Double hit

[44man]

Shooting a friends model 29 with some heavy loads the other day showed primers with a double firing pin hit. One centered and a lighter one off to the side. Almost like the cylinder unlocked, rotated and the hammer rebounded from recoil.
I am thinking of a stronger cylinder lock spring. Any better ideas?

[beemer]

I had a 605 Tarus that had a weak cylinder lock spring. The cylinder would back up when heavy loads were fired. Mild 38 loads didn't cause any problems. When the hammer was cocked the fired chamber would rotate back to firing position. I fired a round SA and held the trigger back and checked the cylinder to see if it was locked up. About 1 out of 5 times the cylinder could be rotated back in place. A stronger spring solved the problem. Might not be your problem but it would be a place to start.

beemer

[nicholst55]

IIRC, that's one of the reasons that S&W came out with their 'enhanced' DX-series of revolvers some years ago - the cylinders on M29s and 629s were shown to actually be unlocking when firing heavy loads. I'm not sure what all was done to the DX guns to resolve that problem, but a web search would probably turn up something.

Edited to add: Check here - http://www.sixguns.com/range/SmithWesson44Mag.htm

[44man]

Good read. It says the new ones have a longer bolt and notch. It looks like all I can try is a stronger spring.
The gun never totally unlocked and rotated back to the fired chamber. The two strikes on the primer are only 1/16" or so apart. 280 gr boolits did not do it, only 320 and 330 gr boolits. We were just seeing how fast they were and if they would group, not a steady diet.
I had one of the first ones back in 1956 or 7 plus a bunch more including two of the silhouette models. I shot the devil out of them and never had one unlock or mark primers like this one.
The front sight on the sillywet guns were junk, never did get them to work.
The guns are also grip sensitive and it was nothing to shoot a 50 meter 1/2" group, put the gun down, pick it up and shoot another 1/2" group 10" away from the first one. I would center shoot the first 5 chickens and miss the next five. Sold them and went to Rugers. I shot a 79 out of 80 at Ohio state with the SBH. I also won the .22 state with a Mark II with 57 out of 60 with no sight settings at the start on the new gun. I had a good spotter!

[HeavyMetal]

I have an 8 3/8's nickel 29, pinned and recessed. I have actually seen the cylinder turn back wards during recoil!

Kind of a pressure watchdog if you will, loads start getting up there and I start getting "blanks" that have already been fired! I back off the load and the problem goes away!

Don't shoot the old girl as much now that I have a contender but the family loves it when I bring it out on fundays.

Suspect it's the same problem with the 29 you shot. Just out of curisoty was it a stiff charge of 296? Mine loves that stuff! But this will sure make it turn backwards in a hurry if I push the envelope!

[danski26]

I had a new 629 that unlocked and rotated backward with factory ammo. Shipped it back to smith and they said it was "within spec".

[44man]

Yes, 296, what else is there? :drinks:

[quasi]

300 gr.+ bullets in a 29? Thats what Redhawks are for!

[44man]

For sure, it was only a chrono test. We only shot a few of each.