I broke a gun at the range last nite!

[ElToro]

well i didnt really break one, but my 1948 vintage k22 may need a tune up. This gun has seen umpteen thousands of .22 rounds has very little blueingleft and after a good scrubbing, with Federal gold match it will still shoot real tight groups... anyway, im shooting and for the first time ever i get a misfire.. so i go all the way around and it lites off on the next hammer drop... then it does it again, misfire... then i notice the cylinder is spinning freely... well the little block that pops up from the trigger and hold teh cylinder in place is way slow return so its either blocked or gummed up or broken... my first indication someting was wrong was when chunk of lead shaved off and hit my in the forehead. i didnt have any tools and i didnt want to tear it apart at the shooting bench, so i packed it up for the nite...

maybe a return trip to S&W is in order.. a tune up every 55 years or so isnt bad huh ? ( i just came into this gun in the last year myself) i hear horror stories about S&W service should i be worried ?

 

[BluesBear]

The screw in front of the trigger guard on the underside of the frame contains the spring for the cylinder locking bolt.

Has it loosened?

Remove it and inspect the spring. Clean it and replace it and see it this helps. This usually fixes a sluggish bolt without having to remove th sideplate.

 

[Majic]

Detail strip it and thoroughly clean/lube it before sending it in for a tune-up. Consider a new set of springs for it.
Sometimes a good bath will refresh a old girl. Especially one with a unknown past.

 

[ElToro]

i took the crane out 2 or 3 cleanings ago and hosed out that cavity with gun scrubber. never had the sideplate off. how tough is it to replace springs ? i have no serious gunsmithing tools besdies a set of B-Square screwdrivers to not thrash the screw heads

 

[keeperofthehills]

im going to have to agree with Majic

springs all the way, worked wonders on my taurus when she started acting funny

 

[Mike Irwin]

The cylinder bolt not engaging properly indicates either a dead spring (not likely) or serious "encrudulation" from years of shooting detritus.

I'm betting encrudulation.

It's time to pull the side plate and get a good look at what's going on.

How tough is it to replace springs?

Not tough if you've got the books to go by, or if you've done it a few times.

A little tougher if someone is trying to walk you through it.

I suggest an investment in a copy of Khunhausen's book on Smith & Wesson revolvers.

 

[sgt127]

Get a 50 cal ammo can. In it, mix 1 part kerosene, one part WD-40 and half a cup of Marvel Mystery oil. Take the grips off your gun, drop it in there overnight. If you are brave enough to take the sideplate off, all the better. (remember to smack the grip frame with a screwdriver handle, plastic mallet etc. to "jar" the sideplate up and off. Do not pry, don't lose the hammer block) Scrub everything you can, gently, with a toothbrush, rinsing liberally with the solvent. let it drip dry, or, blow it dry if you have compressed air, even a hair dryer will work. Swab out the barrel and chambers. Bet it comes right back to life. The above cleaning mix is the best/cheapest/most convenient I've ever used. About $15.00 if you buy the big cans and lasts for years. The kerosene and WD-40 act as solvent, get rid of all the gunk. The marvel Mystery oil stays on when everything else evaporates. I've used if for years. The gun is clean, oiled and dry.

And, if you decide to send it back to S&W, don't be worried, they have been getting very good marks from others I've talked too. They have always been very good to me. I think they Like to work on the classic old guns. The guys in repair seem to be real "gunsmiths", not just assemblers.

 

[BigG]

I would bet like the others have mentioned that the gun is just dirty. There is an aerosol product called Gun Scrubber that you can blow away years of encrudation without disassembling the gun other than removing the sideplate and of course pulling the cylinder. In addition, 22 rimfire is notoriously dirty stuff, at least to my mind, and some lubricants can become almost like plastic or varnish after years. I've seen mechanisms that could not function that when cleaned worked like new. Good luck and let us know how you solve your problem!

 

[RON in PA]

Will Smith & Wesson even look at the revolver, it's a pre-1957 and I think they don't maintain guns that old.

 

[ElToro]

i was able to get the thing torn apart last nite... its a 5 screw so a i took the side plate off and the screw in front of the trigger guard. that screw holds a spring and pin that pushes the cylinder notch up and keeps it in place.. anyway, that spring and realted area was filthy... douched it out with Gun Scrubber and generally hosed off all the insides of the gun pretty good... getting that sideplate back on is a b!tch ! applied a proper amount of lubricant and thing was locking up tight as could be... yes!

could i have F'd up the timing at all or should it be still dead on ?

thanks
Tim

 

[Mike Irwin]

Please tell me that when you took the sideplate off you didn't PRY it off?

 

[BluesBear]

So I guess my post wayyyy back at the beginning of the thread would have helped after all, huh?