S&W N-Frame problems

TheIndifferent1

TheIndifferent1

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Hi all,

I had my new-to-me Model 28 to the range for the first time, and I had two problems. First, after firing 15-20 rounds, I couldn't #### the hammer easily and the trigger pull was very heavy. I moved the cylinder a little bit and felt it click back into place, and everything was back to normal. I can't get this to happen through dry firing, it seems to only occur when I'm actually shooting. Any suggestions?

Also, how is the rear sight adjusted? The blade is pretty lose and off centre. Does the screw on the right of the sight increase the tension? Do I just drift the blade where I want it to be? I can't fiddle with it right now because my screwdrivers are currently 200km away.

Thanks :D

IMG_2901.jpg
 
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Are you using reloads? Not uncommon to have them drag if you havnt seated the primers properly. Other than that I am assuming that you have thoroughly cleaned it. Again, with using lead, you will see a buildup of crud and grime quicker than with jacketed, but this doesnt sound like it is the problem in this instance.
dB
 
daBear said:
Are you using reloads? Not uncommon to have them drag if you havnt seated the primers properly. Other than that I am assuming that you have thoroughly cleaned it. Again, with using lead, you will see a buildup of crud and grime quicker than with jacketed, but this doesnt sound like it is the problem in this instance.
dB
Click to expand...

Was using factory Winchester and CCI jacketed loads. The gun is clean :) It didn't matter if I was shooting .38 special or 357.
 
The ejection rod that extends out from the cylinder and sits into a recess in the frame just below the barrel. It has a knurled end. It can be unscrewed to allow removal of the cylinder. Sometimes those symptoms appear if it is loose. The other possibility is that the crane is slightly bent. Lets hope it's that little rod that's loose. The reason it is binding only when shooting is that the brass cases (one or more) are making contact with the frame as the cylinder turns. That causes everything to seize up and that's why it doesn't happen when you dry fire it as there's no ammo in it then. If its not the rod that's loose and it happens frequently, take it into a pistol smith to check out the alignment of the crane with the frame.

The blade on the rear sight is slightly loose although when you move it you shouldn't see any significant amount of movement if you know what I mean. Its loose to the touch but you can't see any real movement. The screw on the side is used to move the blade left or right. Turning the screw clockwise moves it to the right. It is not intended to be drifted in either direction unless you want to replace it with a brand new sight. Now, because its off centre doesn't mean anything. You need to sight it in. If your groups are in the middle of where your sighting then all is good. On my 686 the rear sight is almost all the way to the right for it to be properly sighted in.

You should setup a target at 15yds and use a pistol rest so you can carefully aim and fire your revolver. Don't do any of this offhand until you know where the gun is shooting and that you have it properly sighted in. If the gun is shooting to the right move the blade to the left.

Hope that helps.
 
Other things to look for causing difficult cylinder rotation;

1.Dirt under the extractor star,get a tooth brush soaked with hoppes and give it a good scrub under the star
2.Tight barrel/cylinder gap.I have a model 29 which had a very tight gap.It would bind on 2 of the charge holes in the cylinder,after only a few rounds.I had to stone back the barrel face very slightly,and although the gap is still very tight(about 4 thou now)no subsequent problems.Hold your model 28 up to the light an rotate the cylinder,look for any binding.Some of the older smiths have very tight gaps.Before checking for this,give both the rear of the barrel and the cylinder face a good scrub
3.Bent ejector rod.swing the cylinder out and give it a spin,you will see if there is any wobble on the rod.
4.Sprung crane.Look for a obvious gap between the crane and the frame when the cylinder is closed

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks for the suggestions :) I checked the ejection rod and the end is on nice and tight. The gun appears to be in excellent shape and it was checked it over by a gunsmith before he sent it out, although I suppose this problem wouldn't show up without test firing.

All I have is jacketed rounds, so I can't see any buildup around the forcing cone.

The last time this happened, all I had to do was just touch the cylinder and turn it a milimeter or so, very easily until it clicked back in place. Again, forgive my non-technical terms, but it`s almost as if under recoil the little nub that locks into the side of the cylinder let go just enough for the cylinder to move out of battery, and then the piece that rotates the cylinder couldn`t catch the edge and rotate it. Not sure if that made any sense or if it`s even possible...

I just put 6 empty casings in and held the muzzle up so that the brass dragged on the rear of the frame, but no problems in operation.

