Problem I am having with SW625

Patriot

Patriot

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I am shooting my AR loads which along with the gun are uncannily accurate BUT!
(I don't know if I am having the same problem if I use the moon clips but I suspect I would.)

The problem
Occasionally after I shoot a round the cylinder doesn't seem to align properly with the
indexing mechanism and when I go to either pull the trigger which will index the round,
or I go to cock the hammer, the cylinder 'sticks' (misaligns with the indexing mechanism)
and prevents the indexing mechanism from moving the cylinder.

If I take and rotate the cylinder by hand just a skoosh, all is well and the cylinder will then
rotate. I thought perhaps that the process of shooting the previous round might be moving
the cylinder so that the alignment moves but I can't really tell. Any of you S&W revolver
gurus got any ideas? This also happens on a Ruger revolver that I have which is in a different
caliber. Unfortunately I love both guns and don't want to dump them. [smile]
 
Last edited:
It's out of time, that happens when the hand that comes up out of the frame which turns the cylinder wears down. You have to have a oversized hand installed.

Drop it off at David Santurri in North Attleboro it's a easy fix.
 
Yup, worn "hand" problem. It can be fixed by installing a new hand and retiming or the old hand might be able to be "peened" to make it a bit longer and then the revolver timed.

I bet if you shoot it single action and pull the hammer back smartly, it will engage the cylinder lock. This happens because the inertia of the cylinder will move it far enough to be caught by the cylinder stop.

Not a big deal to fix, and you be surprised how many revolvers are out of time right from the factory.......
 
Try the gun with the moon clips. It sounds like the cases are scraping against the frame. This friction will prevent the cylinder from rotating and indexing.
 
Gammon said:
Try the gun with the moon clips. It sounds like the cases are scraping against the frame. This friction will prevent the cylinder from rotating and indexing.
Click to expand...

Good point, but if you are right the problem is now headspace.......[frown]
 
Jose said:
Good point, but if you are right the problem is now headspace.......[frown]
Click to expand...

No problem. Most revolvers headspace on the rim. The 45 ACP is a little different as it can headspace on the end of the chamber which is cut in the 625 cylinder, a la the 1911. The problem is that these 45 ACP cases shorten with use and these rounds fired in a 1911 actually headspace on the extractor because they are too short to reach the end of the chamber. To make a long story short, just use the moon clips and forget about headspace.
 
Gammon said:
No problem. Most revolvers headspace on the rim. The 45 ACP is a little different as it can headspace on the end of the chamber which is cut in the 625 cylinder, a la the 1911. The problem is that these 45 ACP cases shorten with use and these rounds fired in a 1911 actually headspace on the extractor because they are too short to reach the end of the chamber. To make a long story short, just use the moon clips and forget about headspace.
Click to expand...

I understand the difference between rimmed and rimless cartridges and how they work in revolvers.

The point I am making is that if .45 Auto Rim cartridges are dragging on the recoil shield, slowing the cylinder and preventing it from locking up in time, then the 625 in question has a headspace problem since the headspace datum for .45 AR cartridges (the back of the cylinder) is too close to the recoil shield.

In any case, this is a very remote possibility. The most likely reason for the problem under discussion (failure to carry up) is a worn cylinder hand.
 
Jose said:
I understand the difference between rimmed and rimless cartridges and how they work in revolvers.

The point I am making is that if .45 Auto Rim cartridges are dragging on the recoil shield, slowing the cylinder and preventing it from locking up in time, then the 625 in question has a headspace problem since the headspace datum for .45 AR cartridges (the back of the cylinder) is too close to the recoil shield.

In any case, this is a very remote possibility. The most likely reason for the problem under discussion (failure to carry up) is a worn cylinder hand.
Click to expand...

Patriot's post made no mention of Auto Rim cases. I assume he is using .45 ACP cases. I think the cases may be backing out of the cylinders and dragging on the recoil shield. Another possible problem is an extremely light load where the primers are backing out of the cases and dragging on the recoil shield. This is rare, but possible.

The lock work could be the problem, but I'm betting on the cases dragging on the recoil shield. The test is simple, just use the moon clip the revolver was designed for. Try the easiest solution first.
 
Just thought I would update this.

I sent it in to S&W for repair. Cost me $30 to FedEx it. I received it back two weeks
later (today) along with a list of the repairs made. It was all done under warranty.
Smith & Wesson stands behind their products like no other manufacturer I know.

Thank you S&W!
 
Bugs100 said:
What did they do to it?
Click to expand...

Untitled-1.jpg
 
My 6906 (15 years old and 40,000 rounds) just tripled on me the other day. I called S&W and they told me to send it to them. They emailed me the Fedex shipping label.
 
Gammon said:
My 6906 (15 years old and 40,000 rounds) just tripled on me the other day. I called S&W and they told me to send it to them. They emailed me the Fedex shipping label.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmm, I wonder how you were able to get shipping paid and I can't it seems. Did you
ask them to send you the shipping label?

Oh well, I consider $30 a small price to be paid if they fixed my problem as this is the most
accurate revolver I have ever owned and it is a dream to shoot.
 
Patriot said:
I called S&W and I am sending it back for warranty service. Thanks to all who spoke up.
Wouldn't a .223 6223 be a hoot! [smile] EC might split for one of those.
Click to expand...

Actually, the X-Frame cylinder is as long as it is BECAUSE S&W has entertained the idea of offering some short action rifle calibers such as the .223. There was an article back when the X-Frame was introduced with the .500 Magnum where the engineer being interviewed specifically made a note that the cylinder length was such that the Remington .223 could fit in the platform. I heard the same thing from the former S&W VP of Marketing when he brought the M&Ps to a GOAL Annual Meeting about a year before they were ready for sale.

A revolver that could shoot 3000 fps? Oh yea, I'd be all over that. I'd also love to see it chambered in .30 Carbine. I think that would be a cool revolver round.
 
Update:

I took the gun to the range today and it performed flawlessly...

Except for the light hammer strikes (in DA mode only) which happened more than
frequently. When I got the gun home, I removed the grip and the adjusting screw
seemed tight but I removed it anyway and used some removable loctite and re-tightened
it. In screwing it down tight the screwdriver inadvertently slipped out of the screw and
slightly damaged the screw head but replacing that isn't a problem. I will let the loctite
dry and take it to the range again to see if it was just out of adjustment or S&W did
something to it to cause the problem. I had the light hammer strikes problem once before
and tightening down the screw cured it completely so I am somewhat skeptical this is going
to work again as the screw seemed tight already.

Oh well...
 

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