Rescued a Neglected Smith!

[.950jdj]

So a co-worker has had what she said was an "old gun" sitting in her closet for the last few years. I said I would identify it if she wanted. The next day she sent me a picture of a K-frame Smith and Wesson I was able to identify as a model 15-2 mfg 1965. It had rust on the handle around the grips from an accidental spill which she tried to clean off with water a long time ago. It had a good amount of lost finish as well. I said that if it was for sale I would like to inspect it and make an offer if it is mechanically sound. She happily obliged and brought it over to my house where I began to inspect it. Now, I am relatively new to firearms being only 23 I haven't had any experience "appraising" a firearm so this was a shot in the dark. I only have 1 revolver, a Ruger LCR, which is a far cry from this classic beauty. But, I decided to do my best, I checked the cylinder and barrel, both appeared to have no internal rust and the barrel had excellent rifling, no turn ring on the cylinder either. I checked the cylinder for any shake or movement, none. I checked the cylinder gap which seemed to be around .001 as only my smallest feeler gauge would fit (is that too tight)? I firmly grabbed and wiggled the hammer in single action and it did not release. It appeared to be in working order, just a bit rough on the finish side. What I could tell from just this inspection was that I loved it! Everything felt so tight and the trigger was a dream. I had to have it. I offered her $180 and we were both happy. I spend the next 2 hours cleaning it up and inspecting it further. I even opened the side plate to make sure nothing was rusting internally. Everything seemed fine there.

Now, sorry to bore some of you with the details but let me get to the reason for this post. As stated before I am a newbie with revolvers, especially Smiths and classic revolvers. So please enlighten me on a few things.

(I HAVE NOT SHOT THIS YET)

1. What should I watch out for on this model?

2. I understand this is a classic and parts are hard to find, but I want to shoot this! Can I expect a long life from this piece if used with mild loads?

3. Sometimes when I try to pull the hammer back the cylinder seems to bind up, its only 1 in 50 or so pulls and it corrects itself when I spin the cylinder clockwise into position. (UPDATE: It was the snap caps... :/)

Comments are appreciated!

 

[rcmodel]

.001" gap is way too tight.

If you correctly measured it?
It may or may not correct itself when you take it out and shoot the crap out of it.

There is nothing to 'watch out for' on any S&W made in 1965.

It will take a licking & keep on ticking long after you will.

And light loads are not necessary either.
The 15-2 is a strong modern gun and will handle any modern .38 Special ammo anyone sells today.

Just put a couple hundred rounds through it and see if the cylinder drag corrects itself when all the old dried grease gets loosened up from use.

BTW: I hope you cuddled & whispered sweet nothings in her ear when you got done.
You really had your way with her on the price!
I'd go back and give her another $100 bill!

And you would still have had your way with her at $280.
Do the right thing!

rc

 

[.950jdj]

I wish I would have taken a before picture, to be fair it looked really rough. But some elbow grease seems to take all the surface rust and grime off and it looks better than I could have imagined it capable of.
I might have an addiction now for these... I love the feel of this piece!

 

[788Ham]

I first have a couple of questions. When you decided to pull the said plate off, how did you accomplish that maneuver? Did you get the correct screws back into their "own" holes in the frame? You didn't pry that side plate off did you? The reasons for asking these questions, being a novice, "Being relatively new to firearms", this why I'm asking. If not properly removed, that side plate can be sprung, sometimes badly. Each of those screws you removed, have a specific place in the scheme of things, each one to its own hole, they can't be put back in whilly=nilly ! I'm not jumping in the middle of you, some folks with more knowledge have done it also, but theres nothing under that side plate that you can adjust, or fix anyway. That is probably why the trigger feels like its binding, the side plate isn't fitted back like it belongs. My suggestion, take it to a competent gunsmith, have him put it back together right, then throw your screwdrivers away, you don't need in there anyway !

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, that too 788Ham!

rc

 

[.950jdj]

I tipped the gun upside down after noting where each screw went to remove the plate. The more I dry fire it the less the binding happens. I hope in my ignorance I didn't mess anything up.

 

[hAkron]

It's only 3 screws, you have a 1 in 3 chance of getting the first one right, then a 50% chance on the 2nd one. Back out the screw just below the cylinder a quarter turn and see if things smooth up, if they do, you have the screws in the incorrect spots. Smiths are pretty easy to disassemble/reassemble once you have done it a time or two. It's a useful skill to know as they will often have dried up lubricant gumming up the works from over zealous cleaning sessions from past owners.

http://ohioccwforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=59772

 

[rcmodel]

I tipped the gun upside down after noting where each screw went to remove the plate.

But how did you get the side-plate to come out of the frame is the only important question?

Tipping the gun upside down will in no way facilitate removing the tightly fitted side-plate from its tightly fitted recess in the frame.
Especially when it's glued in with almost 50 years of dried oil, grease & dirt!

Did you pry it out of the frame with a screwdriver, or what?

Rc

 

[.950jdj]

Slightly with a plastic pen lid, dunno if pry is the best word since I just bumped it a little along the edges under the grip panel until it started to move then tipping it did it.

 

[.950jdj]

I FIGURED IT OUT! The snap caps aren't super snug fitting, so when the gun was pointed up they would come out a little bit and hang up somewhere on the breech face. As soon as I pointed the gun down the snap caps moved a little bit and the cylinder would spin freely. I am an idiot.

