Removal of Smith&Wesson sideplate?

All kinds of good advice, a spring tool can be purchased thru Brownells so trigger spring doesnt go flying :eek: . If you arent changing springs then the cleaning you have already done will be good enough for a long time.
 
Having said all that, I concur with Shoots Awe Lots. Other than a large amount of grunge making it's way in, there really isn't any need to strip them all the way down. Nice to know how tho.
 
Thanks guys. I feel a tad smarter now. I don't need to remove the parts but like you said Malamute its nice to know how to do so and if i dedicate some time to the disassembly process i will have no problem figuring it out thanks to you guys.

Some rounds came with this gun and i don't know if there 125 grain boomers or the 158's you said were okay. I can stell you they are semijacketed hollow points and at low light they flash a lot and occasionaly after shooting six beans i peer down the barrel and see unburned power flakes or it appeard to be as such. Also when i combat shoot with the 357 mags (pull DA and point shooting method) that babys barrel gets hot? Are theys rounds to hot or is this a typical 357 load? The 38 special 158 grain i shot were about half the recoil of these rounds of 357.

Okay on a similar not i want to get the big brother to the model 19..also know as the model 29 dirty harry gun. I don't want a beat up gun but i don't need a NIB gun either..what do they run? Is there a outlet that deals in used firearms?

If they are to much can i get a 626 with a semi-lugged barrel like my model 19. The bell at the bottom of the grip is big enough to fit my hand and i would like to keep that kind of grip and barrel style if there is such a pistola.

I don't know if i said this yet but at about 40 yards If i sweeze and do everything right i can hit a 16 ounc water bottle in the mid section...is that considered "HUNTING ACCURACY"? I think it would be good .
THanks for you help.

WHat kind of smiths do you guys own? After i get a 44mag smith i would like to get the old model 28 highway partrolmen my moms friend hand one when he was a deputy and i like the compact/weight of that gun it was the first 357 i ever shot.
 
What kinds of Smiths do I own...

1 Regulation Police, circa 1917, .32 Long.

1 Model 58, .41 Magnum.

1 Model 042 Centennial Airweight, .38 Spl.

1 Model 24, .44 Special

1 Model 1917, .45 ACP

1 Model 36, .38 Special

3 Model 19s, 2.5, 4, and 6", .357 Mag.

2 Model 28s, 4" and 6", .357 Mag.

I think I'm missing a couple...
 
Deerinator, shoot on paper targets more at different ranges to get a better idea of what you gun and particular loads will do accuracy wise. It also depends on what you want to hunt. For small game, 2" groups are good, and if you can't make 2" groups at a particular range, it's probably too far for attempting the shot. For larger animals, figure slightly larger groups, up to paper plate size groups for deer size animals. And I don't mean occasional, "when everything is right" groups with all shots on the paper plate, but consistantly, and under field postitions, not from a a bench rest. When you get to a range that you can't hit the paper plate EVERY time from field positions, then you are too far to shoot at game.


I'm not familiar with the 626 model. The model 29 is the standard blued Smith 44, and will look closest to your model 19.
 
3 suggestions

1. go to brownell's web site and get the kuhnhausen S&W revolver manual.
2. go to AGI (american gunsmithing institute) and order their S&W revolver armorer's video
3. go back to brownell's and order a set of gunsmith's scewdrivers, the rebound spring tool (very nice to have), a light fine file and a set of good stones, and the rubber end/brass end hammer, and the rubber work pad...that's all you need to learn or to own in order to do 90% of the work on a S&W revolver.

as for sideplate removal..MAKE SURE WEAPON IS NOT LOADED,remove the three screws (do it carefully using proper gunsmith's screwdrivers so as not to mar them or wallow out the slots), keep the 3 screws in order (the yoke screw needs to go back where it was!), remove the grips...now set weapon on rubber work pad resting light on its butt and supported on the barrel end by your hand, with other hand take rubber end or even the wooden handle of the hammer and tap repeatedly on the grip frame this may take a bit of time, but you should see the sideplate beginning to seperate and it will eventually drop free..if you have to use any pressure to remove it use only your hands and go lightly as the plate will deform and mar especially up near the hammer end...if the plate is especially tight you may lightly stone its tight spots (not too much it should be snug) and the next removal with be easier.
 
Mike irwin- I take it your a smith fan. how does that model 28 in 4 inch handle the 357 rounds? Been so long since i shot that gun.

