S&W Model 14 soured

[jonp]

frame stretch? cylinder gap maybe opened up? grasping at straws myself. you said you cleaned the chambers. how about the bore?

Frame stretch would not occur, I think, until cutting of the top strap was in evidence.

You don't say if he had a scope mounted when the "accuracy went away". The barrel didn't turn, did it?

My 14 shoots better than I can, that is for sure.

[TCFAN]

Hello Folks,

My friend brought his 6" Model 14 to me. He said that for more than 30 years it has been the most accurate revolver he has owned. Then one day recently the accuracy went away. The sudden change made me think of a crack. I took the revolver home and examined it under bright light with high magnification, and could find none. He said the gun has only fired 148 gr and 158 gr cast bullets loaded to target velocity. The only thing I found was some lead buildup in the chambers. I thoroughly cleaned the gun and mounted a 2x pistol scope (it was already drilled and tapped). Using leather sandbags on a concrete bench, five shot groups were between 2-1/2" and 3-3/4" at 25 yards. My own Model 14 shoots around one inch. I reexamined the gun last night and can find nothing amiss.

What else should I look for?

Thanks, Tom

I had a 14-6 that I bought new in 1998 that did the very same thing. I shot that gun for 19 plus years with nothing but cast wadcutters in 38 special WC cases using 3.2 grs of Bullseye.It was a very accurate revolver.Then one day I shot it and the accuracy was gone. The day before it shot normal. When the accuracy went it would not stay on a 2 foot piece of paper at 25 yards.It also started spitting lead.
So I sent S&W a e-mail and they sent back a prepaid shipping label. They had the gun for about 6 weeks before they called me on the phone and said that there was nothing they could do to fix it since they had no barrels in stock. They said they were going to scrape it and they would send me any handgun that I wanted for a replacement since my gun was covered under their life time warranty.So about 3 weeks later I got a new 686 that is every bit as accurate as my old 14-6..
If your friends model 14 is covered under their life time warranty maybe he should contact S&W and see what they say.

[Tatume]

Easy way to verify timing is with a Brownells range rod.

I've checked timing; it's good.

Put 6 stick on bullseyes on a target and mark the cylinder with a pencil. Shoot one at each bullseye with at least 3 cylinders indexing each time with your start line. Is one charge hole a problem or not. That gives you a point to go on.

I'm going to try this tomorrow.

[Tatume]

If it went from good to bad in short order, damage is likely the culprit. Did it get dropped? If landing on it's side, the cylinder stop and/or crane could be damaged. Does it still lock up tight? Any change from "before"? These are all I can think of if the crown looks good. When it went bad, had the owner changed ammo or load recipe?

All these things have been checked and are good. It had a red dot. I mounted a 2x scope. I've tried several types of ammo.

[Tatume]

Frame stretch would not occur, I think, until cutting of the top strap was in evidence.

You don't say if he had a scope mounted when the "accuracy went away". The barrel didn't turn, did it?

My 14 shoots better than I can, that is for sure.

It had a red dot. I put on a scope. The barrel has not turned; if it did the flat spot on the bottom would looked crooked. Besides, it's pinned.

[Tatume]

If your friends model 14 is covered under their life time warranty maybe he should contact S&W and see what they say.

If I don't figure it out this week I'll call S&W.

[Bookworm]

I had a 14-6 that I bought new in 1998 that did the very same thing. I shot that gun for 19 plus years with nothing but cast wadcutters in 38 special WC cases using 3.2 grs of Bullseye.It was a very accurate revolver.Then one day I shot it and the accuracy was gone. The day before it shot normal. When the accuracy went it would not stay on a 2 foot piece of paper at 25 yards.It also started spitting lead.
So I sent S&W a e-mail and they sent back a prepaid shipping label. They had the gun for about 6 weeks before they called me on the phone and said that there was nothing they could do to fix it since they had no barrels in stock. They said they were going to scrape it and they would send me any handgun that I wanted for a replacement since my gun was covered under their life time warranty.So about 3 weeks later I got a new 686 that is every bit as accurate as my old 14-6..
If your friends model 14 is covered under their life time warranty maybe he should contact S&W and see what they say.

