[IrishCop]

Got this one maybe 6 years ago, the 6.5" bbl one. Think I've said before that it was in good mechanical shape, but kinda rough on the eyes.

Still haven't got around to having it refinished like I said I would. Still procrastinating.

I know that this model can be used (abused?) to the point where the cylinder will unlock during firing and roll back to an already fired chamber (mine doesn't) and that Smith fixed the problem.

Question is, is this fix something that can be done to an older model should the problem arise, or was it a distinctive design change? Guess I'm thinking if I ever get around to sending it to S&W for a refinish, will they retrofit it, or is that even possible?

 

[Charlie Petty]

I don't think it can, and unless you shoot stupid hot stuff it isn't a problem.

It same about because some silhouette shooters were shooting max plus a bit... and lots of those.

When they made the change I wrote something about it and promptly forgot what it was...

 

[IrishCop]

Thanks, Charlie. I remember reading about the upgrades but I couldn't remember what they were either.

I shoot .44 specials a lot more than magnums, and just "standard" loads even then. No Buffalo Bore or anything.

 

[William R. Moore]

IIRC, Charlie's right, no retrofit. On the other hand, I cured a bunch of those way back when by correcting excessive endplay and bringing the other cylinder tolerances into spec. Avoiding dino killer ammo also helps quite a bit.

 

[Skeptic49]

Speaking of Dino loads, what ever happened to the guys who were mixing standard powders and compressing the loads?
Geoff
Who is old and vague on the details, but I think it was in the old "Guns and Hunting Magazine" which was absorbed by "Guns."

 

[phantom4570]

The Model 29 and the Model 25-5 in .45 Colt have a couple of problems. The first one which you described is when the cylinder stop pin disengages under recoil and lets the cylinder rotate backwards. My gunsmith fit a slightly stiffer spring in a Model 25-5 that had the same problem. It helped but did not completely correct the problem. The second is the guns can develop excessive end play in the yoke. The symptom is that when you pull the trigger or cock the hammer the hand can push the cylinder forward far enough to cause it to bind on the face of the barrel. While easy enough to correct it's a recurring problem with Model 29's that get shot a lot. Both the above mentioned 25-5 and one of my 629's did this in under a thousand rounds.