I strongly suggest that if you are going to open up the revolver and work on it you do two things first.
1. Buy a copy of Jerry Kuhnhausen's "The S&W Revolver - A Shop Manual" (Available from
www.gunbooks.com) or (
www.brownells.com) and read it.
2. Go to Brownells (mentioned above) and by a set of screwdrivers with blades or bits specifically ground to fit the screws in your gun.
To remove the sideplate:
1. Unscrew the grip screw and take off the grips. If they are tight, thread the grip screw back into the grip on one side - going in from the outside, and use it as a little pry-bar to wiggle the grip off. Then reach through the frame to tap put the other panel.
2. Remove the three sideplate screws.
3. Swing out the cylinder and move it and the yoke forward and off of the gun. Be careful to not drop anything.
4. While holding the frame in your hand with the sideplate (right) side up. tap on the side of the exposed grip-frame with a piece of wood, such as a hammer HANDLE - not the head. The vibration will lift the sideplate and it will come off. DO NOT TRY TO PRY IT OFF!
Be careful to not lose either the hammer block or the pin that holds in the firing pin. They can both fall out once the sideplate is lifted.
You do not have to remove the sideplate to lubricate the action. Simply cock the hammer and put 2 or 3 drops (no more) of oil or CLP in front of the hammer inside the frame. Then cock and release the hammer several times to spread the lubricant. If you have removed the grips put a drop of oil around the back of the rebound slide and double action the trigger 2 or 3 times. Don't do this if the sideplate is off or you will loose something for sure.
