Revolver "jamming" question

[Rags]

Recently, my Smith 586 has been jamming -- for lack of a better word -- after firing maybe three rounds. It then sort of locks up. The trigger will pull back only slightly, the hammer can't be thumb-cocked, and the cylinder can't be rotated by hand.

The cylinder will open without any huge resistance,and it's not a bullet in the barrel-cylinder gap, nor does it appear to be a high primer. (No scuffing of the primers is apparent.)

I suspect that the problem is that the plunger inside the ejector-rod housing is not fully disengaging the whatchamacallit that keeps the gun from operating when the cylinder is open. In fact, the symptom sounds exactly like that, so I have just disassembled all those parts and cleaned and oiled them, and reassembled the gun, and it now operates fine on snap-caps.

I haven't yet gotten to the range to test this possible cure for the probem. Does anybody have any suggestions about any other possible causes for the problem?

[Ramoel]

The cylinder latch being forward when the cylinder is open is what keeps the hammer from being cocked. A simple test of your theory would be to pull back on the cylinder latch if it locks up again. If that frees it, your theory is correct and the latch is not being pushed rearward far enough with the cylinder closed. The fact that it works OK after cleaning may indicate that dirt was your only problem.

[Rags]

The cylinder latch being forward when the cylinder is open is what keeps the hammer from being cocked. A simple test of your theory would be to pull back on the cylinder latch if it locks up again. If that frees it, your theory is correct and the latch is not being pushed rearward far enough with the cylinder closed. The fact that it works OK after cleaning may indicate that dirt was your only problem.

Unfortunately, I didn't check that for function when it was jammed. But, yes, that's my thinking, too.

So I cleaned up the innards of the cylinder on the theory that maybe the spring that pushes the latch plunger was clogged with dirt.

We'll see. I'll report back.

[DeanC]

It is usually a good idea to avoid wet lubricants on the extractor rod and under the ejector star. Gunk will collect there very easy if you use an oil based lubricant.

[Rags]

It is usually a good idea to avoid wet lubricants on the extractor rod and under the ejector star. Gunk will collect there very easy if you use an oil based lubricant.

So -- use lithium grease?

[DeanC]

Either a dry lube or none at all.

[1911fan]

Also make sure the spindle is screwed down tightly into the cylinder axle for lack of the proper term