freely should S&W cylinder spin?
Replies
16
Views
5K
CMcDermott
C
F
  • Locked
How clean are your cylinders?
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
EnsignJimmy
E
S
  • Locked
How many .38 spl is OK before .357 mag w/o cleaning?
Replies
21
Views
4K
theicemanmpls
T
T
  • Locked
Why does my .357 always turn my left thumb black?
Replies
7
Views
729
happy old sailor
H
Back
Top