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J Frame maintenance advice


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I have a SW 340 PD with several hundred rounds through it. I would like to take it apart, clean and lube it (BE Slide Glide). This would be my first time at this and I would like to actually get it back together properly. I do have screw driver bits that fit the screws. If anyone has advice or diagrams that would help it would sure be appreciated.

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I have a SW 340 PD with several hundred rounds through it. I would like to take it apart, clean and lube it (BE Slide Glide). This would be my first time at this and I would like to actually get it back together properly. I do have screw driver bits that fit the screws. If anyone has advice or diagrams that would help it would sure be appreciated.

Carmoney on this forum is well known in revolver circles and is a well known competitor. He is just as well known as a revolver smith and he is among the best. Look him up on this forum. He has given excellent advise on maintaining revolvers on this forum. A relatively new revolver with no more rounds down the tube than you mentioned is just broken in good. I would not mess with it at all unless it has developed problems that have occurred recently.

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You're going to want to clean it eventually, might as well learn now. Some type of rebound spring tool would be helpful but not absolutely necessary. You'll need some type of pin to capture the hammer spring (a small allen wrench works well). Have a clean work area and keep the gun over it. With the newer Smiths, things tend to fall out if you are not careful. Check out the youtube videos, go slow, don't force anything. Best case would be if you had someone to coach you through it in person. I would recommend that you leave the cylinder stop in place, leave the hand on the trigger, and leave the sear in the hammer. All have small springs that are easily lost and can be troublesome to replace.

Climate and geography will be a factor in your choice of lube. I've used Slideglide light since it came out and cold has never affected performance.

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I just got a virtually new 342. First thing I do is take a new (to me or nib) gun apart. There was a nice 1/8" square scandium chip inside from the frame machining, The cylinder/yoke was lubed with what seemed to be asphalt, with the cylinder open you could turn it but not spin it. There was "sticky", like tape residue on the yoke where it went into the frame making it really stiff to swing out. Maybe the parts were taped together to keep them together during the build process? No other lube anywhere. The yoke end was out of square, maybe 30% contact with the cylinder face, it would have developed endshake real fast. It's worth taking them apart when you first get them.

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You should learn how to take a S&W revolver apart, it's not all that hard. The other guys gave some good advice, here's some more:

-Use a hammer or screw driver handle to gently bang on the grip frame to loosen the sideplate after you take the screws out.

-Work in a clean, open area over a white rag so you can see what falls out. DO NOT work over a garbage can.

-Place empty rounds in the cylinders when you loosen/tighten the ejector assembly so you won't stress the star. Remember, opposite thread, righty LOOSEY, lefty TIGHTY!

-On the newer J-frames the hammer return rod (small rod that mates with the rebound slide to return the hammer) just sits in the hammer and can fall out when disassembling. It looks like a dog bone with one end missing. The large end goes into the hammer, the small end mates with a divot in the rebound slide.

-To get the hammer off you have to rotate it to the right spot for it to clear the frame window, remember with the cylinder out the bolt (the piece the thumbpiece is attached to, that you push forward to open the cylinder) will block the hammer from moving back. Push the thumbpiece forward and gently pull the hammer backward while pulling it up off the hammer stud.

-To get the trigger out pull the sear out of it's window (the long, flat piece on the hammer that comes through the hole to push the cylinder around) while gently pulling the hammer back & up off it's stud.

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Good advice R112mercer, except for a couple of details.

In #5, you have to pull the thumbpiece back to let the hammer go back. The thumbpiece is already forward with the cylinder out.

In #6, you pull the hand back out of it's window, it's attached to the trigger.

I am only writing this post to clarify for other readers. It looks like you knew what you were talking about but just typed it wrong.

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I have a SW 340 PD with several hundred rounds through it. I would like to take it apart, clean and lube it (BE Slide Glide). This would be my first time at this and I would like to actually get it back together properly. I do have screw driver bits that fit the screws. If anyone has advice or diagrams that would help it would sure be appreciated.

STOP!! Bill N. is right--don't put Slide Glide or any other grease in a revolver action, especially one that you might need to rely upon for self-defense.

Do yourself a big favor and don't take your gun apart. Seriously. Clean the gun externally, including brushing the chambers and bore, make sure everything is clean and dry under the extractor, and that's it. Maybe put one drop of synthetic motor oil on the yoke barrel where the cylinder turns. I wouldn't even put oil in the action--you really don't need it on a carry gun.

FYI, in case anyone was wondering, I do follow my own advice on this! My primary carry J-frame (a S&W M-337) has never had its sideplate off! The yoke screw has never been loosened, the factory threadlocker is still in place. The gun functions perfectly, the DA is heavy but perfectly fine for a carry gun, and I know it's going to function in the unlikely event that I ever need it.

That's my advice.

