Need help with a sick S&W

A

Aikibiker

New member
My buddy just called from the range. Where he and his Mom are spending a few hours together. His S&W model 29 of late seventies early eighties vintage has started spitting lead shavings out to the side from the gap between the cylinder and barrel when he fires. Aside from this the revolver is working fine and delivering acceptable accuracy.

He has decided to pull it off the line and concentrate on breaking in his mother's new compact 1911.

Do any of the forum revolver experts know what could be wrong with his gun?

Thanks for your help.
 
so how many heavy loads have been fired throught it? M-29's can't take a lot of heavy loads but I would say the timiing is off and needs to see a gunsmith. once you get it back don't shoot heavy loads in it. for 99% of the shooting heavy loads are not required
 
There is one cheerful alternate possiblility. This probably isn't it, but he might have gotten some unburned powder or other trash between the crane and frame. That could push the chambers out of sync with the barrel and cause the problem More likely though, the frame has been torqued or the hand has shortened putting it out of time. Both can be fixed by a gunsmith with S&W parts and a frame gig.
 
In the early 80s S&W changed the dimensions of the forcing cone to reduce spitting .I have them redo mine. But if it has just started to do it the timing is off.
 
Thanks for the replies, I'm the owner of the 29-2 in question. The heaviest load I've shot out of it were a few 300gr reloads that were given to me with the gun, the guy said they only go about 1200 fps. I've checked all the primers I've shot in the last two range trips and the indents are all dead center. There's no gunk build up anywhere that I can see. I didn't really notice it start spitting until I started using Fiocchi's 240gr cartridges and got complaints from people standing in the next lane. I guess, I'll be taking it to a smith as soon as I can. Thanks again.
 
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You should carefully check to see if it's just a problem with one type of ammo.If so just change it.
 
Forgive the dumb question, but would a loose ejector rod cause my problems? I moved it a little and it was loose, I tightened it back as far as it would go with my fingers and it seems to be locking up more securely. I forgot to mention in my last post that my speedloaders were sticking on the frame when I used them, after tightening the rod they slide in and out with ease. Thanks again for the help.
 
if I had a M-29 I wouldn't shoot any bullet in it heavier than 250 grains and I would hold the velocity to no more than 1,250 fps. those specs are good enough for anything that should be should with a 44 mag otherwise get a rifle.
 
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