Thanks for the info about the sight :) I`ll sight it in once I get this problem worked out. I should have taken a video the last time it happened...
 
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sevoman said:
Other things to look for causing difficult cylinder rotation;

1.Dirt under the extractor star,get a tooth brush soaked with hoppes and give it a good scrub under the star
2.Tight barrel/cylinder gap.I have a model 29 which had a very tight gap.It would bind on 2 of the charge holes in the cylinder,after only a few rounds.I had to stone back the barrel face very slightly,and although the gap is still very tight(about 4 thou now)no subsequent problems.Hold your model 28 up to the light an rotate the cylinder,look for any binding.Some of the older smiths have very tight gaps.Before checking for this,give both the rear of the barrel and the cylinder face a good scrub
3.Bent ejector rod.swing the cylinder out and give it a spin,you will see if there is any wobble on the rod.
4.Sprung crane.Look for a obvious gap between the crane and the frame when the cylinder is closed

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...


1. Extractor star is pretty clean, but I`ll give it a thorough scrubbing.
2. I don`t have any feeler guages handy, but the gap between the barrel and cylinder appears to be very uniform.
3. Ejector rod is nice and straight, so far as I can tell.
4. No obvious gaps between crane and frame. I`ll put up a picture shortly.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I really appreciate the help! :)
 
After reading your subsequent posts,it sounds as if your 28 may have a timing problem with the hand(little lever that advances the cylinder),or else the bolt(small protusion in the bottom of the frame that locks the cylinder)being possibly worn.The way to test for this is to very slowly cycle the action by cocking the hammer,if the cylinder gives a small click to fully lock it after the hammer is fully cocked,then the hand is a bit worn.Another thing to do is to put one finger on the cylinder(lightly)and #### the hammer.A timing issue will become evident if the cylinder fails to lock up.

Interestingly,on one if your photos,it looks as if you have some flame cutting on your topstrap,which would suggest that the gun has been fired with some pretty heavy loads

Either way,the go to guy with smiths is Murray Charlton on Vancouver island.Smiths(in comparison to Colts)are fairly easy to work with and parts are plentiful.

Hope you sort out this problem!
 
M.D. CHARLTON CO. LTD.

Store Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Address:
6825 Veyaness Road, Victoria, BC V8M 2A7

Mailing Address:
Box 153, Brentwood Bay, B.C., Canada V8M 1R3

E-mail: sales@mdcharlton.ca


http://mdcharlton.ca/
 
sevoman said:
Interestingly,on one if your photos,it looks as if you have some flame cutting on your topstrap,which would suggest that the gun has been fired with some pretty heavy loads.
Click to expand...

I have seen flamecutting on every 357 that ever fired 357 ammo in it, I would think that this is normal unless you only ever shot 38 Spl loads out of your revolver.:confused:
 
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Wendell said:
M.D. CHARLTON CO. LTD.

Store Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Address:
6825 Veyaness Road, Victoria, BC V8M 2A7

Mailing Address:
Box 153, Brentwood Bay, B.C., Canada V8M 1R3

E-mail: sales@mdcharlton.ca


http://mdcharlton.ca/
Click to expand...


Much appreciated :)

I fiddled around with it last night and every time I cocked the hammer, and no matter how I did it, it was in battery. There was a bit of wiggle/play, less than a mm I'd guess, but that's it.

I did notice that something sounds loose inside. Is taking off the sideplate to see if anything is broken or out of place a good idea, or am I inviting trouble? I wouldn't poke around in it, just take the plate off to take a look, before I send it all the way across the country :)
 
TheIndifferent1 said:
Much appreciated :)

I fiddled around with it last night and every time I cocked the hammer, and no matter how I did it, it was in battery. There was a bit of wiggle/play, less than a mm I'd guess, but that's it.

I did notice that something sounds loose inside. Is taking off the sideplate to see if anything is broken or out of place a good idea, or am I inviting trouble? I wouldn't poke around in it, just take the plate off to take a look, before I send it all the way across the country :)
Click to expand...

IMHO, taking off the sideplate could be inviting trouble if you don't know what you're doing. You can easily bend/warp it. Send it to M D Charlton. Also, there is also a S&W Warranty centre out your way. I know your M28 is out of warranty but they'll know your gun and can get parts quickly/more readily than a regular 'smith can.

WORTNER GUN WORKS INC.
433 QUEEN STREET
BOX 411
CHATHAM ONTARIO, CANADA N7M 5K5
Phone: 519-352-0924
 
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