Revolver folks, step in: sticky chambers

[marinville]

Here is the problem, as I see it:

This was not immediately apparent since holding the revolver muzzle up and opening the cylinder would cause snap caps to fall before they had a chance to be bound up in the ejection cycle.

It was only apparent when the revolver was held with bore axis horizontal and ejector rod worked with snap caps... something I obviously wasn't practicing, since it has no practical application.

More pictures possible later, if necessary, after I cook dinner, run round the park, cut the grass, and apparently fix an x box one.

[Bang]

even unfired rounds were reluctant to fully seat in the chambers

(Posted pre-photo)

You do not say if the gun is new or acquired used. I'm guessing new. Assuming new, so rapid a build-up within the chamber walls raises the question of ammo used. Factory new or reloads. Wad cutter or ball. Whatever the ammo, I would try another.

Assuming the gun to be new, it is possible the chambers are not in spec. You may be experiencing the bad luck of having the last cylinder to be reamed with a worn reamer.

A gunsmith should possess a lead removing reamer. It is a reamer designed to cut away anything that does not belong (lead and carbon) without cutting the metal.

Short of the gunsmith service, buy a package of copper Chore Boy, pull some strands of the curly copper off and wrap them around a bronze bore brush. They will safely cut through the unwanted deposits.

How does a short stroke of the ejector cause difficult seating of unfired cartridges??

[Dave_n]

The Chore-boy trick should work but there is also the Lewis Lead Remover which will work. Are these regular 158 grain 357 heads or perhaps the lighter load but faster 125s? The M66 will swallow the 158 grain day in day out but use of a 125 in a K-frame is not recommended for more than a few cylinder loads at a time as flame cutting of the top strap can occur. Dave_n

[marinville]

The gun was bought new in December, 271 rounds ago.

50 of those were Rem 125gr .357 jsp.
99 were Fed 158gr .357jsp.
100 were Rem 125gr 38sp +p.
22 were Barnes 125gr xpd lead free HPs

I am unsure if the caution against 125gr .357s in K frames applies to this new redesigned model 66-8. The forcing cone is definitely reinforced, unsure about the top strap.

The manual does not caution against using any specific weight projectile, and I was unable to source any useful information on the web regarding this issue.

[marinville]

How does a short stroke of the ejector cause difficult seating of unfired cartridges??

I do not imagine it would, and never claimed that it was. I said that was causing failure to eject spent cases.

I am still concerned about the loading issues, as I stated earlier.

EDIT: If the chambers were out of spec, wouldn't unfired rounds also have difficulty seating in CLEAN chambers? Only after some amount of firing, when fouling is present, does this resistance to rounds falling cleanly and fully into the chambers under gravity present itself.

[solrac7]

I have a S&W Airlite .22 that the cylinder locks up if I'm using hot .22's (stingers...) regular cheap ammo works fine for extended shooting - is the fact that .357 is a hotter load causing the cylinder to expand due to heat? This may make the spent cases harder to eject?

Cb

[Brick]

Take a look at Brownells. They offer CHAMBER brushes in either stainless steel or bronze. Sized to fit the chamber they make cleaning much easier.

[marinville]

Take a look at Brownells. They offer CHAMBER brushes in either stainless steel or bronze. Sized to fit the chamber they make cleaning much easier.

The chambers are very clean guys. Rounds drop in and out freely until fired.

[Fred762]

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.

Agree..lead buildup and fouling will make many .357s stick CLEAN til they "rattle" a bit. Are you using reloads? poor resizing? just ???s.

Hint..try mounting a brass chamber brush in yer hand drill..speeds up cleaning out fouling for me. zeeep x6

[Daycrawler]

The chambers are very clean guys. Rounds drop in and out freely until fired.

Someone above mentioned heat, and I agree. Heat expansion may be the reason. Try doing some real slow fire and see if that makes a difference. Also try some .38's to see if that helps. Also when you have a hard time ejecting the rounds, do you have a hard time inserting the next live rounds? If nothing else works, a check up with S&W may be in order.