S&W model 18 troubles

[Doug Beach]

Looking for recommendations for a smith to fit the hand / ratchet on a model 18. Reasonable turn around time a plus.

 

[shortgrass]

Got timing problems? It is extractor messed up?

 

[RWO]

The factory service center does excellent work at a fair price IMHO. I don't know about turn around. https://www.smith-wesson.com/customer-service/contact-us

RWO

 

[Doug Beach]

No timing problems. Hand/ratchet binding on two chambers. I think I may have found the source of the problem, I’ll report back.
*no fine old revolvers will be mangled during my troubleshooting

 

[shortgrass]

When the hand won't lift the cylinder to the next chamber, or it binds up during the indexing, that is a timing problem.

 

[Doug Beach]

When the hand won't lift the cylinder to the next chamber, or it binds up during the indexing, that is a timing problem.

It will lift to the next chamber (bolt engages). It binds after that point. I was thinking of timing as being full movement of the cylinder. Ah.. the joys of nomenclature.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Theres a few videos on youtube about fitting a new hand. Larry potterfield does one that seems to cover it

 

[rr2030]

The factory service center does excellent work at a fair price IMHO. I don't know about turn around. https://www.smith-wesson.com/customer-service/contact-us

RWO

A few years ago I sent them my 8 3/8" model 29 that had extensive use in the IHMSA revolver class. Multitude of issues. When they returned it, it was actually better than new. S&W claimed their senior custom shop smith whose specialty was older revolvers did all the work. Also he was retiring soon, taht was a while ago. Don't hold me to this number but i think I paid somewhere around $200.

 

[shortgrass]

I had a lovely 27-2 brought to me a few years back that looked like someone had used a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to adjust the pawls for proper timing. Required a whole new extractor (the pawls are part of the extractor, the little nobs the hand engages to lift/rotate the cylinder). That little part you are calling the "bolt" is actually called the cylinder stop (S&W term), the bolt is the part the cylinder release is attached to, the thing you push with your thumb to open the cylinder for loading/unloading. The file used to trim the pawls to proper timing is called a Barrett file. Larry (Potterfield) must sell S&W parts as timing a revolver is not an elementary task. One too many strokes of the file can mean starting all over with a thicker hand. Proper angle of the release portion of the pawls must be maintained for proper function. I notice that over-sized hands are available again for the K frame and the N frame. They must be catching-up. I don't expect to ever see over-sized cylinder stops made again (by S&W, for sale to the general public, as again, those are hand fit and if not properly fit the cylinder no longer lines-up with the barrel). A potentially dangerous situation. Probably too much info.

 

[Doug Beach]

A friend wanted me to look at it. I discovered that the ejector rod was coming unscrewed, and that two of the side plate screws had been swapped. The front screw (yoke) was too long, and had been backed out to allow the yoke to rotate. I disassembled everything, cleaned it, used a touch of break free, and put it back together, correctly.
It seems to function perfectly, now.
I think the trigger wasn’t fully seated, due to the slightly loose side plate. Perhaps this was allowing the hand to jam. Hopefully my extremely simple fixes actually solved the problem.

 

[shortgrass]

 

[shortgrass]

I bet that'll fix it! These days people will take all kinds of things apart, even though they shouldn't.

 

[Doug Beach]

Yeah, I don’t know when in it’s history it was taken apart, at least they didn’t pry the side plate off.

 

[Bully]

View attachment 1068013

Man... That's lovely.
Bolt guns and revolvers make me VERY happy.

Now if I could just find a set of rubber grips built like Badger's for a Ruger SP101 (they don't exist) I'd be pretty psyched.

 

[1lnbrdg]

Man... That's lovely.
Bolt guns and revolvers make me VERY happy.

Now if I could just find a set of rubber grips built like Badger's for a Ruger SP101 (they don't exist) I'd be pretty psyched.

They always told me "A grinder, some bondo and a little paint will make a welder what he aint".