Timing The Cylinder Stop

[cking]

On the new smiths with the mim cylinder stop the timing is very fast.

It pulls down the cylinder starts and then it pops right back up dragging for most of the way around the cylinder.

However the oversize stop I got stays down a lot longer, still comes up in plenty of time.

For fast action shooting do I need the quick release with the cylinder drag, or will the slower relase be fine.

One of my manuals talks about bending the trigger nose to correct timing.

[Waltermitty]

On the new smiths with the mim cylinder stop the timing is very fast.

It pulls down the cylinder starts and then it pops right back up dragging for most of the way around the cylinder.

However the oversize stop I got stays down a lot longer, still comes up in plenty of time.

For fast action shooting do I need the quick release with the cylinder drag, or will the slower relase be fine.

One of my manuals talks about bending the trigger nose to correct timing.

I'm not really qualified to answer, but I hate to see your question go unanswered. As long as the stop pops up before the lead in to the cylinder notch, I wouldn't fool with it. You won't be able to out run it. I can't outrun my oversized stop and I'm pretty snatchy on the trigger.

[pskys2]

Hey Waltermitty, what's the split times needed to be "Snatchy". Like the terminology.

Can you outrun being snatchy? Does it help to be s...natcherlly fast? Is there any hope for the rest of us?

[Waltermitty]

Hey Waltermitty, what's the split times needed to be "Snatchy". Like the terminology.

Can you outrun being snatchy? Does it help to be s...natcherlly fast? Is there any hope for the rest of us?

Actually, I use it as a term of derision. Yanking the trigger might be more common. It is the Anti-smooth trigger pull where I hit the trigger so hard the cylinder slams into the stop even if I stop pulling halfway through the stroke.

On a smooth pull the hand would stay in contact with the star (more or less) and the trigger/stop timing would follow suit. But when I enter the "un-smooth zone" the cylinder is actually on the stop waiting for me to catch up with the hammer and the rest of the stroke because I banged it so hard to start with. If the trigger/stop timing were very slow, the cylinder could concievably roll past the stop to the next chamber before the stop popped up.

I have had throw-by, but not because of timing. That's a whole 'nother story.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

One of my manuals talks about bending the trigger nose to correct timing.

There are four adjustments I know of for a cylinder stop. None of them are on the trigger.

Regards,

[pskys2]

WalterMitty, I've been a jerk many times too!

I have an old book on Pistolsmithing by Nolte that talks of heating and bending the hand. That was before quality OS Hands though.

[cking]

There are four adjustments I know of for a cylinder stop. None of them are on the trigger.

Regards,

Well what are they? Far as I can see in my s&W the only thing that activates the cylinder stop is the trigger nose?

when trigger nose pulls it down, how long does it keep it down. You can fiddle with ramp on the stop to release sooner.

The old school talks about tunning the stop so that it doesn't come up until just before the cylinder notch, all the new smith I've looked at it just stays down for short part of the trigger stroke. Which leads to the line around the cylinder.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

There are four adjustments I know of for a cylinder stop. None of them are on the trigger.

Regards,

Well what are they? Far as I can see in my s&W the only thing that activates the cylinder stop is the trigger nose?

Cylinder stop is adjusted on the Bevel, the ball, the point, and the slot. A little can be done with the spring. Stope should move freely in four directions every time the trigger is pulled. It is difficult to explain on a forum. Requires pictures and demonstration along with proper shaped files and stones.

Regards,

[bountyhunter]

On the new smiths with the mim cylinder stop the timing is very fast.

It pulls down the cylinder starts and then it pops right back up dragging for most of the way around the cylinder.

However the oversize stop I got stays down a lot longer, still comes up in plenty of time.

For fast action shooting do I need the quick release with the cylinder drag, or will the slower relase be fine.

One of my manuals talks about bending the trigger nose to correct timing.

I'm not really qualified to answer, but I hate to see your question go unanswered. As long as the stop pops up before the lead in to the cylinder notch, I wouldn't fool with it.

I'm qualified to answer. The most important thing to check is how far DOWN the cylinder stop goes into the frame as you slowly pull the trigger. It should go a bit below the top edge of the frame slot, but NOT so low that it goes below the lower (inside) edge of the frame slot because then it may hang up there.

To reduce the amount that it "descends", you take a bit of metal off the nose of the stop that the trigger pushes against as it starts to pull. Go slow, it doesn't take much.

If the stop drops smoothly, lowers to about the right depth, and pops back up...... that's all there is to it.

FYI, if you look at the total rotation of the cylinder: I recall, the stop is "out of touch" with the cylinder for about the first 40% of the radial distance between the cylinder cuts that the stop locks into. In other words, it should pop back up and ride the cylinder a bit before the cylinder has turned half way to the next slot.

However the oversize stop I got stays down a lot longer, still comes up in plenty of time.

One of my manuals talks about bending the trigger nose to correct timing.

First: the gunsmith's law is always screw around with the cheaper part... which is definitely the stop, not the trigger. You can round the nose of the stop and get it to come back up faster if that's your desire. IMHO, you don't need to.

Second: all SW triggers are case hardened and have a brittle surface. I can not imagine bending one without heating it, and heating it would ruin the hardness. I don't recommend bending any part of a trigger or hammer.

The old school talks about tunning the stop so that it doesn't come up until just before the cylinder notch,

That's not how they were designed to work.

all the new smith I've looked at it just stays down for short part of the trigger stroke. Which leads to the line around the cylinder.

That IS how they were designed to work.

[cking]

OK after lots of fiddling here's what I found.

The oversize cylinder stop was soft. So I hardened it and now it is fine. However when fitting one, you can make them too tight. IT needs a little play in the frame and little play in the cylinder slots. Enough so you can just feel the some slack in cylinder rotation.

Cut your single action sear at 90 degrees to trigger bevel and you get a nice clean and not to light pull about 2.5 pound mine ended up at.

Time you double action sear after you fiddle with rebound fitting.

If the hand binds on all cylinders fit the hand by narrowing the tip, If only couple cylinders bind fit the star.

The washers work good for centering the hammer and trigger.

The oversized cylinder stopped timed out so that it rises to cylinder about half way through the stroke.

Also there are two different hand springs both are .030 but one is much heavyer than the other. The light one works just fine.

I like the miculek springs with C&S extended firing pin.

One other thing I found with timing the cylinder latch. Get it to come back up fast. I thought I had my timed perfect. It didn't popup till you were about half way to next cylinder. That works fine for most shooting. However if you really speed things up, like as fast as you can pull the trigger. It will overrun the next stop. The cylinder get going so fast from first hit of the hand that goes right past the cylinder lock before it had chance to come back up.

Hope this helps somebody else out there.

Edited June 7, 2006 by cking