Quoted: No, it was unloaded.  I got it working, though.  The ejector rod was coming unscrewed and binding on the barrel.

Not uncommon with DA revolvers from S&W or their copies. Should this happen again, take a piece of very thin cardboard...like what comes with a dress shirt, etc...and tear a small piece off. Insert the cardboard between the cylinder stop and the frams...you will probably have to slide it back so it depresses the cylinder stop. Next, take something like an old leather belt to pad the extractor rod and use pliars or a screwdriver (on shrouded barrels) to hold the rod in place while you spin the cylinder to tighten up the rod...lefty tighty / righty loosey with the S&Ws.

Once the cylionder is open you can address the problem properly.