New to revolvers, good points on maintenance.

[HarryPottar]

Just purchased my very first revolver a S&W 327 TRR8, I’m used to cleaning and oiling my semi auto’s but there is no mention of oil points in the supplied generic manual.


I have been watching some generic Youtube video’s, one very scary one from Midway where he completely takes the revolver apart down to the frame, I’m not a gunsmith.


Anyone got any links to good accurate information, I have a good idea on what needs to be cleaned but what about the oils points.


Also I normally clean and oil my new semi’s, I assume the same for the revolver, it does mention it in the handbook (sorry Red Green show fans, I look at the manual) but only a one liner.


thanks in advance.


harry

 

[M1911]

There's not much to do. A drop of oil on the ejector rod. That's about it.

 

[dcmdon]

Yup. And if you are shootiing .38's in a .357 scrub the cylinder so a ring doesn't form inside it that later prevents you from putting in .357s.

Don

 

[Picton]

One of the good points about revolvers is that they're much simpler than semi autos, so maintenance is simpler as well. Very few things can go wrong; malfunctions are rare, and there aren't too many oil points that can make your gun NMC if they're not lubed.

Ejector rod definitely, maybe the crane hinge or hammer once in a blue moon. You mostly just want to prevent powder buildup on moving parts.

 

[HarryPottar]

Thanks for the feed back, I just got back from MFS, I put 200 rounds of 357 and 50 38 special plus p through it.
This is my first revolver and it shoots great. The cylinder gets hotter than expected. Towards the end it was getting hard to eject the spent rounds, I assume it was hot and the rounds had expanded.

Great gun had loads of fun with it.

Harry

 

[Retired-LEO]

I highly recommend this tool to remove the extractor rod. I have been using a variation of this for 25 years!

It helps remove the rod, without damage. I have seen way too many people destroy their extractor rod, using pliers!



http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...ols/extractor-rod-tool-for-s-w-prod26886.aspx

 

[HarryPottar]

Update:

I picked up the TRR8 new yesterday, this morning I gave it a light clean and oiled the extractor rod.

I took it to MFS as posted above and put 250 rounds through it, had about 4 light primer strikes which may be due to it needing to be broken in.

It got very very hot, I had issues ejecting some of the rounds. I took everything home and put it in the safe and went out for a late lunch.

On my return, I started to clean the TRR8, the cylinder would not spin, felt welded, could not turn it at all.

Also the crane that cylinder opens on was very very stiff, at to force to open. I admit I panicked a little, I thought the heat at warped the scandium alloy.

Youtube to the rescue, I removed the screw that holds the crane in place, it took some jiggling and a little force to pull the crane assembly out.

It took a lot of force, twisting and pulling and even more pulling to remove the cylinder from the crane. The crane was bone dry, not sure if it should be oiled but looked like it should.

I was still a little worried, i spent ages cleaning every nook and cranny, inside the frame where the crane fits was very dirty. I cleaned all inside that and the crane.

Once cleaned, I oiled the center of the cylinder, I oiled the crane the extractor, center pin and reassembled.

The cylinder spins freely now and open and closes just fine, it's probably better than it was new.

The only (paranoid) things now;

The extractor is now shining stainless steel, I would have swore it was black before and blended with the black cylinder but now I'm unsure and questioning my memory.

The forcing cone is now shining stainless steel, I would have swore that too was black before and blended with the black of the frame but now I'm unsure and questioning my memory,hold on, wasn't I just questioning my memory a moment ago?.

The bottom of the frame opening, where the bottom of the cylinder edge slides into the frame as some missing paint/finish, this might be from the cylinder not turning and the crane stiffness issue. I assume the cylinder just hits that as there is nothing that holds the cylinder to the crane.

I now wonder if I should not put that many round down a revolver? but I like to shot.

On the positive side;

The gun shot well, I've only borrowed revolvers from MFS prior to this purchase and I really like the trigger pull. Even in double action it's a really light trigger, in single action you only have to breath near it and it fires. It was very accurate out of the box, it punched holes in the same place each time. I love the look and feel, the recoil is not that bad for such a light gun.

Learning all things new about revolvers

harry

 

[whacko]

4 light strikes? Not something i would accept.

I have two ruger revolvers. My carry gun is a sp101. I shoot it ALOT! Like weeky. Only shoot full power 357 mag too. I carry it constantly. I clean it almost never. It runs a s cycles smooth as silk. . Never once had any symptoms like you describe. Im not trying to bust on your party but i would expect a gun that expensive to behave a little better. Id call s and w

you mentioned you think you put too many rounds through it. Ive put hundreds through in one range trip. Put it away dirty and next trip i can still spin ghe cylinder like a top. Revolvers should take a pounding and still cycle fine.

 

[peterthefish]

Welcome to S&W revolvers. Tighten the strain screw, that will take care of your light strikes. Put some blue or purple loctite on while you're at it and you'll never have that issue again. For some reason they figured out loctite is a good idea on the crane screw but not the strain screw. I've shot with guys who work at S&W who got caught off guard by a strain screw coming loose.

