I need an expert S&W pistol smith to fix my gun

[Swagerman]

Have 2nd model S&W HE in .44 special, this gun is extremely valuable to me as its accuracy is about the best I've own. It is also a conversion that was once a .455 brit WW-1 gun.

I was able to procure a 5 inch S&W barrel and cylinder, both were in .44 spl. The Texas gunsmith did a fantastic job of polishing and refinishing the firearm, but the headspace was not good and most of my reloads would not rotate in the heas-space he provided. There was also a lot of end-shake.

As it cost $45 one way to ship by UPS I elected not to send it back to him. Instead hunted for local Wisconsin gunsmith. It was a crap-shoot and I sevened out with the one I found. He opened up the head-space but this moved the cylinder forward enough so the cartridges could rotate. But he also removed too much from the barrel breach causing excessive cylinder gap.

Now I've got powder residue and lead splatter that is really bad bouncing off the underside of the frame's top-strap and the little indentation scoop S&W put there.

This splatter builds up a horrindous amount of lead crap that deposits itself on the high forward points between the cylinder flutes. It is difficult to clean off and in time will take the bluing off doing it.

So, need an expert S&W pistolsmith who can resolve this problem once and for all. Can anyone recommend one in northern Wisconsin or nearby state.

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Can the extractor button that closes into the head-space breach area be made to push the cylinder even further forward thus reducing the barrel / cylinder gap?
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Or should the barrel be removed and have the shoulder lathe turned to set the barrel further back toward the cylinder thus tightening up the cylinder gap?

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Here is a pix of my fine old gun, its a fantastic accurate firearm. It's the top revolver in the picture, the bottom gun is same model in .45 Colt.

Swagerman

[Gunload Master]

Great looking pistols, I am sure there is someone out there that can help you with this in a very nice manner, and I hope you get some good information.

[Swagerman]

Thank you, Gunloadmaster. I hope things can be smooth from here on out -- and indeed I can locate a special skilled smith.

I'm not capable of doing the work myself, my health is not all that great. Its hard for me to even get out to the shooting range, especially this time of year as the tempatures are already in the 30's up here.

May have to wait until next spring to shoot, but that gives me time to get the gun fixed.

Thanks again for your kindness and consideration.


Swagerman

[Bret4207]

Having seen the previous and deleted posts I'll just be repeating what advice you've already been given. Bite the bullet and send it off to reputable firm. For some things, like nice old Smiths, it's better to go the right route rather than hoping for the best with an unknown 'smith. If you don't want to do that then I'd suggest picking up a Shotgun news or Gun List and contacting those 'smith within your locality. Ask for refrences and talk to other customers who have had similar work done in the past. The barel is going to have to be set back and hopfully the cylinder and crane aren't boogered to the point of replacement being needed. It's not clear why you had the headspace problem in the first place, but you're not going to get out of this unless someone qualified fixes it. Have you considered trading the gun or using it for a down payment on what you really want?

[Swagerman]

I admit to giving a local gunsmith a chance to fix the gun. I hope the gun friends out there will forgive me for taking that chance on a nobody working on my gun.

In fact, the gun was sent to me by a Texas gunsmith who has done excellent restoration work on two other old S&W guns for me...but this one came home as a problem child with end-shake and headspace problems. The local smith did indeed fix the head-space problem but left me with a barrel gap problem.

Now, as to what I can do about it is uncertain at this time, but I will not hesietate to ship it around the world if I have to for it being repaired.

Will not sell this gun as it is too accurate and beautiful an old piece. In time I hope to find someone who will do the qaulity work it takes to set the barrel back a thread or so...thus, closing the gap so it don't lead splatter anymore.

BTW, found out the reason it lead splatters is the gap is presently .20 and normal is about .05 or .06 gap.

I have a 3rd model HE .44 special to use until I get this old revolver perking again. However, I fear that the fall / winter season is upon us up here near Lake Superior freezer door way -- and its too late to worry about going shooting until next spring.

Swagerman

[Swagerman]

OK, its had its barrel taken down one thread, the cylinder gap has gone from .020 to .005, and 16 test rounds fired with no lead splatter.

As soon as the weather permits and hunters stop crowding the gun ranges I'll take it out for a test shoot.

Though the snow and cold may force me to wait until next spring.

Thanks for all the advice from all parties, but my main problem was finding the right qualified person to work on the gun. It was done by a master machinest who charged me nothing, but I left a nice gift for him with his daughter.

Jim

[9.3X62AL]

So--headspace is good......barrel/cylinder gap is reasonable.......no more lead splatter. If accuracy was unaffected or improved, I'd say it's been handled.

44 revolvers have a special place in my heart, too. I understand.

[Swagerman]

Thanks, Deputy Al. Its finally been handled properly and for that I'm truly grateful that a gent who knew his stuff came through with the good fix.

Now I've got over six inches of white stuff and the temps are seldom above 30 degrees, mostly around 10 to 20. Really frost me that I can't make it to the shooting range for the test shoot. I'm looking at April or May as a target date.

But that's par for the course up here.

Swagerman

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Mischief managed, in this case. But for anybody else with a revolver which is otherwise well set up, it would probably be worth buying a .44 chamber reamer, and extending the headspace of the chambers one by one.

[Swagerman]

BIS, I think you are onto something there, chamber reaming the entry ports of the cylinder's extractor area would indeed make for more head space.

Too bad the smith who first worked on this revolver didn't think of that before he messed with the head space and loused up the cylinder gap to .020 thousands he removed from the barrel breach. That extreme gap caused lead splattering on top of the forward area of the cylinder's outer fluke's bluing.

However, alls well that ends well, I've got the 2nd model .44 back to a .005 thousands cylinder gap and the head space has been improved as well. This last person (a machinest) even fixed the end-shake.

The .44 special cartridge brass of different brands has been pointed out to have verying rim thickness. I've taken the time to check about 300 pieces for proper fit in this 2nd model's cylinder, and found that about a dozen needed a very slight trim on their rims...this was done with a small mini-lathe.

Such imformation as yours might very well help the next fellow who has head-space or cylinder gap problems.

Thank you for your imput.

Swagerman.

[dahermit]

The .44 special cartridge brass of different brands has been pointed out to have verying rim thickness.

Winchester .44 spl. brass had a problem with variance in their rim thickness back in the late '60's. I obtained a new S&W 5-shot .44 spl. a short few years ago and had the cylinder tie up after a few shots. Much to my distress, found the Winchester rims all over the place thickness wise. Bought some Remington .44 spl. brass, all rims measured the same, sticky cylinder problem was fixed. I am VERY disappointed that Winchester did not solve thier quality control problem with the .44 spl. brass after all these years. I could get the Win. brass to shoot without tying up the cylinder in an older .44 spl. with the old system of rebated chambers.
regards, dahermit