A pair of 25-2's

[sgtis108]

I have a pair of 25-2's neither carry up while slowly pulling the trigger double action.

I replaced the hands with the over sized power hands, but they still DCU. This tells me the ratchets are worn.

What are my options from here?

[pskys2]

Probably a new extractor star. The older ones are a little trickier to set up than the new, non-pinned, versions.

Did you get a window file and open the hand window, or did you stone down the hand to fit the window.

A true Powers OS Hand will need one or the other.

With my 625 I put in a new star, rather than file the window any. Once filed can't be put back!

I'm sure Carmoney or Toolguy will chime in with more details.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Remove the cylinder and clean the barrel of the yoke. when checking for DCU use dummy loads not empty cylinder.

[sgtis108]

I stoned the hand to fit the window. I cleaned the yoke barrel and used dummy rounds.

Can a star be fit to the old style cylinder? That's really what I'm driving at.

Where does one get the old style star?

I've worked on a ton of k-frames, (Armorer at a prison for several years) I either replaced the hand with an over sized, or put a new style cylinder in the gun and used a ratchet cutter to fix this issue.

This is my first real experience with N-frames. Over sized hand didn't work, and I can't just go to my parts bin and grab a new style cylinder and cut the ratchets.

Thanks

[pskys2]

I stoned the hand to fit the window. I cleaned the yoke barrel and used dummy rounds.

Can a star be fit to the old style cylinder? That's really what I'm driving at.

Where does one get the old style star?

I've worked on a ton of k-frames, (Armorer at a prison for several years) I either replaced the hand with an over sized, or put a new style cylinder in the gun and used a ratchet cutter to fix this issue.

This is my first real experience with N-frames. Over sized hand didn't work, and I can't just go to my parts bin and grab a new style cylinder and cut the ratchets.

Thanks

Sure, the only touchier issue is the Hand may need to be trimmed for length. I've not run into it, but the info came with a Powers Kit.

Try Brownells or Numrich Arms.

I'd definitely do that before changing the window. And if you do decide to widen the window, Brownells sells a file specifically for that.

[sgtis108]

I stoned the hand to fit the window. I cleaned the yoke barrel and used dummy rounds.

Can a star be fit to the old style cylinder? That's really what I'm driving at.

Where does one get the old style star?

I've worked on a ton of k-frames, (Armorer at a prison for several years) I either replaced the hand with an over sized, or put a new style cylinder in the gun and used a ratchet cutter to fix this issue.

This is my first real experience with N-frames. Over sized hand didn't work, and I can't just go to my parts bin and grab a new style cylinder and cut the ratchets.

Thanks

Sure, the only touchier issue is the Hand may need to be trimmed for length. I've not run into it, but the info came with a Powers Kit.

Try Brownells or Numrich Arms.

I'd definitely do that before changing the window. And if you do decide to widen the window, Brownells sells a file specifically for that.

I've tried Brownells, no luck there, they do have the new style. I have a window file I just don't want to use it. The only time I've ever used it was replacing a cylinder stop.

I'll try Numrich.

[pskys2]

They actually make one for the Cylinder Stop and one for the Hand Window I believe. Crooked little things with safe edges.

Try Numrich Arms http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

They've always had older parts.

[Toolguy]

You have to file the hand window wider towards the center pin so the wider hand will fit. A wider hand makes up for the ratchets being worn down. Now you need to get 2 more oversized hands and file the hand windows so the new hands will fit in and slide up and down freely without binding. Then when you try to turn the cylinder with the new hand, it will probably be too wide and the trigger won't pull all the way. Then you file down just the nose of the hand only on the ratchet side to where they just slide past the ratchets without binding. You will not fix this without filing the hand window.

[sgtis108]

You have to file the hand window wider towards the center pin so the wider hand will fit. A wider hand makes up for the ratchets being worn down. Now you need to get 2 more oversized hands and file the hand windows so the new hands will fit in and slide up and down freely without binding. Then when you try to turn the cylinder with the new hand, it will probably be too wide and the trigger won't pull all the way. Then you file down just the nose of the hand only on the ratchet side to where they just slide past the ratchets without binding. You will not fix this without filing the hand window.

Thanks Warren, Is that a better solution than getting a new (old style) extractor and fitting it?

[Carmoney]

Sgtis108, you stated you installed the Power Custom oversize hands in your guns, right?

The aftermarket Power oversize hands are gigantic in every dimension--much bigger than the oversize hands put out by the factory. If you can pop one in your gun and it slides properly through the hand window, that tells me the hand window is already way oversized and the last thing you want to do is file it more. The only reason to file the window is to permit passage of a wider oversize hand, and you've already installed the widest hand available (the Power Custom) and the cylinder still won't carry up??

I think you're going to have to try to find some extractors and go that route. Your frames either have a lot of wear or somebody's gone crazy filing the hand windows in the past.

Normally, 25-2s don't exhibit carry-up problems very often (unlike the older guns in magnum calibers). I have five 25-2s and I have only had to replace the hand in one of them, and that gun has a lot of rounds through it. Even so, all it took was installation of a factory oversize hand--which the hand window was already able to accommodate smoothly without any filing.

[Toolguy]

He said he made the hand to fit the window, not wanting to make the window wider.

[Toolguy]

Thanks Warren, Is that a better solution than getting a new (old style) extractor and fitting it?

Yes - it's much easier and cheaper. It only takes a few minutes and you keep all the same parts except for the new hand.

[Carmoney]

He said he made the hand to fit the window, not wanting to make the window wider.

Ah, gotcha.

[sgtis108]

Would I be better to go with a factory oversized first if I'm going to open the window to match the hand. The Power custom hand is .103

The original hand that was .093.

The hand that I fit to the window is .099

Thanks

[Toolguy]

That depends on how much the ratchets are worn. Going from .093 to .099 is quite a bit. That much is likely to be enough. Don't be too scared of filing the hand window if needed. That is one of the few things that's pretty forgiving. If you go a few thou. more than the minimum it doesn't really matter. The main thing is that whatever hand is in there can move freely with no binding at any point.

The hand window file is different than the cylinder stop window file. It is good to have one of each to use the right tool for the job. I have never needed the csw file though, that window always gets peened bigger and has to be made skinnier back to original specs unless you are fitting an oversize cylinder stop, then it's usually big enough already.