Ever have a revolver jam or lock up on you?
- Thread starter FM12
- Start date
Wow, I have to admit, I am quite surprised by how many have experienced this. However, I can't say I feel like I'm missing out. After 25 years of shooting revolvers, I can't recall one single incident. Not to me or anyone I was shooting with. Smiths are the only kind I have ever owned.
Hand failed on my S & W model 66 snubbie. (hand is the little rod like part that advances the cylinder). It would not, or would only partially advance the cylinder.
Had it fixed at Gander Mountain (authorized S&W service) under warranty.
Bought the gun in the late 80's, before lifetime warranty (as I understand it), but the fixed it anyway. I thought that was nice of them.
I bought it as a backup/off-duty gun way back when I was an LEO. It had fewer than a hundred rounds through it. I would have been disappointed if it failed when I really needed it.
Had it fixed at Gander Mountain (authorized S&W service) under warranty.
Bought the gun in the late 80's, before lifetime warranty (as I understand it), but the fixed it anyway. I thought that was nice of them.
I bought it as a backup/off-duty gun way back when I was an LEO. It had fewer than a hundred rounds through it. I would have been disappointed if it failed when I really needed it.
dispatcher
New member
Never with Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Tarus, H&R, and Hi-Standard. With Colt-yes.
454 gunner
New member
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I just found this thread after taking a couple of weeks off. About a month ago my alaskan wouldn't fire in double action. It also had problems with the single action pull(very hard). My freind was firing hornady 300gr xtp's at the time. I sent it in to ruger and am currently waiting. Six to eight weeks is what the woman told me.
I just found this thread after taking a couple of weeks off. About a month ago my alaskan wouldn't fire in double action. It also had problems with the single action pull(very hard). My freind was firing hornady 300gr xtp's at the time. I sent it in to ruger and am currently waiting. Six to eight weeks is what the woman told me.
orionengnr
New member
Never with any of my S&Ws.
My first revolver (a Rossi back in '84 or so) would come unlatched upon each shot. The cylinder would not fall open, but would not advance or fire. A smack on the left hand side of the cylinder would re-lock it... for exactly one shot.
It has been resting at the bottom of a fairly large, fairly deep lake for, ah...the last 24 years or so.
My first revolver (a Rossi back in '84 or so) would come unlatched upon each shot. The cylinder would not fall open, but would not advance or fire. A smack on the left hand side of the cylinder would re-lock it... for exactly one shot.
It has been resting at the bottom of a fairly large, fairly deep lake for, ah...the last 24 years or so.
1. S&W M19 -- Burr on recoil shield, 357 primer flowed back and lockup cyl. That was back in the days you could mail it S&W for repairs.
2. Older S&W M29 – cylinder would counter rotate under recoil – next shot on previously fired chamber. Fixed on newer S&Ws.
3. S&W M60 – Rebound Spring, Trigger wouldn’t reset in DA
4. S&W 396 – Burr on center pin collar, under recoil jammed cyl latch in rearward position, causing hammer to lock up on bolt.
5. S&W 329 – self destructed (barrel separated from frame) upon firing.
6. S&W 329 – hand spring jumped pin, rendering hand inoperable.
7. S&W 329 – internal lock engaged under recoil (2x)
8. S&W 329 – factory firing pin was misfiring (light hits) -- installed Cyl & Slide long firing pin – C&S pin would bind in pin slot/recoil shield and stick in the fired primer tying up the cylinder – had to be pounded out from barrel end with brass rod.
9. Various Ruger Blackhawks -- Base pin pulled out under recoil tying up cyl.
10. Freedom Arms M97 – broke hand spring.
11. Freedom Arms M97 – broke trigger spring.
12. Freedom Arms M97 – broke bolt spring.
13. Freedom Arms M97 – heavy use peened tip of transfer bar (first seen by FA) causing misfires
14. Freedom Arm M757 (.475 LB) – broke firing pin.
15. Various S&Ws – Ejector Rod Backed out – tying up cyl.
16. Various S&Ws – Debris under extractor star – tying up cyl.
17. Various S&Ws – strain screw backed out causing misfires.
18. Ruger Redhawk – aftermarket mainspring fatigue causing misfires.
Probably others I have forgotten.
Not intended as an indictment of any mfg.
