Smith and Wesson Service on a 27-2

[makarov]

I have a 27-2, blued - 6 inch barrel. Inherited it, but it has been shot very little. I have shot it twice now, and there seems to be a problem. The cylinder binds up, but on only one of the chambers. As the gun gets dirtier it gets harder and harder to cycle past this one chamber. It is rubbing a shiny spot on the right side of the forcing cone and on a small section of the cylinder. Ejection rod is tight and I can't discern any "wobble" when rotating the cylinder. Any ideas? Could the cylinder have a bump on it or be out of true that way?

I like the gun, and it is reasonably accurate, though I expected better. If I send the gun to S&W would this be covered under warranty, and what do you think they would do to it to correct the problem?

- Makarov

PS - the only other thing I was considering was home smithing it and filing down one side of the forcing cone, thankfully I thought better of it.

 

[yesterdaysyouth]

sounds like junk better sell it to me

have you tried cleaning it, seeing as how it gets worse the dirtier it gets??

 

[Frenchy]

sounds like junk better sell it to me

have you tried cleaning it, seeing as how it gets worse the dirtier it gets??

You might want to stay away from the sugar, yesterdaysyouth!!

 

[Archie]

Mak, check for end play.

That's the distance the cylinder can move fore and aft on the crane spindle. Get a feeler guage and check the cylinder to forcing cone gap with the cylinder pushed forward and then with the cylinder pushed all the way back (you have to hold it fore and aft.)
If it's more than .002", you need to either stretch the crane or shim it up. Shims are available from Brownells and they are a drop in type thing. If you can read a guage, you can do it yourself.

I had the same problem. The revolver is now so smooth as to be banned in Boston. Actually, I think all handguns are banned in Boston.

 

[ruger357]

Had the same problem with my model 28. Sent it to S&W they fixed it (end shake) and reblued the cone and cyl. Have had no problems since. They did it free of charge even though I bought the gun used.

 

[makarov]

Thanks for the replies. Endhshake doesn't seem to be any worse than on the Dan Wesson I was also shooting. It just seems like the cylinder gap is really tight to start with and something is causing the cylinder to wobble and bind on one chamber. I can't visually see it wobble, but as people mentioned we are talking thousandths of an inch here.

I hate to send the gun off, but I think I will make arrangements to send it to S&W. I was looking on their website and it looked like they had sub-contractors doing warranty work. Has anyone sent them anything recently?

 

[Marvin Gardens]

Endshake. This condition does not have to occur to to wear but can be a result of the way the revolver was fitted at the factory. I have a 27-2 that I got for Christmas in about 77 with exactly the same symptoms. Thank Goodness I did not succumb to the first impulse that my 19 year old brain conjured up which was to file off the face of the cylinder at the chamber that seemed to be binding. I ended up setting the gun back and spent the ensuing years blasting away with Super Blackhawks. Years later (with age comes a little wisdom) I took it with me to my first S&W Police Armorer's School. The instuctor looked at it and said "Endshake". We stretched the crane and it now runs like a champ. It is an easy fix.

Best,

Marvin

 

[444]

I have sent any number of guns to the S&W Performance Center including a Model 27 with the same problem you mention. Turn around is very resonable-maybe six weeeks. I don't know what it cost, I got an action job done at the same time.

 

[makarov]

I called S&W and they said put it in a box and ship it to us via UPS next day air or FEDEX. Which would be better,or does it matter? I'm going to ship it this week. I'm glad it sounds like an easy fix.

 

[Al Thompson]

I much prefer to use FEDX. UPS will not get any of my money if I can help it.

 

[ruger357]

I had my local gun shop ship my 28 out for me.