Jammed Model 10 HELP!

S

shafter

New member
Here's the problem. I had been carrying my Smith & Wesson Model 10-5 and unholstered and unloaded it when I got home. I closed the cylinder and started wiping it down with a oily rag. However, when I went to open the cylinder I found out that it won't open. The gun seems to be functioning like normal, the cylinder rotates when I pull the trigger or cock the hammer. The cylinder latch feels normal when I depress it. The cylinder refuses to open.

Any idea what is wrong? Is it a difficult fix? Thanks for the advice.
 
I'd bet that your ejector rod has unscrewed to the point that it cannot clear the front locking bolt.

The extractor rod uses a left hand thread to preclude that, but it does anyway. Over the years I have made it a habit to check its tightness before closing a cylinder on an S&W revolver.

Brownells sells a special device to tighten the ejector rod. It is a knurled aluminium donut looking tool that clamps to the rod.

You see many S&Ws where a previous owner has used pliers to tighten the rod and that usually leaves tell tale marks or it flattens the checkering at the front end of the rod.

As your revolver does not have an extractor rod shroud, you might be able to tighten it enough with your fingers to allow it to disengage from the front locking bolt. Remember that its thread is opposite most threads so turn it counter clockwise to tighten it.
 
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Extractor rod has unscrewed or you have a grain or two of unburned poweder under the extractor star.
 
+1 on the ejector rod. I have a 1920s-era pre-Model 10 that I shoot frequently, and that's the only problem it gives me - after a few dozen rounds, the rod will back out enough that I can't open the cylinder. I need to put some blue Loctite on it, but haven't gotten around to it.
 
You can use a clothes pin to tighten the ejector rod. Just clip it on the knurled end of ejector rod and use a pair of plires to tighten the rod.

It works great.

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Clothes Pins

Good idea Blind Dog.

For those doing so, place empty cases in your chambers to support the star when you tighten down on the rod.
 
If you feel up to it you may want to take that cylinder apart for a good cleaning and oiling. And when you put it back together spread a drop of blue loc-tite on the ejector rod threads to keep it from shaking loose again.
 
I recently used a leather strap with channel locks
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Ditto on that Skidder. I also use strips of leather cut from an old discarded belt to guard pliers from scaring metal parts. works well in Vise Jaws as well.
 
If you own more than a few $500 S&W revolvers then the $15 ejector rod tool is a very wise investment. You can then properly disassemble and reassemble the revolver and no need for any thread locking compound. I used the DIY tools for years but after just one slip the correct tool seemed much wiser.
 
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