Revolver folks, step in: sticky chambers

[marinville]

So, I've got this S&W model 66-8, .357 mag, 2.75" bbl. First revolver for me and I really like it. Got just over 250 rounds through it.

Often times, I practice speed reloads with a-zoom snap caps, and loading and ejection is always smooth.

Last night, shooting the WCMG practice LE qualification shoot, I was having issues. After firing only one cylinder, the empties were reluctant to eject.

I am aware that the physical act of firing rounds will foul the gun and also that spent cases swell to the chamber walls, still, to me this seems excessive. I was smacking the ejector hard with the palm of my firing hand, and still having cases only partially ejected and needing manually ejected. After 100 rounds, my palm is sore today from beating on the ejector rod.

This is a full length ejector rod, by the way. This model uses a different cylinder lock up which does not require a pin at the front of the rod, so a full length rod is possible despite the 2.75" bbl.

It got so bad that even unfired rounds were reluctant to fully seat in the chambers, after being released from the speed loader, and sometimes had to be pressed in with a thumb, before the cylinder would close.

My initial reaction was to polish the chambers, but after doing only brief research, some folks seem to think that would not be a good idea.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to what is going on or possible ways to remedy this? I haven't had any other issues with the gun (other than previously when the ejector rod would work its way loose, but that has since been resolved)

Perhaps this is normal??? I'm not a revolver guy. What do you think?

[Gunsnwater]

Lead bulets? 38s before and 357 now? Clean it. You have to use a brush and solvent. Don't stop until 357s plop in and out on their own.

[marinville]

Lead bulets? 38s before and 357 now? Clean it. You have to use a brush and solvent. Don't stop until 357s plop in and out on their own.

Only ever ran 100 thirty eights though this and it has been cleaned two or three times since then. All rounds have been JSP. Always clean chambers with bore brush and hoppes 9.

[Daycrawler]

Were you shooting aluminum, brass or steel cased ammo or reloads? I would start by looking at the cases.

[marinville]

Were you shooting aluminum, brass or steel cased ammo or reloads? I would start by looking at the cases.

Brass cased Federal and Remington factory loads. Cases are not bulged or abnormal to the naked eye.

[bamboomaster]

You probably made sure the ejection rod was lubricated with lithium grease and that there were no burrs on the rod from prior usage...

Since these weren't reloads with cranky Midway brass that was previously fired in a lever-action with an over-sized chamber and then not correctly resized, I'm thinking heat from fired .357 rounds may have had something to do with it.

At least you got to 100 rounds, albeit painfully. The Britts at the Battle of Isandlwana (against the Zulus) in January 1879 seldom got to 25 consecutive rounds with their Martini-Henry's before the cases became impossible to eject due to the rifle's breech overheating. The result was the annihilation of the entire British column - approx. 1400 souls.

Perhaps the small size of your pistol, while well within its design and function parameters at under 25-50 consecutive rounds was never intended to suffer the heavy dose of 100 consecutive .357 pills?

[marinville]

You probably made sure the ejection rod was lubricated with lithium grease and that there were no burrs on the rod from prior usage...

Since these weren't reloads with cranky Midway brass that was previously fired in a lever-action with an over-sized chamber and then not correctly resized, I'm thinking heat from fired .357 rounds may have had something to do with it.

At least you got to 100 rounds, albeit painfully. The Britts at the Battle of Isandlwana (against the Zulus) in January 1879 seldom got to 25 consecutive rounds with their Martini-Henry's before the cases became impossible to eject due to the rifle's breech overheating. The result was the annihilation of the entire British column - approx. 1400 souls.

Perhaps the small size of your pistol, while well within its design and function parameters at under 25-50 consecutive rounds was never intended to suffer the heavy dose of 100 consecutive .357 pills?

Ejector rod functions perfectly until the first few rounds go down the pipe, and is kept lilubricated.

I would be more willing to entertain that the revolver was simply not expected to run .357 all day and night (despite being rated for it.) if not for the fact that ejection goes to shit after the first six fired rounds.

[MARINE DIVISION TWO]

front of cyclinder is cleaned down to the SS ? Dirty star ? Inside of cyclinder ports really cleane ? Last but not least are your primers backing out too much ? all these are reasons your 66 can bind up !

[marinville]

front of cyclinder is cleaned down to the SS ? Dirty star ? Inside of cyclinder ports really cleane ? Last but not least are your primers backing out too much ? all these are reasons your 66 can bind up !

Firearm is well cleaned until fired. Brass is visually normal.

[marinville]

I believe the problem is caused by aftermarket Altamont boot grips. Snap caps and unfired rounds drop free immediately and are therefore immune to the issue, however any (fired) case offering resistance and needing the extractor to force it out is getting hung up.

When the extractor star is coming back with spent cases in tow, one of the cases will make contact with the grip panel before it has reached full rearward travel. This is preventing full rearward travel, therefore cases get stuck. This happens unless the stars align perfectly and the cylinder is rotated just right. Why the hell would they make the grips to these dimensions?

I'm going to be relieving some material from the grip panel, and probably complaining to Altamont.

The only thing still bothering me is why rounds do not want to drop fully into the chsmbers (after disengagement of the sleed loaders) after having fired (an undetermined number of) rounds. Would this be considered normal, to have to press rounds into fouled chambers with a thumb instead of having them drop fully in?