I'm sure this is mundane for most, but if you've never cracked the side plate on a Smith DA, maybe I can be of some assistance. I recently bought this 65-4 from guns.com. it was some sort of LE trade in. The particulars are similar enough between all K, L and Ns to puzzle it out if you are doing work on a different model. The reason we are cracking this one open today is that the cylinder release flew off on it's maiden voyage to the range. Luckily I found it easily, not so lucky was the fact that the threads were stripped... I found a replacement bolt and nut on ebay for cheap.

First and foremost get yourself some decent hollow ground screwdrivers/bits. I haven't heard anything bad about brownells, so that's what I bought. Why? You may ask...

To avoid chewing up the screws and possibly scratching the frame when they slip out. The previous owner of my 65-4 wasn't hip to this particular bit of knowledge.
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Here she is in all her mid-80s, carried frequently, shot seldom glory.

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The grip is a one piece pachmayr that comes off with one screw and a struggle.

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Next we relieve tension on the mainspring. I've been told this should be done before removing the sideplate to minimize stress on the hammer stud. That may or may not matter, but it has to be done eventually, so why take chances?
It's a simple matter of backing out the tension screw on the side of the grip frame. I like to leave just enough tension to hold it in place.

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After that we will remove the three sideplate screws. Again, an appropriate bit is important here. In my pic you can see the damaged screw heads from someone using standard flathead bits. If you look at screw A and screw B, you notice that A has a rounded head and B is flat. This is something you find on older pistols, the new are both round. It should also be noted that these are placed incorrectly. The flat screw B, actually belongs in the spot that A was located. This gives clearance for the grips. The unlabeled screw is your yoke screw. Once it's removed, the cylinder/yoke can be taken out. We'll leave them in place for now though.

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Here are the screws after removal

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Once the screws are out, the sideplate can come off. The recommended method is to use a wooden hammer handle, dowel rod, screw driver handle, etc to tap the grip frame firmly, until the plate pops off. I've seen plenty of people pry them off, but again, why risk it? They are a fitted piece and damaging it would suck.

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Now we can get to work. The bolt is directly behind the hammer, so it must come out first. You can pull the hammer back slightly to clear the sear and hand, then wiggle it out.

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After the hammer is out of the way, flip the gun and remove the cylinder release nut.

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I only have two hands and I'm obviously not a great photographer (or instructional reference for that matter) so I couldn't get a good illustration of pulling the bolt. It's basically a matter of sliding it all the way forwards or backwards to release tension on the spring loaded pin that keeps it in it's spot. It can be a tight fit depending on the gun. This one is a pain in the ass compared to my newer 629.

I've seen people refer to springs as being air soluble and that has definitely been my experience. This one will disappear if you let it launch upon removal

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Now I've got a decision to make. Go back with the original release, or the MIM one that came off of my 629? Also pictured is one of @TonyRumore excellent releases designed to cover up the lock on newer guns. I decided to use the new piece as I'm used to that style.

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When installing the new release, put pressure on the bolt from the back side, to prevent it popping out of track. Also use steady pressure to engage the nut, so you dont strip the threads on the bolt....

Reinstall the hammer using the same wiggle til it fits method. Then test engagement.

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Put the hammer block back in it's place (Use the sideplate track for reference...), hook the mainspring back over the hammer stirrup and slightly tension it.
Test the sideplate fit and it should seat nice with a light tap from a screwdriver handle. If not, that hammer block is out of place. Reset your screws in the correct order and then fully tighten your mainspring.

Reinstall grips and you're good to go.

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Hopefully that's somewhat helpful and can relieve some intimidation. I was told years ago that your average guy has no business removing the sideplate from a DA revolver. That kept me from trying for a long time. If you've never done it, dig in and clean that sucker up. It's probably filthy inside...

Thank you.

Nice pictures and well written.  Thanks man.

Hopefully it helps someone or at least inspires them to open one up.

I have a 29-4 that needs a new hammer. i'm in no hurry, but i started doing research the other day on how to replace.

tonight i bought a set of Grace gunsmithing screwdrivers.

Good deal. Are you going with factory or power custom?

mine has a .500  target case hardened hammer. been looking for a used one.

Well written