I went to look at a .357 magnum revolver the day before last and was inspecting it closely like I do any used firearms I am interested in. I pulled the trigger on the empty cylinder and I held the hammer and let it down slowly as I am one of those people who does not like to drop a hammer on an empty cylinder or release a bow string that does not have an arrow in the bow. It is what I was taught a long time ago. With the trigger held back like this, and the hammer resting on the firing pin, you can then check to see if the cylinder locking bar under the cylinder is doing a good job and if the lock-up is tight. I did this five times as this was a five-shot pistol. Everything locked up nice and tight and there was no discernable wear, but one thing bothered me about this and it had nothing to do with the revolver I was looking at.

I went home and got out my stainless steel Taurus Mdl. 85 .38 spl., three inch barrel, five-shot revolver and started checking it. It was just as I had remembered it to be when inspecting the .357 magnum; the lock-up was sloppy. Upon further inspection, I also noticed axial play between the cylinder and ejector rod which should never be the case. I took it in to my local gun shop and they took out a brand new Taurus and compared actions between mine and the new one and confirmed my findings. I had them write up a repair ticket and paid them the $25.00 shipping to send it back to Taurus for warranty repair (They have a lifetime warranty on all their firearms.). It will be back in 3 to 6 weeks and at the very worst, they will have to replace the crane assembly, ejector assembly, cylinder, and locking bar assembly. At the very least, a locking bar, cylinder, and ejector rod.

What is important here is that I have had the revolver for a long time without looking for a similar one and had come to think that the play I had was normal for a large caliber revolver. I know my High Standard Sentinel Mark IV with the four inch barrel in a 9-shot .22 magnum caliber locks up solid when I go through the testing motions 9 times. The .38 has seen more use and is a larger cartridge with greater recoil on all the working parts.

If you own a revolver, especially a larger caliber one, take some time to check it out before you end up with a wear problem that could hurt you or destroy the firearm.

Good luck!

Bountyhunter

Well, mine are ok, at least for now! Actually could use a good dusting off. WHEW!!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Stargazer

"If we believe in absurdities, we shall commit atrocities - Voltaire"

My last wheelgun was a Webley MK 6 in unaltered .455 calibre. I used to scare everyone lobbing those huge 296 grain slugs downrange. A friend had the smaller .38-200 and discovered it had excessive headspace. A trip to a Birmingham trained gunsmith who restored fine Rigbys, Holland and Hollands, Westly-Richards etc. was most iluminating. He opened the action, laid the topstrap over a mandrel and gave it a smack with a mallet. The headspace was again perfect. Having a brit mechanic syncro my Minicooper S SU carbs with a brit pennie by ear fortunately prepared me for this insight.

Chris:

Your story reminds me of the unpatented micro adjusting tool we used to use on some of the automatic turret lathes when I worked at the Falk corporation in Milwaukee many years ago. It was a two pound ball pein hammer.

People who don't know would comment that it was stupid and abusive to the machinery what with all the micrometer adjusting capabilities available. Those of us that knew also knew that you could set one of those micro adjusting tools for .0005 inch cut and end up with .0015 inch cut after loosening the holder, adjusting the cut, and tightening the holder back down.

Science and technology are not perfect as both have determined that bumblebees can not fly.

Bountyhunter

I thought it was called a percussive adjusting tool, or percussive maintaince device? Sorry Chris but you can't have the best percussive adusting tool, as it causes cancer in California. Two pound lead mallet, every machinist learns that you won't leave a hammer mark on the machine when you whack the snot out of it with a lead mallet.