 

[il.bill]

... I am an idiot.

No, you are not an idiot. You are, however, one fortunate dude!

Run a patch through the barrel and the chambers to be certain they are clean and take it out and shoot it. Since you say, "I offered her $180 and we were both happy" it is, by definition, a 'good deal'.

It is also, basically a 'steal', one of those firearm purchases which many of us go a lifetime without ever coming across one. This S&W Model 15-2 will be a handgun to pass on to your son or daughter some day.

After you get to shoot your revolver, it might be a good idea to treat your co-worker and her significant other to dinner to show some appreciation for giving you the chance to help her get rid of that 'old gun' that was sitting in her closet.

 

[Kernel]

At the top of the Revolver page is a sticky called, "S&W model 10 assembly, inspection, select repairs and reassembly - discussion". Every thing you need to know, with pictures. Your M15 is identical accept it has adjustable sights.

Don't worry about parts. 1.) The design is very robust, not much can break. K-frames were designed for service issue and passed more than a few 10,000 round torture tests. 2.) If something should ever need replacement, parts are plentiful, and will be for a long, long time. K-frames were near universal issue with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies for 50 years. Millions were made.

Model 15's like yours, or worse, sell on Gun Broker every day for $350 and more, plus shipping, and FFL fees.

 

[skidder]

I only have 1 revolver, a Ruger LCR, which is a far cry from this classic beauty.

Yes, you did good!
My first revolver was a 15. Like others have stated they are very strong and it should serve you well. The addiction you are feeling is the sensation of well crafted chunk of Pittsburgh steel being united with the palm and fingers of your hand. The steel glove of a well crafted k-frame is not something that is easily dismissed. You have just been granted a reprieve from a plastic life of unhappiness.

Enjoy and let us know how she shoots!!

 

[Hometeached1]

Well I would not say rescue so much as stole (you got a very good deal I would have been happy to add $200) at least you both are happy about the deal. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[Wishoot]

Pretty much ANY S&W revolver below $300 is a steal.

Congratulation.

 

[boricua9mm]

I'm not jumping in the middle of you, some folks with more knowledge have done it also, but theres nothing under that side plate that you can adjust, or fix anyway.

Really? Plenty of folks pull the guts and polish them for a smoother action. Smith made a lot of revolvers with less than smooth rebound slides and I know that there are lots of people who pull them, stone them, polish them up and reinstall for a smoother trigger pull. Me, personally, if I am not happy with the DA trigger pulls, I pull the plate, take a look inside, and if nothing else, replace the rebound spring with a lighter one. I wind up with much better trigger pull and a trigger reset that I cannot outrun, so it is a win-win situation.

Maybe your comment was more of one about novices not touching the insides. On that I would agree.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Next time you want to remove the side plate from a S&W, first remove the grips. Then remove all the side plate screws, noting where they went. Grasp the gun in one hand with the side plate up and strike the grip frame with a wooden object. The handle end of a hammer works fine, do not use the metal end. Strike the grip frame a few sharp blows. The side plate will start to rise up from inertia. Keep your thumb on the side plate to keep it from falling onto the floor. After a few blows the side plate will pop loose. Never pry it out, always use this method.

With Magna grips like that, the screw under the grips will probably have a flat head so the grips will sit flat. The screw all the way forward is what retains the cylinder crane. They used to be fitted, but sometimes they have been substituted over time. When replacing that screw, be sure the crane does not bind.

I take old Smiths apart all the time. Often times with a really old one (much earlier than 1965) there will be hardened old oil inside. Dissolving that old oil and relubing can often make the gun work smoother. Sometimes I do a little bit of polishing too.

1965 is hardly an old Smith. There are plenty of parts available for them. But really, if the gun has not been misused it should last a lifetime.

 

[Lucky Derby]

Congrats. You did good. Take the lady to dinner. You owe her that.
All my advise on the gun itself has already been stated by others.
I will add that I lost my M15-2. I made the mistake of letting my wife shoot it. It then became her M15-2.

 

[Fremmer]

Congrats on the new revolver.

You didn't "steal" the gun, and you don't owe your co worker any more money. Because a pawn shop or retail store like Gander mountain would have pointed out all the rust and offered her $50 for it. So I think your price point is fine.

 

[stressed]

Sounds like a great deal. Let us know how it shoots. Best deal I have ever got was a WWII Luger for $800, that is worth north of 2K.

 

[jad0110]

Old S&Ws are addictive, particularly the K Frames. They just balance so nicely in the hand. The gun just seems to fall on target instinctively, the sights are really only needed for precise aiming, at least in my hands. I own a few K Frames, including a 2" 15-2 and a 4" 15-3.

 

[Hardtarget]

Good looking revolver! GREAT price!. Now...get ready for sticker shock when you pick up the next one!

Those deals are scarce.

Mark

 

[Deltaboy1984]

You got the current deal of the year.

 

[PJSprog]

You got the current deal of the year.

Yep, and I thought my M64 for $250 was a great deal (and it was). Congrats, .950jdj!

 

[.950jdj]

Put 250 rounds through it today. Shoots like a dream! POI is spot on with 158 grain after a little adjustment and a bit low with 125 grain. I found myself having a blast shooting one handed, my hand loves the K-frame.