Revolver won't shoot!!!

R

Rookie21

New member
I just got my Smith and Wesson model 17-3 in today and right away I couldn't wait to try the trigger. I loaded up some snap caps and fired away - single action. What a sweet single action trigger too! Then of course I had to try the double action trigger pull. Snap, snap, .... Nothing. The trigger would come back just a little bit and the hammer would start to move back but it felt like it hit a wall and wouldn't go any further. I couldn't pull the trigger at all beyond that. I let off the trigger and tried again and nothing. I tried pulling the hammer back as if to fire it in single action and that worked. No matter what - single action always works. But ocasionaly double action jams up.

I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled it - put it back together but still the same problem. I might get anywhere from 6 to 12 shots fine but eventually one comes up where it kinks up and won't go. I counted cylinder movement to see if it was the same chamber every time thinking it could be a ratchet/hand (pawl) issue but it was consistently a different chamber. This leads me to think maybe a sear issue .... I don't know. I'm no gunsmith.... But I'm very disappointed with my new toy not being fully operationally.

Any ideas?????
 
+1, or see if the end of that screw is shiny- that would tell you it's been ground down. When I got mine, the main spring strain screw was all the way in and tight- but it showed the same symptoms as yours. When I saw the end of the screw, I knew it had been ground down. Why? Who knows.
 
I can't see how the strain screw (or mainspring tension) would jam the action, especially just the DA.

It might be as simple as the rounds not being fully seated because of dirt in the chambers, or crud in the recesses of the charge holes. Those 17s can be pretty tight. Once the snap caps are in and the cylinder's closed, slightly pull the hammer and trigger back with your thumb and trigger finger respectively, to release the cylinder stop, then give the cylinder a "check spin" to fully seat the rounds. Then try the DA.

If it's not this, it could be something internal, such as a DA sear that needs some fitting. If it's too long, it could jam the DA action. If it's something internal, your best bet is a gunsmith.
 
I did foul with the main spring strain screw finding no position that bettered the situation. But after a few more disasembles, close examination of parts for burs, and having found nothing out of the norm I became frustrated and thought I'll just hose it with oil. Certain that this wouldn't help because I felt I had oiled it enough already I took out a can of rem oil and sprayed til she dripped. Put the plate on and no problems. I wiped off excess as it can out of the gun but that seemed to do it. Maybe it needed more than I thought would've been acceptable with all my other guns.
 
Smiths aren't usually that finicky.....and they usually work from the factory just fine. The sear and hammer would have been carefully fitted at the factory, so unless someone buggered with the parts, that's probably not it. I think the "hosing it with oil" is the telling point.

Probably some crud in the action, which got washed out when the OP sprayed it down.

As it happens, I "hose down" my revolvers with Ballistol, after disassembly....then blow out the excess with compressed air. Seems to work.
 
I just got the gun. Won it off gun broker. I've only clicked it with snap caps (yellow plastic anchors) so today I'm going to shoot it with live ammo. I will see if fouling build up cause the problem to return or if it's solved. Trigger time will tell.
 
a little clarification...

Is it brand new? Did you buy it new or used off of GunBroker?

Did you "take it apart" before you started? What exactly does that mean to you? Does "take it apart" mean you removed the side plate and internal parts?
 
K-22

I got a K-22 new when I was a kid. We couldn't believe the accuracy compared
to 22s we were use to. Being a gun family we took great care in cleaning it. My
dad bought a whole brick of 22lr, this was big deal in 1964. We were shooting
k-22 at about 750 rd approx, gun suddenly locked up. Dad said don't force it,
we'll take to smith. We all felt like idiots when it turned out to be carbon on
end of cylinder where ejector rod is.
 
Sure you're not short-stroking it on trigger return and jamming the bolt and hand? Not hard to do on a DA you're unfamiliar with.

Mike
 
Before trying to fix it or take it to a gunsmith, get a can of spray cleaner, like Ballistol or G96 Gun treatment. Take off the grips, cock the hammer and spray the inside of that gun, in front of the hammer and in front of the trigger.

Let the gun drain. See what happens.

Jim
 
Thank you all for your suggestions. And all of your suggestions were good things to look for. When I mentioned I took the gun apart I meant full dissasembly with the exception of the cylinder stop and cylinder latch. Couldn't find a bad part. The oil trick did not really help I found when using live ammo. Short stroking the trigger was not the case - eventually to problem appeared when cocking hammer for single action too.

I finally noticed that as the hammer is pulled, the cylinder stop came down but slipped out of engagement with the trigger early and bounced right away back into the cylinder notch it had just left before the cylinder had time rotate causing the cylinder to be unable to rotate. Romaval of the cylinder stop and comparison to the one in my model 19 showed it had been filed on and too short to hold proper engagement/timing with the trigger. A new one was bought yesterday but was too long and prevented to trigger from returning/reset. Some stoning over hours brought the part into correct length that not only stayed in engagent long enough for function but also allowed the trigger to reset after fireing the shot. Lock up is tight and solid with the new cylinder stop. Back to the range today to try some live ammo....again. Function testes were good.

When buying an older used gun you may very well be buying someone else's problems.
 
Blame it on all the would be gunsmiths whose skills are largely imaginary.
Fortunately, not too many attack revolvers.
Think of all those home made ARs and 1911s that must be out there, just waiting for an unsuspecting buyer.
 
If you have replaced the cylinder stop, you may have affected the timing of the revolver. If you don't know how to check it, I'd have a S&W-qualified gunsmith check it.
 
Howdy

Well, I must say I am impressed. Your first time out and you not only were able to take a Smith apart and get it back together again, but you were able to fit a new part!

Now, a couple of suggestions.

Before firing it, make sure the timing is OK.

1. With the gun unloaded, very slowly cock the hammer while exerting a little bit of drag on the cylinder with a finger. The cylinder should lock up just a teeny bit before the hammer goes to full cock.

2. Do the same thing in double action. Slowly pull the trigger while exerting some drag on the cylinder. Prevent the hammer from falling by keeping your thumb on the hammer spur and ease the hammer down. The cylinder should lock up just before, or as the hammer is released.

If the gun fails either of these tests, it is out of time and really should be examined by a qualified professional gunsmith who is thoroughly familiar with S&W revolvers.

Another tip: These guns left the factory with a bare minimum of lubrication inside. You mentioned you poured lots of oil inside at one point. That is really unnecessary and may prove detrimental. Excess oil can attract dirt, and over time it can harden, restricting the movement of the parts. If it wuz me, I would open it up one more time and thoroughly douse the parts with a solvent such as lacquer thinner or paint thinner to remove all oil, then I would go back and very sparingly relubricate the parts with just a thin film of oil to prevent rust, and just a teeny drop at each point where two parts rub against each other. If it wuz my gun, that is what I would do.

I suggest you buy a copy of the book that was recommended to you in another post. It is the best book on the market about S&W revolvers. It covers disassembly, reassembly, trouble shooting, and fitting parts. It really is the best book on the market and well worth the price.

Finally, cheer up. I have been buying used S&W revolvers for a long time, and I seldom encounter one that has an actual problem. As long as they are not manhandled by hamfisted amateur gunsmiths, a modern S&W revolver will last for a lifetime.

Question: Were the sideplate screws buggered up at all when you bought it?
 
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In my experience when a revolver fails to function at least 90% of the time something needs to be cleaned. I saw a $400 revolver on a table at a show tagged at $100 with a note saying "action frozen." I threw a C note on the table as fast as I could and scurried home with the gun. Poured some solvent down the hammer opening and just as I thought a bunch of hardened grease came oozing out. Worked fine after cleaning.
 
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