Thoughts on SW 625 problem - no primer strike on 1 cylinder..

[smsdba]

SW 625 - .45 ACP, moonclips, bought used from a friend.

First day out with it and hit this problem:

Consistently fails to strike the primer on one cylinder, and occasionally on the one just behind it, in double action. In single action, no problems. This has occurred with different ammo and across several steel moonclips.

Not a light hit...the primer is virtually untouched...and if I pull the trigger several times around, still won't strike the primer. If I rotate the cylinder to queue up the unfired round and cock it, boom single action. If I take the same moonclip out and rotate it in the cylinder, boom, the round is fired double action.

Using Fed 150 LP primers in my reloads.

Not seeing anything different with this cylinder visually and no appreciable run out seen while spinning the cylinder and viewing from the side. Crane is true, not bent and doesn't wobble.

Any thoughts or similar experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks, smsdba

 

[Harry Bonar]

625 smith

Dear Shooter:
I'm weak on Smiths' so this is only a guess but it sounds to me that if this is in D.A. only you're slipping past that locking recess in the cylinder. If so, cycle the pistol slowly and make sure the locking bolt is actually locking each recess in the cylinder.
Smith is the best looking handgun on the market, or in the world, but are a weak operating system with a "black powder style" frame. We have had new Smiths and after a box of 44 mag Winchester through one the cylinder will be out of time 75% of the time - also, the 500 Smith, in a recent article, is firing twice in D.A. - the locking bolt detatching prematurely. No, I can't remember the article but it was in a nationally known gun mag.
If you test this and find it way out I'd send it back to Smith.
Harry B.

 

[smsdba]

Thanks Harry...

I have confirmed what you said regarding timing.

Put in .45 snap caps...when I pull the trigger slowly, everything's fine. When I started pulling it quickly, I noticed the cylinder was not positioned correctly on the suspect cylinder but seemed in between. And the snap cap for that cylinder showed primer strikes all over the face of the case bottom. (photo attached)

I'm examining the grooves in the cylinder that engage the stop, and some have a some metal chewed out. (photo)

Guess I'm looking at a new cylinder for $150.

Thanks.