686, trigger shims and carryup

[bountyhunter]

When I put the new hand in, I also put a new extractor. It's a 686-5 so it's got the new(er) square extractor without the pins. I didn't do anything to it in terms of fitting. I re-read my OP and left that out. Sorry.

More details about this please. The extractors are fit to the gun at the factory. For a long time it was a factory only part.

Was the extractor factory new or used? What was your process of installing it? It should have been too tight to work with a standard hand if new. Did you narrow up the hand until it worked? The correct process is to cut each tooth until it fits a standard hand. The factory uses a hardened cutting hand for this.

I bought a used model 14 that had short carry up and when I went to check it, I saw that the factory smith had left the ratchets "full fat size" and stoned about .010" off the hand to thin it to match. That was great because I could easily tighten up the action using a standard hand.

[PatJones]

Don't forget to check carry up with fired cases in the cylinder.

If it carries up with cases in it, I would keep shooting it before I messed with it.

[jh9]

Don't forget to check carry up with fired cases in the cylinder.

If it carries up with cases in it, I would keep shooting it before I messed with it.

D'OH.

Yeah. I forgot to do that.

So even left handed it will behave with empties in it.

Now I feel like an idiot...

[PatJones]

Been there. Usually at least once a week.

[mojo1]

Here's a few things to check, does the cylinder sing (pull the trigger just a little and with the other hand spin the cylinder if it does not spin freely then remove the thumb release and check again)

check your center pin alignment,

the gun might be timing up as the hammer falls to check that you need a range rod, pull the trigger and let the hammer fall hold the trigger back, run the range rod down the barrel and check all chambers and check to see if the cylinder stop is engaged if you don't get cylinder strike and the cylinder stop is up run with it, but if you want it to strap up try a different hammer trigger combination, what you have is a easy if you have the extra parts, Smith & Wessons Armor shool say there's 51 known problems i say there's 52, i hope this helped.

Edited February 16, 2015 by mojo1

[Shadowrider]

The carryup is the same on all 6. Like, identical. Just *barely* not enough rotation to get the cylinder stop to click into place before the hammer falls.

I inherited a Model 19-5 that my dad bought new. It has only had maybe 300 rounds through it and it is the same exact way. I know he never had a screwdriver put to it, so it left the factory like that. It's fine shooting at speed.

[pcschwenke]

Try the same timing/ carry up test with dummy rounds in place. Some stars have slight movement without the cartridges in place.

[mojo1]

try the post from Feb 16, its a easy fix.

[1911Prof]

OK, I'm really new at this so any input helps. Is the tension of the hand effected by the rebound spring/main spring tension? My S&W seems to time up OK when there is no drag on the cylinder or when there are dummy rounds in the chambers, but I noticed that when I reduced the spring tension and allow my thumb to drag on the cylinder (or ejector rod) the hammer will drop just prior to the cylinder stop locking up (in very slow DA). If I put the original springs back, the timing issues seem diminished. It also appears that sometimes (not all the time) when the trigger is pulled back slowly and just enough to get the cylinder stop down, the cylinder will not sing but rotate silently

Edited March 25, 2015 by 1911Prof

[Toolguy]

The tension of the hand is only affected by the hand spring and any binding of the hand in the frame. The "singing" is when the cylinder is spun and the hand is bouncing off the ratchets. If the cylinder is rotating silently, then the hand is not resting against the ratchets as it should be. It is supposed to freely move forward and backward, held in the forward position by the hand spring that is in the trigger.If the cylinder does not lock up before the hammer falls, it is said to have "late" timing. The hand needs to push the cylinder far enough for the cylinder stop to drop into it's notch before the hammer falls.

If the timing is too advanced the hand will push the cylinder past the point of alignment with the barrel. This is often the case when the cylinder is held very tightly between the hand and stop with the trigger held back. In that case you decrease the width of the hand at the tip on the center pin side so it doesn't push the cylinder over so far. I like to have just a tiny bit of movement of the cylinder when everything is locked up so nothing is being "forced". That allows for the bullet to enter the barrel more freely if the cylinder is not in perfect alignment to the barrel. (My theory).

[bountyhunter]

My S&W seems to time up OK when there is no drag on the cylinder or when there are dummy rounds in the chambers, but I noticed that when I reduced the spring tension and allow my thumb to drag on the cylinder (or ejector rod) the hammer will drop just prior to the cylinder stop locking up (in very slow DA).

That is a shade late but it's also probably how most SW's in the world work. As long as the cylinder locks in before the hammer falls with rounds in chamber under normal firing conditions (normal trigger pull), I don't work on it. It sounds like this gun is OK as is.