Other problems will occur due to lack of maintenance -- dirty guns can be unreliable. Heavy use will accelerate potential problems.
Anything manmade will break/wear and will need repairs/maintenance.
FWIW,
Paul
2. Older S&W M29 – cylinder would counter rotate under recoil – next shot on previously fired chamber. Fixed on newer S&Ws.
3. S&W M60 – Rebound Spring, Trigger wouldn’t reset in DA
4. S&W 396 – Burr on center pin collar, under recoil jammed cyl latch in rearward position, causing hammer to lock up on bolt.
5. S&W 329 – self destructed (barrel separated from frame) upon firing.
6. S&W 329 – hand spring jumped pin, rendering hand inoperable.
7. S&W 329 – internal lock engaged under recoil (2x)
8. S&W 329 – factory firing pin was misfiring (light hits) -- installed Cyl & Slide long firing pin – C&S pin would bind in pin slot/recoil shield and stick in the fired primer tying up the cylinder – had to be pounded out from barrel end with brass rod.
9. Various Ruger Blackhawks -- Base pin pulled out under recoil tying up cyl.
10. Freedom Arms M97 – broke hand spring.
11. Freedom Arms M97 – broke trigger spring.
12. Freedom Arms M97 – broke bolt spring.
13. Freedom Arms M97 – heavy use peened tip of transfer bar (first seen by FA) causing misfires
14. Freedom Arm M757 (.475 LB) – broke firing pin.
15. Various S&Ws – Ejector Rod Backed out – tying up cyl.
16. Various S&Ws – Debris under extractor star – tying up cyl.
17. Various S&Ws – strain screw backed out causing misfires.
18. Ruger Redhawk – aftermarket mainspring fatigue causing misfires.
Probably others I have forgotten.
Not intended as an indictment of any mfg.
Other problems will occur due to lack of maintenance -- dirty guns can be unreliable. Heavy use will accelerate potential problems.
Anything manmade will break/wear and will need repairs/maintenance.
FWIW,
Paul
Rossi .357 magnum
Just bought a Rossi .357 revolver. I took it to the range and bought a box of cheaper target ammo. 4 times in 50 rounds the cylinder locked up after firing 2-3 rounds. Each time a little peice of brass about the size of a fingernail clipping fell out of the action when I opened it, which required a more than normal amount of force to open. The brass peices looked like
they had been cut off the casing with a pair of snips or something. I just closed it again and continued firing. Seemed to happen randomly. Any idea what could be happening? The guy at the range said it probobly had something to do with the crimping. Though I do not believe it is due to the bullet coming loose because the first 2 of the 4 times it happened I unloaded the gun completley to check it and the ammo was intact. I loaded it back in the gun, replaced the spent casings with new ones and continued firing. Can't tell if it was the ammo or the gun...
Just bought a Rossi .357 revolver. I took it to the range and bought a box of cheaper target ammo. 4 times in 50 rounds the cylinder locked up after firing 2-3 rounds. Each time a little peice of brass about the size of a fingernail clipping fell out of the action when I opened it, which required a more than normal amount of force to open. The brass peices looked like
they had been cut off the casing with a pair of snips or something. I just closed it again and continued firing. Seemed to happen randomly. Any idea what could be happening? The guy at the range said it probobly had something to do with the crimping. Though I do not believe it is due to the bullet coming loose because the first 2 of the 4 times it happened I unloaded the gun completley to check it and the ammo was intact. I loaded it back in the gun, replaced the spent casings with new ones and continued firing. Can't tell if it was the ammo or the gun...
Crunchy Frog
New member
I remember "back in the day" thinking that a revolver was not subject to the several issues that could affect the operation of semiautos. I was a "revolver guy", having come along reading Skeeter Skelton, Elmer Keith, etc.
I started shooting IPSC in a local club with my revolver (a Ruger Security Six) and figured that while I had fewer rounds than the 1911 shooters and slower reloads, at least my wheelgun was virtually unstoppable, whereas the automatic shooters were dealing with FTF, FTE, etc.
In my first or second match, I fired six rounds, reloaded and then found that my cylinder would not close. I was stopped dead. What!? Revolvers don't jamb-automatics do. It took me several precious seconds to find the problem: a single flake of unburned powder lodged under my extractor star and it was enough to keep my cylinder from closing. I wiped it out with my fingertip and I was back in business.
