Posted: 9/1/2026 12:16:14 PM EDT
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My 1980 vintage Model 19 cylinder binds when cases are in the chambers. I can’t tell if it’s the crane or something else, but I don’t have the tools or experience to do something about it. Is S&W’s factory service the crapshoot Internet forums make it sound like, or would it be better to have the factory work on it than to have a local gunsmith? I’m in San Antonio, Texas if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance! |
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I've used the S&W factory service before and they did a great job. If you use them, make sure you include a letter stating what's wrong with it and include your phone number. The tech called me when he found another problem. Everything got fixed and promptly mailed back Unless you know a reputable S&W guy(there aren't many left these days), I would trust the S&W service to do a good job and have a great turn around time. I was a member of S&W forums years ago and would contact them before using a local gunsmith. |
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Originally Posted By GHPorter: My 1980 vintage Model 19 cylinder binds when cases are in the chambers. I can’t tell if it’s the crane or something else, but I don’t have the tools or experience to do something about it. Is S&W’s factory service the crapshoot Internet forums make it sound like, or would it be better to have the factory work on it than to have a local gunsmith? I’m in San Antonio, Texas if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance! Before you get excited and send the revolver away, open the cylinder and depress and hold the ejector rod. With a cloth or paper towel, clean under the ejector star to remove any fouling or debris collected there. I bet that solves your binding problem. One grain of proopellant caught between the ejector star and the cylinder can bind things tight. |
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Pro tip. In the event the cleaning mentioned above doesn’t fix it and you have to send it off, no matter who fixes it, take a bunch of pics of it and save them to your computer. All angles, cylinder open, closed, etc. you never know if it comes back in the condition it left in. Between a heavy handed smith or in shipping it two ways, it could get messed with. |
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All the above, and be sure it’s not high primers before you go deep on anything. Back in the day we had a commercial reloading outfit we bought lots of 357 from. Then I got a case from them that had about half the primers high. Same issue. |
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