Malamute- What kind of groups do you get with your hunting pistol? Do you have a optic sight on it? In a sense you treat it like a bow..practice close and get good and then walk back some more...practice and get good and so on and so for. Can i make a standing iron sight shot with time at 75-100 yards for deer. I realize limitation are different for everyone but is this gun capable of that kind of accuracy?
Can you use 38 specials for deer? If its a close shot?

Trespass-thanks for the brownells info. Can you do your own trigger work with those tools easily?
 
trigger work

trigger work on a smith can be tricky...messing with the sear is something to leave to a competent gunsmith...I'd suggest leaving the trigger itself alone...
try this instead, check the kuhnhausen manual and AGI video for tuning tips...this is what I learned in an armorer's course some years ago:...1. remove the rebound slide and spring...stone a little bit to smooth the bottom and back of the rebound slide and lightly "break" the edges...and lightly stone the foot on which the rebound slides sits...be careful not to remove much material as this will lower the rebound slide and invite other problems, all you want to do is smooth things up not remove material...2. take the rebound spring and slip a bit of coathanger wire through it and "turn it" lengthwise along a bit of fine to medium grit belt sand paper on a dremel belt sander (a good tool for gun work)...remove only about 10/1000's of the OD (outside diameter of the spring) (can measure with a dial caliper and measure lengthwise to try and keep spring uniform along its entire length) and cool it in water, dry and oil it, 3. remove the mainspring tension screw and remove material from tip of it, not very much...too much will lighten mainspring so that hammer will not reliably ignite primers...you do not want to get carried away here...you will make the revolver unsafe and unreliable, especially in single action fire. You can make it superslick, so slick it will not work! Obviously this is bad and it should not be so light that you do not have control over firing at all times, the trigger should give you some proper resistance. AT ALL TIMES after work test the weapon for safe and secure function, both single and double action...and follow the recommendations faithfully in the AGI video and the Kuhnhausen book...anyplace they counsel you differently than I have, GO WITH THEIR MORE SKILLED ADVICE!
 
one more thing...

if you are tuning the revolver for target practice and play can go a bit more light..if for defensive/service use do not make it overly light..under stress a person pumps with adrenaline...this increases strength, causes "shakes", increases rate of breathing, creates "tunnel vision" this and other factors (abject fear for instance!) and can lead to firing when it may be best to hold fire when trigger pull is very slick and light, some reasonable and proper resistance to the trigger pull is a good thing and is more a matter of practice than the weapon's function...THUS, a service revolver should NOT be overly lightened...unless the thing drags like a boat anchor you will not notice the trigger pull if you are in a gunfight! So, if a service weapon, just smooth it up a bit and don't overlighten the action. I'm sure the book and video I recommend will give you the same advice. Good luck, enjoy, and be careful playing with guns just like your mama told you!
 
I took my dad's M15 apart, took me 3 hours to get it backtogether(but I did it without scratching/damaging a thing!). Its not hard, its just annoying trying to figure out the right way of doing it.

Always helps to have a manual ;)
 
Dry firing.

thanks for the tips. I just went out and shot it in the rain and at 20 yards i'm deadly with it. I just raise aim and boom i can hit about a baseball sized target. As i go back to say 30 to 35 i tend to shoot low about 2 inches and to the left about 1 inch. this is flinching because i dried fired a couple of times and if i don't squeeze right i tend to pull down and to the left as i use a weaver stance. Should i fire the gun with a strong grip but relaxed forearms and shoulders? I might have to say a mantra when i'm aiming such as "steady" over and over.

Can i dry fire this gun repeatedly? My gunsmity said it was un-advisable beings that its not like the ruger with a firing pin in the frame. I don't want to muck up my firing pin. How do you guys practice? Can i used spent cases with the primers still in?

I brought it in and took the plate off, mainspring out, and hammer out. I don't have the right tool to insert into the hammer return to colaspe the spring and slip it out so i just left it be. I oiled it up good and learned something. When i went to put the hammer back in i couln't get the gun to cock when i instaled it unless i gave it a little effort but after doing this once i found that if you want to check to see if the internals are working put your finger in the middle of the hammer to keep it running correctly as it acts as a sideplate after i figured that out she was smooth as silk. I put the stuff back together...tap tap on the plate and works great. i think i got the basics now.
 
