CeeHoo
08-01-2021, 06:52 AM
Here is a new ten-shot Smith & Wesson 617-6 I purchased not much time ago. So far I've only fired a few test groups from a bench with different ammo and the revolver appears to be surprisingly accurate at 25 meters, despite its weird looking bore with grooves of inconsistent depth. Out of eight groups of five rounds, the best one was just below 1" (23mm), one was 1" (25mm) and one just above 1" (27mm). The rest of the groups were pretty much in 1.5-2" range. Only Lapua Center-X didn't work at all, the bullets keyholed and group size was 6". Still very little or no leading. All the chambers appear to be pretty much in alignment with the bore, both visually (with flashlight) and based on observations I had during the range session.
However, from early on I started to pay attention to the revolver's tendency to drop the cylinder stop very early during the rotation in SA mode. I think the stop pick-up is about right but according to Kuhnhausen's excellent S&W Shop Manual the S&W revolvers were traditionally timed so that the stop drop would take place at the beginning of the cylinder locking slot lead cuts. In my case the drop occurs only about 1 millimeter after the previous locking slot causing a cylinder turn line development just by cycling the action. The hand is capable to rotate the cylinder so that the stop positively engages in all cylinder locking slot locations before the hammer is cocked.
My question is, are the new S&W revolvers timed differently than the older ones or is the early drop a fallacy that should be taken care of? Thanks.
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00515/14996308.jpg
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00144/14996309.jpg
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00095/14996310.jpg
However, from early on I started to pay attention to the revolver's tendency to drop the cylinder stop very early during the rotation in SA mode. I think the stop pick-up is about right but according to Kuhnhausen's excellent S&W Shop Manual the S&W revolvers were traditionally timed so that the stop drop would take place at the beginning of the cylinder locking slot lead cuts. In my case the drop occurs only about 1 millimeter after the previous locking slot causing a cylinder turn line development just by cycling the action. The hand is capable to rotate the cylinder so that the stop positively engages in all cylinder locking slot locations before the hammer is cocked.
My question is, are the new S&W revolvers timed differently than the older ones or is the early drop a fallacy that should be taken care of? Thanks.
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00515/14996308.jpg
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00144/14996309.jpg
https://img.aijaa.com/b/00095/14996310.jpg