I have a 14-3 (half lug), and a 14-6 (full lug). I wouldn't want to trade either one for ANY 686, much less a new one.

I do realize you were helpless in the decision, as S&W had your revolver. Such a shame.

[TCFAN]

I have a 14-3 (half lug), and a 14-6 (full lug). I wouldn't want to trade either one for ANY 686, much less a new one.

I do realize you were helpless in the decision, as S&W had your revolver. Such a shame.

I really hated to give up my 14-6 it was a great revolver.The 686 that they sent to me is every bit as good with a better trigger pull. So over all I was very pleased the way Smith took care of my needs.

[9.3X62AL]

I cannot think of any answers to this mystery that have not already been asked and eliminated. Maybe the barrel is at its end of accurate life, but that is hard to understand with a lifetime of lead bullets being used. Since it is a pin-barrel variant.......I don't think I would send the revolver back to S&W given the company's stated absence of replacement barrels. The receiver seems to be just fine, and a replacement barrel like those mounted on PPC custom revolvers seems like a better resolution for me. I am not jazzed about the multi-step front sights on those Aristocrat ribs, but a nice Patridge up front with a matched-up rear sight would suit me right to the ground. Even in my dotage, I cannot brook optics on a revolver or self-loading pistol.

[darne]

Are the grips solid to the frame. If the locating pin holes open up so will the groups. It may not be noticeable?

Hope this helps.

Dan

[Tatume]

Are the grips solid to the frame. If the locating pin holes open up so will the groups. It may not be noticeable?

Hope this helps.

Dan

I've tried three different sets of grips. No joy.

[Tatume]

Since it is a pin-barrel variant.......I don't think I would send the revolver back to S&W given the company's stated absence of replacement barrels. The receiver seems to be just fine, and a replacement barrel like those mounted on PPC custom revolvers seems like a better resolution for me.

This is sound reasoning. Thanks.

[jonp]

If I don't figure it out this week I'll call S&W.

I'll be interested in whether you get an answer someone here has not come up with. I can't imagine how many cast you would have to put down the barrel of a 14 to "shoot it out" but I'll wager very, very few would do it in a lifetime.

[MT Gianni]

I own a model 14 I had to have retimed. It was the opinion of the gunsmith that DA shooting, of which this gun saw a lot, was tougher on the timing than SA shooting by an exponential amount. Unless it has been dropped and the crown damaged it is probably timing.

[Char-Gar]

There are a finite number of things that could cause the revolver to turn sour. All of them have been discussed and in turn have been dismissed as not the problem. So, I am starting to think the revolver is not the main problem.

[DerekP Houston]

There are a finite number of things that could cause the revolver to turn sour. All of them have been discussed and in turn have been dismissed as not the problem. So, I am starting to think the revolver is not the main problem.

That should be easy to eliminate and it appears the OP already did. Put said gun in a rest and shoot without human interference.

[dubber123]

Same mount used with both optics? I would screw a factory rear sight on and give it a try.

[Petrol & Powder]

I think everyone has offered the likely problems and many have been eliminated.

I will relate an event that I experienced one time on a semi-auto pistol.

I had a Sig P220 that was a tack driver and then one day it just started shooting shotgun like patterns. The gun wasn't new but it was far from worn out. After much head scratching I finally found a small crack on the lug below the barrel. The only thing I could come up with was the possibility that the crack affected the lockup and therefore the consistency of returning to battery.
The crack was so small that I didn't see it at first but it was the only thing I could find wrong.
I related this story because it may be worth going back and re-examining the gun for cracks.

I also agree with Al, I wouldn't send it back to S&W and risk getting a newer gun as a replacement. I would attempt to fix it.

[Tatume]

Today I was working on the Model 14 again, still no joy. Just before I ran out of ammo I shot a target with my Model 686, the cylinder of which just came back from DougGuy. Twenty five yard target fired at twenty five yards, with my own cast bullets. The problem with the Model 14 revolver is the main problem.

[M-Tecs]

Don't know if the effects of this would be that severe but when the firing pin springs of a rifle get weak groups open way up.