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I have a SW 340 PD with several hundred rounds through it. I would like to take it apart, clean and lube it (BE Slide Glide). This would be my first time at this and I would like to actually get it back together properly. I do have screw driver bits that fit the screws. If anyone has advice or diagrams that would help it would sure be appreciated.

STOP!! Bill N. is right--don't put Slide Glide or any other grease in a revolver action, especially one that you might need to rely upon for self-defense.

Do yourself a big favor and don't take your gun apart. Seriously. Clean the gun externally, including brushing the chambers and bore, make sure everything is clean and dry under the extractor, and that's it. Maybe put one drop of synthetic motor oil on the yoke barrel where the cylinder turns. I wouldn't even put oil in the action--you really don't need it on a carry gun.

FYI, in case anyone was wondering, I do follow my own advice on this! My primary carry J-frame (a S&W M-337) has never had its sideplate off! The yoke screw has never been loosened, the factory threadlocker is still in place. The gun functions perfectly, the DA is heavy but perfectly fine for a carry gun, and I know it's going to function in the unlikely event that I ever need it.

That's my advice.

I agree 100% Leave it alone. It certainly doesn't need tinkering with at this point. I bought my first revolver 40 years ago, and currently own and shoot dozens of them. Never have had the need to take the side plate of any of them and they all shoot 100% reliably. You wanna tinker go work on your car or truck :D

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I can't make purtty hammers like Carmoney, but I've taken enough revolvers apart to totally agree with him. You don't need to take the side plate off. If you put as many rounds through it as a competition gun you might need to dig deeper. But for a carry gun, I believe in just enough lube to shoot a box of ammo or less.

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I leave taking the side plate off for the gunsmiths. EVERYTIME I take off the side plate of any revolver it takes me hours and sometimes money to get put back together. So after 2-3 times fiddling with them even watching video's and having magazines with detailed pictures and still can't get it all back together and functioning I just leave em alone.

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I leave taking the side plate off for the gunsmiths. EVERYTIME I take off the side plate of any revolver it takes me hours and sometimes money to get put back together. So after 2-3 times fiddling with them even watching video's and having magazines with detailed pictures and still can't get it all back together and functioning I just leave em alone.

:roflol:

A man must know his limits, and there is no reason to mess with stuff that don't need messing with! :goof:

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You should learn how to take a S&W revolver apart, it's not all that hard. The other guys gave some good advice, here's some more:

-Use a hammer or screw driver handle to gently bang on the grip frame to loosen the sideplate after you take the screws out.

-Work in a clean, open area over a white rag so you can see what falls out. DO NOT work over a garbage can.

-Place empty rounds in the cylinders when you loosen/tighten the ejector assembly so you won't stress the star. Remember, opposite thread, righty LOOSEY, lefty TIGHTY!

-On the newer J-frames the hammer return rod (small rod that mates with the rebound slide to return the hammer) just sits in the hammer and can fall out when disassembling. It looks like a dog bone with one end missing. The large end goes into the hammer, the small end mates with a divot in the rebound slide.

-To get the hammer off you have to rotate it to the right spot for it to clear the frame window, remember with the cylinder out the bolt (the piece the thumbpiece is attached to, that you push forward to open the cylinder) will block the hammer from moving back. Push the thumbpiece backward and gently pull the hammer backward while pulling it up off the hammer stud.

-To get the trigger out pull the hand out of it's window (the long, flat piece on the hammer that comes through the hole to push the cylinder around) while gently pulling the hammer back & up off it's stud.

Edited to correct for my boobery, thanks for catching that Warren!

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I have a SW 340 PD with several hundred rounds through it. I would like to take it apart, clean and lube it (BE Slide Glide). This would be my first time at this and I would like to actually get it back together properly. I do have screw driver bits that fit the screws. If anyone has advice or diagrams that would help it would sure be appreciated.

I have the same gun. Agree - do not take it apart.

Our guns have a reputation for cracking the Scandium frame following many .357 Magnum loads. An internet search should show you where they usually crack.

If you are determined to go over the gun, I'd get some very mild solvent - like Gunscrubber, and de-grease the areas of the frame where cracks typically appear.

I shot an ICORE match with it once. Shot the whole thing from a pocket holster (as I carry that way). It was eye-opening; my gun has the early Titanium cylinder and it was quite "sticky" on the ejection of the .38 rounds I used (357 would have been worse).

I love to carry it, but I really hate shooting the thing.

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Meh... I have to tinker with everything I guess. So I took my 442 apart to slick it up and find that it doesn't really need anything done inside. It was really slick machined so I just "deactivated" the IL part the locks the hammer, put in about 3 drops of oil and closed it back up. I might try a lighter rebound spring later 'cuz the trigger is hella stout.

I agree on the grease. That's a no go. I used some Rig stainless steel grease on my 686 years ago. You only make that mistake once...

Edited by Shadowrider
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