Blue Heeler said:
I throw the hammer blocks away
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That's fine as long as you always keep the chamber under the hammer empty (like they did in days of old before hammer blocks and transfer bars were invented ;) ) and never give away, sell or trade the gun without replacing it.

You'll also need to exercise extra care when decocking as you no longer have the hammer block to prevent a negligent discharge if the hammer slips after you release the trigger.
 
why?

why remove the hammer block safety, what did I miss here? I own several fine shooting S&W's and ALL have the safety bar in place.
 
I have another question about adjusting the sites. if i want the bullet to go up i raise the rear and if i want the bullet to go to the right i move the site to the right. Is this correct? I'm just wondering if this is the standard before i do a job of sighting it in. whats the standard measurment of 1 click at 25 yards is it a inch?

I don't see why you would want to remove the hammer block. its not a pain to get back in..at least for me. Is there a advantage? Like if the gun isn't working right you could rotate the cylinder and hit it with rock to fire a shot like a colt saa?
 
correct on sight adjustment

by raising the rear sight you have to lift barrel end up to align front sight with rear..same by moving rear sight right, front must be moved right to line up.
 
Thanks...just making sure i wasn't loosing my mind.

I asked this earlier but can you dry fire a smith without damaging anyparts?
 
The hammer block safety stops the firing pin from striking the primer unless the hammer is fully cocked (to stop it going off half- cocked.) I have never needed this facility in practice hence the removal. I don't recommend it, but it's what I do.
 
I think there is a misunderstanding of what the hammer block does.

The hammer block keeps the hammer from moving forward when it is uncocked. At rest. the thing it does is prevent the gun from firing if it is dropped on the hammer when it is UNCOCKED. If the gun is dropped on the hammer, it can break the tip of the trigger, or crack the hammer, and fire if the hammer block was not there. It works sort of in reverse from a Ruger style transfer bar. To be honest, I think the smith system is more reliable. See my comment below about dry firing.

In WWII there was a sailor or Marine that dropped a Smith revolver and it fired, killing someone. The hammer block was mandated after that. This is the story I have heard about why it came about. Perhaps it is correct, perhaps not. The hammer block does however prevent this from happening.

I've dry fired several Smith revolvers over a 20 to 25 year period and have not broken or damaged anything. I would recomend snap caps if one was going to do this, but I have not ever used them. Empty shells with primers only last for a few hits each until they are dented in enough that they don't do anything.

I've broken 2 transfer bars in Ruger Single actions. 2 different guns. the transfer bars broke in the same place on each. I no longer believe the old story about Rugers being indestructible. When the transfer bar breaks, you are done. The gun will not fire. Period. End of story. I might still believe if I'd only broken one, but two is more than "a bad part" or an isolated incident. If you look at the transfer bar, it really isn't all that heavy duty. To function, it takes the impact of the hammer strike. The Smiths hammer block is more passive, it only works when the gun is at rest, and has no impact upon it. I now think smiths are the more reliable of the two designs. I prefer the Ruger SA's for heavy loads, but speaking strictly of funtional reliability, I prefer the Smiths now..I have a K-22 with well over 200K rounds through it and it's still going strong.

Deerinator, I'm going to tell you that the 357 is OK for deer at the ranges you mentioned, but I'd stay closer. I'd feel better at 50 yards or less with a 357. Others may have differing opinions. I'd prefer a larger caliber for deer. If you do use it for deer, I'd use the heaviest bulelts that will shoot well in your gun. Try the 180 grain loads. I would't use any 38 spl load for deer.

I'd rather not say how far I've shot at and killed game with a pistol. Everyone has their own limitations. Only you know yours for sure, if you are honest with yourself. I would recomend small game hunting with your pistol. Beside being a heck of a lot of fun, it's about the best practice for medium or larger game hunting. I've never used anything but the issue sights on my pistols.

I've shot a 6" group @100 yards off the hood of my truck with a 6" model 29, but that is a not field shooting position. the guns are pretty accurate, more so than many will think or admit. The problem is when hunting, you don't have a good steady rest, and a bad shot can mean miles of tracking, and perhaps losing, the animal. Get as close as you can. If you're not sure of the shot, don't take it.
 
Malamute said:
At rest. the thing it does is prevent the gun from firing if it is dropped on the hammer when it is UNCOCKED.
Click to expand...
Exactly why one would need to leave the chamber under the hammer empty if the hammer block is removed.
 
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