It taught me, though, that NO mechanical device is foolproof or perfect. Even a rugged revolver like a Ruger.
I started shooting IPSC in a local club with my revolver (a Ruger Security Six) and figured that while I had fewer rounds than the 1911 shooters and slower reloads, at least my wheelgun was virtually unstoppable, whereas the automatic shooters were dealing with FTF, FTE, etc.
In my first or second match, I fired six rounds, reloaded and then found that my cylinder would not close. I was stopped dead. What!? Revolvers don't jamb-automatics do. It took me several precious seconds to find the problem: a single flake of unburned powder lodged under my extractor star and it was enough to keep my cylinder from closing. I wiped it out with my fingertip and I was back in business.
It taught me, though, that NO mechanical device is foolproof or perfect. Even a rugged revolver like a Ruger.
Unburned powder and other crud under the ejector star with several makes and misc. revolver models. However, this has only happened during extended range sessions where well over a hundred rounds have been fired out of a single revolver with cheap ammo. A couple of strokes with the range brush under the star and back in business. I always clean under the star during my normal "after the shoot" general cleaning anyway for all my revolvers so it takes some real nasty ammo and a lot of rounds of it to do this during a shoot.
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I am surprised too at how many failures a revolver can have. I guess anything made by man will fail eventually. I also have had the ejector rod back out a couple times, and after reading this thread I am going to try the locktight. Has anyone who has done this had a problem getting the ejector out after locktight was applied? Is blue ok to use? I like to remove the cylinder and take it all apart every 3 or so shootings to clean.
aarondhgraham
New member
Only once, at the range,,,
The cylinder rod started to back out and I couldn't close the cylinder.
It tok me a while to figure out what had happened,,,
I tightened it up real well and it's never happened again.
Aarond
The cylinder rod started to back out and I couldn't close the cylinder.
It tok me a while to figure out what had happened,,,
I tightened it up real well and it's never happened again.
Aarond
Ruger Super Blackhawk; Human error; Ammo; reload with primer not seated. Not my reload. One minute to fix.
S&W Model 19; Human error; broken pin jammed in the trigger spring; found no pins broken in the gun; it was a used gun and some monkey had been there before; Thirty minutes to fix.
Ruger GP 100; Human error; friends gun; light primer strikes; some monkey had cut the hammer spring; Wolf springs, $18; ten minutes to fix.
H&R 929; my bad; not a fail to fire but after 300 rounds of 22 brick ammo, hammer failed to lock back on single action; it would still fire double action; cleaned good and lubed.
I guess the moral to the story is, revolvers require some maintenance just like semi autos. And keep the monkeys away.
S&W Model 19; Human error; broken pin jammed in the trigger spring; found no pins broken in the gun; it was a used gun and some monkey had been there before; Thirty minutes to fix.
Ruger GP 100; Human error; friends gun; light primer strikes; some monkey had cut the hammer spring; Wolf springs, $18; ten minutes to fix.
H&R 929; my bad; not a fail to fire but after 300 rounds of 22 brick ammo, hammer failed to lock back on single action; it would still fire double action; cleaned good and lubed.
I guess the moral to the story is, revolvers require some maintenance just like semi autos. And keep the monkeys away.
Underdog101
Inactive
revolver jam/lock-up
1. The Smith & Wesson curse of backed out ejector rod. (Loc-tite fix.)
2. Empty cartridge case slipped under ejector star. (lesson learned: gravity is your friend. Get the muzzle UP when pushing empty brass out!)
3. Pierced primer blew a sliver of primer metal back into the firing pin hole. (Took a rubber mallet to pound it open.)
Revolvers don't often jam, but when they do, it often takes a trip to the gunsmith's bench to get them running again.
1. The Smith & Wesson curse of backed out ejector rod. (Loc-tite fix.)
2. Empty cartridge case slipped under ejector star. (lesson learned: gravity is your friend. Get the muzzle UP when pushing empty brass out!)
3. Pierced primer blew a sliver of primer metal back into the firing pin hole. (Took a rubber mallet to pound it open.)
Revolvers don't often jam, but when they do, it often takes a trip to the gunsmith's bench to get them running again.