Lemon?.........help needed

S

speed

New member
Just got a S.W. 317 airlite .22 8 shot revolver,
From the first 8 rounds to the last 8 rounds a total of approx. 300 shots were fired.
Ejecting the spent cases was a task,And I mean a task!
2 hrs later I still have marks all over my thumb and palm from trying to push them out .Several times we even had to tap them out using a hard surface.
This thing is brand new for crying out loud!....Several of the range members told me that .22's are a little tough to eject but it will break in.
The range owner wire brushed and lubed the cylinder a little and it worked better but after 50 or so rounds we were back to square one.
How common is this problem on a .22 revolver?.........It's my first one and I really don't know if I got a dog or not.
On the bright side the owner of the range said if I was not completely satisfied that he would deal with the problem and take the gun back(I bought it new from him)
I hate to stick the guy what is now a used gun ........In reality it is between me and S&W now since I bought it but since the range owner is going in my opinion above and beyond the call of dutyin accepting the gun back I want to make sure that this is not a problem and the gun will in fact "Break In"
Anyone got any advice?
 
Depending on the dealer's set up; he may be able to send it to his distributor for replacement or repair. If not, then contact S&W and request shipper for returning a defective gun.

For that kind of money, you rate a ready to go gun with good fit, finish and function. Hold em to it.

Sam
 
CR SAM,I was hoping you would respond,the range owner is a legitamate good guy and he said that if I'm not 100% percent happy he'll take care of me one way or another.
I was hoping you could be more specific on the workings of .22 revolvers,how common is this problem?.....is it generally harder to eject rimfire ammo?
 
By the way Sam,
Of the current line up of .22 revolvers on the market what do you think of my choice?.......Other suggestions?
I bought it for general plinking and saving on ammo cost.
 
Yes, .22 is often harder to extract than center fire ammo, and some kinds of ammo are more difficult than others. Before doing anything, I would change ammo, especially if you are using any of the super dooper stuff out today. Get some U.S. commercial ammo, good quality (not the discount store stuff) and see what happens.

The problem arises out of the nature of rimfire ammo. The case must be soft enough to be indented by the firing pin (in center fire, only the primer has to be indented), yet strong enough to resist the pressure. If the case is a bit soft or thin, it can expand into every minor machine mark in the chamber and refuse to come out. Many makers of "low cost" .22 use thinner brass to cut costs, and this can cause some problems.

So, try several different ammo brands. If that solves the problem, fine.

If it does not I go with the recommendation to return it and let the dealer send it back to S&W. If it were a second hand gun, I would suggest polishing the chambers, but on a new gun that would void the warranty.

Jim
 
speed.....rough chambers seem to be a lot more common in their later offerings.

Try what Jim said.....different ammo. I would be unhappy with one that didn't easily extract any commercial ammo. (Guess non commercial rimfire would be a bit odd :)..)

A bit stiff with some ammo is one thing but if you have to hammer your hand to death, that's too much.

Sam
 
Also have same model, recently purchased. In fact, only about 250 rounds thru it to date, but no probs like you described. I believe the rounds fired were from a box of Remington (500? 550? count) HPs from Wally World. Sounds like you've got an excellent dealer to work with there. Good luck in getting resolved because it is a fun little gun!
 
It may be the ammo. Otherwise, however, rough chambers are unfortunately a defect that occurs from time to time in the manufacture of .22 revolvers. I've had it happen myself. AFAIK the problem won't get better with use, but the good news is that it can be fixed. I sent my gun to the S&W factory service department, with a description of the problem and a request that the factory test-fire the gun after repair. It came back fine, and I still own it many years later. S&W will either polish the chambers or replace the cylinder. Afterward, the gun will no longer seem like a lemon.
 
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