Model 57 out of time

[Hawk]

By that I mean "can be easily brought to full cock with the cylinder several degrees from where it should be. All six chambers, some more easily than others." It does not require extraordinary slowness in cocking nor does one need to hold one's mouth just right.

I'm guessing this isn't good on a gun that appears not to have much of a turn line but has an uncertain ancestry.

I'm not having a great deal of luck with local 'smiths. I'm not educated enough to be able to tell for sure but it's plausible one tortured a Python to death (I know it was worse after he worked on it) and another seems to introduce new problems at a rate equal to the removal of old problems.

Anyhow, how difficult is it to do the work oneself? I gather it's a matter of installing a thicker hand - correct? I'm armed with a Kuhnhausen manual, a Jerry Miculek DVD on an unrelated topic (trigger job - but it makes a nice disassembly reference), a bag of Brownell's S&W screwdriver bits, a box of cup-tipped punches which thankfully appear not to be needed for the enterprise at hand and a dollop of patience.

Alternatively, does anyone know of a fer-sure S&W mechanic in the DFW area? I hate the ordeal of sending stuff out of state.

 

[Brian Williams]

For this I would use S&W. Try calling them first and see if it covered under warranty.
It probably just needs a new hand.

 

[Leanwolf]

If it were mine, I'd send it back to S&W for repair.

L.W.

 

[dewidmt]

Did my own 57 when it started to go out of time. Replaced the hand and the cylinder stop both and cured the problem. I used the Kuhnausen manual as a reference.

 

[Blueduck]

I'm not 100% sure on your question. Are you saying as you bring the gun to full cock it's cylinder locks, BUT chambers forcing cone not aligned (range rod, or lead spitting to let you know?) if so that is of course a timing issue.

If on the other hand your saying that the gun is not locking up at all prior to the hammer dropping in a slow double action mode (commonly described as "failure to carry up") and has to be rotated by hand to the correct position?

Just clarifying really, sorry don't know anybody in DFW, and there are so many hacks out there, I'd suggest you suck it up and call S/W unless you get some reaql good personal reccomendations. Expect a wait, they have had my 4" 586 for a timing issue for over three weeks and no contact whatsoever yet. Then again many top notch prvate gunsmiths have wait list measured in months or even years.

 

[Hawk]

It's the second scenario - the cylinder is a hair short of lock-up when cocked. I can lower the hammer from this position and it's still short of lock-up. I presume the bullet hitting the forcing cone would force it into alignment but that seems a sorry method to employ on a routine basis.

It's behavior not shared by any other revolver in my limited accumlation, specifically to include a 57-3.

I'd prefer not sending the thing out of state. It was purchased used sight unseen and is an older version ("no dash", P&R). S&W wouldn't be inclined to pay the freight and I wouldn't have the heuvos to ask them anyway - especially given that I can't be certain local 'smith number 2 didn't cause the problem. It's possible I only noticed it after he worked on it but that's not the way my life has been going.

I keep reading that revolvers have "simplicity" as a virtue over semi-autos; perhaps it's time that was put to the test if I can't find a new local guy to take a swat at it.