S&W Revolver Timing

[Byron]

I understand how a revolver can go out of time through wear of the hand, etc. But why would a new gun be out of time? And how would it be fixed in that case? I've got a new N frame that is slightly out of time on a couple of chambers. Is there something about the very heavy cylinders on these guns that makes timing more difficult to achieve and maintain? (The timing is textbook perfect on my 617 K frame.)

I also wonder how far out of time is too far. If the problem is only apparent when the hammer is pulled back very slowly, and then only a tiny nudge is required to latch the cylinder, does that really matter?

 

[George Stringer]

Byron, this isn't at all uncommon in new revolvers. I've seen brand new Smiths and Colts badly out of time. It's just a product of mass production and lack of quality control. Timing and alignment are two different things. When a revolver is correctly timed the bolt should drop just as the trigger or hammer begins to move. Then the hand begins turning the cylinder. In your case I think it just a matter of your hand being a hair short. When you cock slowly the cylinder stops when the hand reaches the end of its movement. When you cock it more quickly inertia takes over the the cylinder contiues to turn until the bolt locks it. Yours sounds more like an alignment problem that timing. There are several ways to fix this. Since it is a new pistol I recommend sending it back to the factory. If you don't want to do that for whatever reason you could just replace the hand and hope that the new one will be long enough, you could replace it with an oversize hand and fit to the pistol or you could stretch the hand that you have now. This is done by peening the body, not the nose, of the hand at about the mid-point. It's a do a little and try it method but it works. George