Pop the Plate?

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Anyone pop the side plate when they buy a used revolver?

I have done so and found a ton of old dried grease/dirt fouling and cleaned it out to bare metal than properly re-lubricated. I want to get that stuff out of there to ensure the best function I can.

Anyone else do this? I know popping plates is a controversial subject, but I feel like it is warranted when getting an old revolver you plan to shoot and using PROPER technique I have never had any problems at when doing this.

Do you do this? Thoughts?

M12
 
I think it's a good idea if it's "factory fresh" to see what the little elves left behind, and if it's a new-to-me gun which is well used. The only way to know what's in there is to look.

I believe if I had of popped the plate on my new 642 I would have discovered a broken hammer stud. Oh yeah.
 
I would never fire a used revolver without first completely taking apart the gun ! The side plate can usually be removed easily without damaging anything. Hold revolver in one hand , side plate down and strike the grip frame with a plastic hammer is the proper way! Never pry off the side plate !!!
If you don't know how to do it properly find someone who can .
 
Yes, I always take the side plate off on a used (or a new gun for that matter)...but especially on a used gun ( there can be all kinds of junk or gunk built up in there ).

I think its prudent to do .....the reason its controversial in my view - is folks don't take the time to research how it should be done right ( and they screw up a lot of guns ). Learn to do it right ! Jerry Miculek has a great video on how to take a S&W revolver apart - do a trigger job - etc....its a good addition to anyone's library in my view.
 
In another thread BigJimP said:

It's important to educate yourself on how to properly remove the side plate.
Click to expand...

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=588507

This is VERY important.

You do NOT want to take out the screws and then pry the side plate off with your screw driver even though it might seem like the logical, straight forward thing to do. That's what I did with my first revolver. That is the WRONG thing to do. I've still got the revolver and it still shoots fine but do it the right way so you don't bend and mar and generally mess up your revolver. See this guy from Brownells do it correctly. The video is less than 2 minutes long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhUHVcVb_V0

Personally I don't feel very confident about mucking around the innards of a revolver. It would be VERY cool to know what you were doing in there and I am envious of the folk who can do it...some even post pictures of how to do it.
 
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Thanks, gang. I do know how to do it properly. Just wondering if you all did this for a "new to you" gun, and apparently I'm not alone in doing it. I have read throughout the years that you're NEVER supposed to take the side plate off! It'll ruin it! But I just don't think this is true if done only occasionally and in the proper manner.
 
Hold revolver in one hand , side plate down and strike the grip frame with a plastic hammer is the proper way!
Click to expand...
Or, with the stocks off, you could keep the side plate upright and strike the exposed area of the grip frame with your plastic hammer and inertia will pop it off.
 
Used, not unless it feels nasty. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Of course if it feels really nasty I probably would not buy it unless it was at a price I couldn't pass up.
 
Absolutely, new or used.

It's not unknown for new firearms to have metal shavings and such in them. I haven't heard any horror stories about new revolvers showing up full of them, but you might as well have a peek.

It's also important to check used revolvers. The lockwork tends to stay pretty clean, but it would be important to check for rust or improper lubrication, and maybe check for signs of a trigger job or other work.

Every range trip? Nah.
 
Popping the plate implies prying the sideplate up. This isn't done with S&W revolvers. Can't be done with Rugers or Charter Arms as there is no sideplate on either.

As a standard practice, I would not recommend any layman remove the sideplate just to see what is iniside. Learn something first. Read the Kuhnhausen book for the firearm and then watch some U-Tube video. Be careful what you watch though as some may be very good and others are full bore nuts. Even if you have the knowledge, be sure to have screwdrivers that fit. Hollow grind them if you have to too. You don't want to tear up those screws.
 
Ii have done it, but generally I just flush the devil out of them with Gunscrubber, followed by a couple of drops of oil, and call it good.
 
I don't take the S&W plate off nor Colt's if the gun feels right, works
right and is up to what I expect in double action usage.

If anything with a good condition used revolver or new, I use a needle nosed oil applicator to put in a few drops in hammer well and sometimes
around ejector at face of cylinder.

Then I'm done!

Those older S&Ws that everyone brags about having such smooth actions
were not broken down by grandpa, or grandma, unless really needed.
 
Popping the plate implies prying the sideplate up.
Click to expand...
No, you drew that inference. As for myself, I draw the inference that "popping" the plate, is just a colloquialism for removing it. When I "pop" the side plate no prying is involved...it "pops" off when I strike the grip frame with a soft hammer.
 
dahermit said:
No, you drew that inference. As for myself, I draw the inference that "popping" the plate, is just a colloquialism for removing it. When I "pop" the side plate no prying is involved...it "pops" off when I strike the grip frame with a soft hammer.
Click to expand...
I agree.
 
Just a tip in case one feels the need to remove the side plate; draw a rough outline of the side plate on a piece of cardboard. As you remove each screw with a proper screwdriver, place each screw through a hole in the cardboard corresponding to where it came out of the side plate. A simple way of not screwing up and placing the wrong screw in the wrong hole when you put the side plate back on. You will also want to put the side plate back on evenly and with equal pressure so that it fits nicely back on the frame prior to putting the screws back in and tighten them gradually around to where they all tighten up evenly like you would with lug nuts on a car wheel.

Once again use a proper screwdriver so there are no slips of the screwdriver tip to scratch up the side plate. Also, you do not want to bugger up the screw slots.
 
is there any chance of springs or parts flying out of a S&W model 19 if I remove the side plate ?
 
rebs said:
is there any chance of springs or parts flying out of a S&W model 19 if I remove the side plate ?
Click to expand...

About the only thing that's loose in there is the hammer block. Everything else is under spring tension, so things won't (or shouldn't) go flying if you just remove the side plate. If you start playing around in there without knowing what you're doing, though, all bets are off. ;)

BTW, before you remove the side plate, you should back the strain screw off some to take tension off the mainspring, lest you bend or break the hammer stud. And if you left the strain screw as it was, definitely don't cycle the action with the side plate off.

As to the OP: I always remove the side plate and thoroughly clean and lube a new-to-me revolver (new or used) before shooting it.
 
If the revolver is in operating condition, it should be ok. Parts might fly if you pull the trigger, though.

Don't tinker with the guts, either. I had to deal with a Rossi that some curious little monkey had pulled the hand out of. The hand will pull right out, and looks like it will go right back in. It doesn't.

You pretty much have to take the whole thing apart to get it back in, with a severe risk of flying parts at every step of disassembly and reassembly.

You probably should have a proper screwdriver set. The same curious little monkey scratched up the frame and boogered the screws by using the wrong screwdriver.
 
If it were me selling the gun, I would not allow the purchaser to remove the side plate unless I had the cash in hand. It would be difficult to know if the intended purchaser knew what he was doing or not.
 
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