(Sorry I took so long in getting this posted...)
A friend's .38 Special (Rossi 5 shot) revolver is having an issue with cylinder jamming. It can be banged loose against a hard surface and it will function again, but otherwise it is single action only.
Does anyone have any thoughts on why it is acting out?
It is about 50% reliable as a double action, and flawless as a single action.
I'm not very well versed in revolvers, so I wasn't much help. Any ideas?
Dirty chambers can cause it but that usually affects single action as well. Does it perchance happen only when the revolver gets hot?
ReplyDeleteAP,
ReplyDeleteCheck the cylinder latch, if the spring is weak, when the gun fires, it can actualy move the latch and prevent the cylinder from moving.
My guess (I was a Bravo, but never much of a revolver guy, so despite the 18B, my expertise is limited) would be that something is fouling the internal action (contrary to popular misconception, DA revolvers are hell-for more prone to malfunctions than autopistols).
ReplyDeleteND,
JM
My guess, without being able to inspect the firearm, is a trigger issue, most likely fouling or grit.
ReplyDeleteIf you pull the hammer back and it advances a cylinder just fine but are unable to get the same reliability by pulling the trigger the problem isn't in the cylinder it is in the trigger.
Check to see if the ejector rod is bent. It will not allow the centerpin to fully move back and push against the cylinder latch. This also keeps the hand from rotating the cylinder properly.
ReplyDeletePlease explain this in more detail.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say the cylinder is "jamming" in double action, what does this mean? (Fails to rotate/index/lock?)
Banging on the cylinder fixes the problem. How so?
What's happening during the DA cycle?
The problem could be anything from a weak cylinder stop spring to a fouled or worn hand.
Rossi revolvers (I've owned a few over the years)are near copies of Smiths, but the fit is typically inferior as is the metallurgy. If a thorough cleaning doesn't suffice, either take it to a competent smith or (pensive pause...) get a copy of Kuhnhausen's "The S&W Revolver: A Shop Manual" and try to diagnose it yourself.
Repairing it may be a simple matter of replacing a broken part or dressing down a burr. More than that, the frustrations of working on what amounts to a cheap copy of a Smith can quickly add up to the point where it's not worth owning the thing anymore.
Revolvers are complex and action timing is critical. It can be frightfully easy for a novice to FUBAR the works with a few careless file strokes. Bear this in mind before you order parts that require fitting.
(And please... never try to pry off a sideplate...)
To piggy back on Semper Fi's comment. If the ejector rod isn't tight(loosens) then the cylinder will be hard to open, I believe this part is reverse threaded(J-frame knockoff?). Unfortunately it isn't hard to bend the rod if that happens.
ReplyDeleteScofflaw
Are you using reloads? My Taurus .357 wouldn't rotate the cylinder properly because the primers were not seated deeply enough.
ReplyDeleteSince most people are right-handed, try firing the weapon double action left-handed. If it functions properly then you have a worn trigger issue. My BIL had a Charter Arms Bulldog in .38 Special with that problem. Dismantled the weapon and filed the trigger disconnect surface square again and it functioned flawlessly in either hand.
ReplyDeleteTold him not to fire it or trust it again and get rid of it asap.
My mom had a Taurus 605 in .357 Mag that would "tie up" when you would hold it level or pointing upwards. I took it apart, but could find nothing broken or loose.
ReplyDeleteIt would work fine - if you were pointing it at the ground. I had her send it to Taurus for repairs, and they wound up replacing it with a brand new one. Never did tell us what the problem was, though.
Rossi is a part of BrazTech, of which Taurus is a part of. Maybe you should send it in for warranty repairs?
A Rossi .38 revolver was my first handgun. The ejector rod would come loose causing the cylinder to bind. After a multiple attempts of keeping it tightened, it is now a vertical gravity enforcer (paperweight) for documents in my gun safe. It works OK but I have other toys to play with. 1st
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about revolvers, but I have never been afraid to use a tad blue loctite on those screws that won't stay seated.
ReplyDeleteNot an expert with repairing firearms, but I had a Colt and Charter that did the same thing and it was a burring issue with the pawls and spur. Having a gunnie smooth the action solved the problem.
ReplyDeleteStarting out with a quality firearm might help more than anything. I guess I'm just biased against cheap paper weights that used to be called Saturday night specials.
ReplyDeleteanon@1:48,
ReplyDeleteI actually know people who have had to get a Colt or S&W fixed too.
So tell me, do you drive a Porsche or Ferrari? Please don't tell me you drive some cheap american iron, that would be unbearable. In todays world, american cars are the bottom of the heap, kinda like a Saturdy night special.
We all drive what we can afford.