The cylinder binding was likely due to the ejector rod coming loose. It is reverse threaded. When you reassembled you tightened it up. A loose ejector rod will cause problems with opening and closing the cylinder. A little purple loctite there will go along way towards preventing that from happening again.

Both well known issues. A Ruger will cure them as long as you don't mind shooting a subpar revolver.

 

[dcmdon]

I'm guessing you are a newer shooter. You are doing what many do, which is over think it.

Relax and enjoy it. Its a great gun. A little honest finish wear is a sign of pride. It sounds like you've got the gun properly cleaned and lubed. If it still gives you trouble, then send it back to Smith and Wesson. (Its a quick, free, and painless process).

Fingers crossed it doesn't give you any more trouble.

You should feel comfortable shooting that thing as much as you want. You literally can't shoot a revolver fast enough to hurt it. What is hot to you, is not really hot.

You can't hurt it by shooting it.

Don

 

[whacko]

Welcome to S&W revolvers. Tighten the strain screw, that will take care of your light strikes. Put some blue or purple loctite on while you're at it and you'll never have that issue again. For some reason they figured out loctite is a good idea on the crane screw but not the strain screw. I've shot with guys who work at S&W who got caught off guard by a strain screw coming loose.

The cylinder binding was likely due to the ejector rod coming loose. It is reverse threaded. When you reassembled you tightened it up. A loose ejector rod will cause problems with opening and closing the cylinder. A little purple loctite there will go along way towards preventing that from happening again.

Both well known issues. A Ruger will cure them as long as you don't mind shooting a subpar revolver.

Amaing how a revolver that costs twice as much and needs loctite applied by the owner is considered "above" par compared to a ruger. Ive put thousands through mine and its gone bang every time ive pulled the trigger..... never had to take a screwdriver to it.....ever.

 

[Picton]

I own lots of revolvers, mostly Webleys and Smiths, and the newer Smiths have given me more trouble than the 100-year-old Webleys. Mostly it's the ejector rod loosening (thanks peterthefish), but loctite can fix that.

The point is that my one SP101 has been the least fiddly revolver I've found yet. YMMV.

 

[peterthefish]

Amaing how a revolver that costs twice as much and needs loctite applied by the owner is considered "above" par compared to a ruger. Ive put thousands through mine and its gone bang every time ive pulled the trigger..... never had to take a screwdriver to it.....ever.

Some of us expect more of our revolvers than for for them to just go bang, and don't mind dealing with some peculiarities to get there. Some don't. To each their own.

 

[pastera]

Took the side plate off my S&W 19-3 about a month ago just because I never had it off and wanted to do a thorough cleaning.
Cleaned, lubed, reassembled and it ran just the way it has for the last 40 years of its life - perfect.

I can shoot hundreds of the nastiest dirty loads available and not have an issue. Just carry a 357 case that has a slight expansion to clean the carbon ring on the cylinders IF things get gritty.

Sent from my C6530 using Tapatalk

 

[Sabougolden]

4 light strikes? Not something i would accept.

I have two ruger revolvers. My carry gun is a sp101. I shoot it ALOT! Like weeky. Only shoot full power 357 mag too. I carry it constantly. I clean it almost never. It runs a s cycles smooth as silk. . Never once had any symptoms like you describe. Im not trying to bust on your party but i would expect a gun that expensive to behave a little better. Id call s and w

you mentioned you think you put too many rounds through it. Ive put hundreds through in one range trip. Put it away dirty and next trip i can still spin ghe cylinder like a top. Revolvers should take a pounding and still cycle fine.

Which model of the SP101 do you carry?

 

[whacko]

Which model of the SP101 do you carry?

Bobbed hammer 2 1/4 in bbl 357 mag

 

[dcmdon]

i tend to buy used revolvers, then spend the money I saved (ok, and sometimes a lot more) on having them tweaked.

 

[Cabin Fever]

i tend to buy used revolvers, then spend the money I saved (ok, and sometimes a lot more) on having them tweaked.

Any particular tweaks you have found to be highly worthwhile? Or just personal preference stuff?

 

[M1911]

Any particular tweaks you have found to be highly worthwhile? Or just personal preference stuff?

1) A trigger job by a good revolver plumber. Greg Derr did a very nice trigger job on my S&W Model 19.

2) Chamfer the charge holes. I had Greg Derr do this as well. It is cheap.

 

[HarryPottar]

i tend to buy used revolvers, then spend the money I saved (ok, and sometimes a lot more) on having them tweaked.

It's sellers market at the moment, used firearms are selling close if not more than new if you shop around. I picked this up new from a dealer at a great price, much cheaper than some "seasoned" dealers and far cheaper than I could find online as a bench mark.

