On a road trip this past weekend and stopped in a local gun store I have never visited. I had no intention of buying anything but there in the case was a S&W Thunder Ranch 45 ACP. Now as I understand this gun is base on the model 22 N Frame. I really liked the feel and decided to buy it. I did not do my due diligence and check out the gun from top to bottom. When I got home and decided to clean it, do that will all new purchases, I noticed the cylinder catches when you try to open. I am pretty sure this is not normal and I am wondering what the issue might be. Several searches turned up dirty gun that needed a good cleaning to ejector rod being loose. I own a S&W 38 that I bought used and it had the same issue, turned out to be the ejector rod. Anyone have any additional advice.
Thank you
Abram -
Howdy !
Per chance… is the cylinder making contact w/ the back of the forcing cone .
If so… the cylinder may need to be spaced back from the face of the forcing cone,
by a gunsmith installing the correct thickness “ spacer “.
The “ Thunder Ranch “ special edition S & W revolvers had input from former
“ Thunder Ranch “ instructor Clint Smith. Some years back, Clint had an article in. Shooting magazine, about him being allowed to go to the S & W factory, and personally assemble the first ( his own ) “ Thunder Ranch “ revolver. If memory serves…
he assembled a .44 Special “ N “ frame.
Way back when…Clint Smith was on the Allen County Indiana “ SWAT “ team, and also served as armourer. He locally gave instruction on handgun self defense.
After attending “ Gunsite “instruction himself, he became an instructor for Jeff Cooper.
I believe he next went one to work for Glock…. I think before the .40S & W came out
( in 1990 ). I found that interesting, since Clint always said in his classes that people wanting to “ carry “ should have….
- A holster that retained the weapon reliably, when doing a summersault while wearing the holstered weapon.
- A set of sights you can see
- A minimum calibre of .40”
- Extra Ammo
I found Smith’s .40” cal minimum requirement“ amusing ( I carried and shot an “ N “ frame .357Mag ). During his Indiana handgun instruction phase and then “ Gunsite “ instructor tenure, the Bren 10 had already been relegated into obscurity, the 10mm Auto proven too much for most shooters to carry/shoot easily; and the .40 S & W was not yet on the scene. What Mr. Smith was really saying ( very thinly veiled ) was …. “ people needed to “ carry “ a .45 ACP ( the .45 GAP did not come out ‘til 2003. )
Clint saw the “ need “ and relative “ demand “ for advanced firearms instruction, and became his own boss; by founding “ Thunder Ranch “ in ( I believe ) 1993. If I have any of the above out of sequence, I apologize.
Smith’s penchant for using the .45ACP round is very much in-evidence in the revolver you bought.
I like fixed sight “ N “ frames ( especially those in .357Mag ). See pics.
Mine is a customized surplus NYSP M-520.
With regards,
357Mag
