Thinking of removing your side-plate? Don't!

[Texan Scott]

OP, if you cross-ref a thread "Bobbing a Taurus 605" you'll find that I had a virtually identical issue 9 days ago... with the EXACT SAME SPRING.

I take all my guns apart, though... I fancy myself good with tools, and I'm brave (or foolish) enough to attempt just about anything once. It's a great way to gain experience. It' how I know, for instance that raw squid is WAY better than raw eel...

+1 to RCMODEL for the clear plastic bag idea... I used a gallon ziplock bag to avoid a potentially soul-crushing repeat of my previous failure. I worked b-e-a-utifully, THANK YOU!

 

[Hondo 60]

I followed the directions for changing out the trigger on another popular semi-auto firearm.

Their ingenious idea was to put the gun in a gallon-sized baggie when taking it apart.
That way if parts fly, they stay in the bag.
I'll probably use that idea on other gun surgeries.

 

[Ash]

"I once lost an ejector, along with a ball detent and spring the size of a grain of rice in a gravel parking area. "

Sleazy, I did a similar thing with a scope screw from a Soviet PU Sniper in gravel at my private shooting range - it came off during firing (was loosened to dial in the scope) and I didn't notice until I got home. I felt like the parable of the woman with the silver talents, searching and searching (with a speaker magnet on a string) until I heard that magic click of the screw hitting the magnet.

 

[webfox]

Springs give you religious moments... have them in rooms without clutter. Springs hide after they escape.

A "religious moment" is where you cry out "JESUS!" or worse.

 

[PabloJ]

There is nothing wrong with removing frame plate on S&W revolver. The title should have been don't remove the plate if you have "two left hands".

 

[Certaindeaf]

That's why I carry a churchkey in my pocket. JK.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I had to do a CSI-style search of my kichen floor, down on hands and knees with a maglite sweeping the floor, after losing a tiny coil spring disassembling my revolver. Lesson learned the hard way. Long remembered.

 

[Ash]

I spent 20 minutes getting the side plate back on my Colt Trooper III in 357, and then like a fool spent another 20 minutes trying to do the same on my Trooper 22lr. The Colt side plates are really precise in their fit.

My S&W wasn't so bad, once I learned the trick. Before the trick? Impossible.

 

[zoom6zoom]

The make awful big clear garbage bags, if you just gotta have one that big.

Or visit your dry cleaner. You get one free with every suit!

The internals aren't scary if you learn how to work on them and take your time. I've done my own action smoothing on most of my Smiths. Most recently it was opening up the 642 to neuter the internal lock and plug the hole.

Whatever you do, never pry on the sideplate, that's what creates that distinctive bump on the edge you see so often. As said, a good rap on the grip frame with a mallet will pop it loose.

For ease of access, you can't beat my 1882 Swiss Ordnance Revolver. Remove one screw, and the entire sideplate swings open on a hinge!

 

[BADUNAME37]

When I noticed the screws on my side plate were not real tight, I carefully removed one at a time and put a bit of Loctite on each one then really tightened them.

I don't have to worry about those coming loose.

 

[orionengnr]

A clear plastic bag you can see through and work in is even better.

Yep, a one gallon zip lock bag is your friend.

First, never remove the sideplate without taking the tension off the mainspring (hammer spring). With the sideplate off, the hammer and trigger studs are unsupported on one side and can loosen or even break.

More good advice from One Who Knows. (Jim K, not me)

Just to be clear, we are talking about the sideplate here, and not the underwear, right?

My respect for rcmodel notwithstanding...let's not get into his underwear...literally or figuratively.

Okay...deep breath...reset. Get serious.

My first side plate removal was somewhat tentative, but successful. Since that one, i have performed several others, all successfully. I do not proclaim myself an S&W surgeon, but will do it again without too much compunction.

I do believe that relieving the main spring tension is a critical element to avoid what I call the "Boiiinnng Factor", first introduced to me at an early age (and fully intentionally, I'm quite certain) by my grandfather, who one rainy day pulled out a box full of old pocket watches, and had a seven year old me disassemble it. When we reached the "Boiiinnng Moment", I learned a Life Lesson that day.

As someone who has spent most of his 55 years taking mechanical things apart and putting them back together (usually) correctly, both as a vocatiion and as an avocation, I have come to appreciate the wisdom of my grandfather...he could impart an indelible Life Lesson without ever saying a word.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I use the Ed's Red mixture and let is set over night and it does a great job on cleaning.

I take mine out and blast it clean with non corinated Brake or carb cleaner then I lube lightly with CLP.

I don't take a revolver down any further than removing the grips and removing the cylinder.

 

[Ash]

On many revolvers, you can't remove the cylinder without removing the side plate. In fact, on both my Colt and S&W, the side plate comes off before the cylinder.

 

[Stainz]

Actually, on all J, K, L, N, X, & Z frame S&Ws, all you have to remove to release the cylinder yoke and cylinder is the front most sideplate screw. You don't have to remove the sideplate for cylinder removal.

Stainz

 

[788Ham]

I have a question for you Tiger. You'd mentioned about "going out and shooting 70 some different calibers through it tomorrow" That must have been quite a chore to get it to shoot that many different "calibers" out of the same revolver! Was your intentions to say, "70 different loads out of it" ? Just thought I'd ask........ sounds like you'd best leave the underwear cleaning to rc !

 

[W.E.G.]

It sounded like it went over here.

 

[rcmodel]

all S&W, you have to remove to release the cylinder yoke and cylinder is the front most sideplate screw.

Same on a Colt.
Just loosen the crane lock plunger screw in front of the trigger and slip the crane off.

The sideplate is not even on that side of the gun on Colts.

rc

 

[Ash]

Heh, all this time, I took off the side plate on my Colt and slid the cylinder forward off the crane.

 

[Cosmoline]

You think S&W is bad, try an old Colt! I remember years ago I was sitting on a stump on my lot and decided I'd give the Colt police positive Special a good clean after it fell in a puddle. I popped the side off, started removing parts and realized I had NO idea what any of them were for. And that most of them were falling out on my lap, with no chance of recovery if they fell down into the forest floor. Took me the next several hours to get the thing cleaned and put back together, all the while unable to shift my position or stand up. That was one of the more hair-raising episodes of amateur gunsmithing I've been through.

Then there are those little bitty pawls that shoot across the basement when you take apart a Ruger single action.

It sounded like it went over here.

Exactly. I have a method for that. I get belly-down on the floor and inch towards the impact area and use a tactical light to shine for shadows, eye held at floor level. I expect I look like a beached sea lion, but I always get my missing piece.

 

[sugarmaker]

I'm a habitual disassembler, often to correct something done by a previous owner. Installing bullseye kits in S&W's, action stoning / polishing, etc. the plates come off.

Really treachorous stuff like the spring / plunger on S&W windage screws I use the plastic bag. Kinda trechorus stuff I use a 5 gallon bucket as there's more room for my hands. Rifles don't fit well, then there's the big ceramic magnet.