I agree, if you can find a used firearm with enough equity then it's worth the investment to have the work done. However with the current used market unless I stumble on a barging I would rather buy new.

harry

 

[dcmdon]

It's sellers market at the moment, used firearms are selling close if not more than new if you shop around. I picked this up new from a dealer at a great price, much cheaper than some "seasoned" dealers and far cheaper than I could find online as a bench mark.

I agree, if you can find a used firearm with enough equity then it's worth the investment to have the work done. However with the current used market unless I stumble on a barging I would rather buy new.

harry

Its not really an investment to get work done. You typically don't get money back out of the work.
I've started to ask the gunsmiths to "sign" the guns so I can at least point to that.

But its still a losing proposition. If you are one who tires of your guns and sells them, its not worth it.

I will buy and sell my "tool" carry guns. But in 30 years of gun ownership, I've never sold a revolver.

I typically get a trigger job done. I also have the cylinder and forcing cone recut. It can really help accuracy.

An oversized hand is helpful if the gun is not in time. This is more of a problem with newer guns than older ones.
I try to avoid work that will require the gun to be re-blued since this is really money I'll never get back.

Lately I've bought a couple of very nice "junk" Miroku revolvers from the 1970s.
Miroku has been making double shotguns and rifles for Winchester and Browning for decades.
So they know how to make guns. I recently picked up a 4" Miroku knockoff of a Colt in 90% condition for $279

Don

 

[HarryPottar]

I tend to keep the ones I buy, the only gun I've sold so far was a 380acp bodyguard with the Crimson Trace laser. The trigger was so heavy I couldn't hit a barn door 2 feet away, I thought about having a trigger job on that but sold it instead. I have a few polymers Glock's, Walther's and H&K's but my favorite is my Smith & Wesson full size 1911 followed closely by this TRR8.

I'm keeping my eye out for the S&W 3 inch pro series sub compact 1911, that's high on my wish list but waiting for that bargain.

The TRR8 will most likely by my go to HD firearm, if I can find the right virtical shoulder holster I may even carry during winter months under my heavy coat.

thanks all the feedback.

harry

 

[kalash]

Some of us expect more of our revolvers than for for them to just go bang, and don't mind dealing with some peculiarities to get there. Some don't. To each their own.

Some of us expect our revolvers to actually go bang.

 

[peterthefish]

Some of us expect our revolvers to actually go bang.

"More than just go bang" would include actually just going bang. I know, I know, reading comprehension isn't for everyone.

 

[whacko]

Some of us expect our revolvers to actually go bang.

Serioulsly. If i spent upwards of 1 large on a gun and had 4 light strikes on the first outing id be more than a tad pissed. The fact the some would defend that as a peculiarity is very strange to me.

 

[peterthefish]

Serioulsly. If i spent upwards of 1 large on a gun and had 4 light strikes on the first outing id be more than a tad pissed. The fact the some would defend that as a peculiarity is very strange to me.

Light strikes are literally the result of a loose screws that needs to be tightened. I guess the most basic of maintenance tasks are beyond some folks though.

 

[kalash]

Light strikes are literally the result of a loose screws that needs to be tightened. I guess the most basic of maintenance tasks are beyond some folks though.

None of my Rugers needed maintenance right out of the box. Also, I've yet to see a thread called "I think I am done with Ruger". Look, to each his own, but the whole elitist attitude of S&W owners is annoying, never mind unfounded.

 

[dcmdon]

Light strikes are literally the result of a loose screws that needs to be tightened. I guess the most basic of maintenance tasks are beyond some folks though.

It really depends.

Other things can cause light strikes, especially on new guns. If its because the main spring doesn't have enough pre-load, then give the screw a half turn and move on.

But if its because of a poorly fit firing pin or interference with the smooth drop of the hammer, then its a problem.

- - - Updated - - -

None of my Rugers needed maintenance right out of the box. Also, I've yet to see a thread called "I think I am done with Ruger". Look, to each his own, but the whole elitist attitude of S&W owners is annoying, never mind unfounded.

Rugers are the Kalashnikov's of the revolver world.

 

[whacko]

Light strikes are literally the result of a loose screws that needs to be tightened. I guess the most basic of maintenance tasks are beyond some folks though.

I can perform maintenance. I just prefer my fire arms to be built well enough to not be requiring me to take a screw driver to it to tighten shit falling off of it the first time i shoot it....or ever for that matter. To each his own.

 

[peterthefish]

So let me backpeddle a bit. It pisses me off that S&W doesn't loctite their strain screws or ejector rods. It's mind numbingly dumb. Even their first tier customer service reps will advise you to tighten the ejector rod if you have trouble opening the cylinder. It's that prevalent of a problem. Never mind the other QC issues that have resulted in half of my S&Ws bought in the last 3 years going back for warranty work before I ever shot them.

Yes, their execution in assembly is inconsistent, to be charitable. But if you are willing to get to know the design, and work on it, there is no better revolver to shoot a lot than a S&W. Have yet to see a serious competitive shooter who uses a Ruger.