S&W Model 649- Needs work

[BKS]

I have a S&W model 649 in 38spl. I bought it off of Gunbroker and the cylinder has some wobble and some end shake that I think needs to be repaired. Should I send it to S&W or a different gunsmith? I live in NE Arkansas and I’m not aware of a revolver gunsmith near me.

[SeriousStudent]

Is it a no lock?

The reason I ask, is if the factory deems it irreparable, you'll likely never see it again.

You could send it down to Clark's Custom Guns in Louisiana, they have at least one excellent J-frame smith.

Plus - you get to eat that good food along the way. :)

[BKS]

Yes Sir. It’s a no lock gun. I’ve been looking at the YouTube and seeing people treat this with cylinder shims and also by stretching the yoke.

Any input on either of these methods?

[okie john]

Karl Sokol at Chestnut Mountain Sports did fine work on my Model 29-2.


Okie John

[BN]

Yes Sir. It’s a no lock gun. I’ve been looking at the YouTube and seeing people treat this with cylinder shims and also by stretching the yoke.

Any input on either of these methods?

I've done the shims before. It's not too hard. Just dis-assemble and re-assemble with the right amount of shims. I think it was try and see how many it took. It's been a while. Put empty brass in the chambers to see how much end shake you have and have empties in while dis and reassembling the cylinder to keep everything straight.

[Inspector71]

Cylinder & Slide. Fremont, Nebraska.

[Wingate's Hairbrush]

I have a S&W model 649 in 38spl. I bought it off of Gunbroker and the cylinder has some wobble and some end shake that I think needs to be repaired. Should I send it to S&W or a different gunsmith? I live in NE Arkansas and I’m not aware of a revolver gunsmith near me.Some wobble (by which I take you to mean very slight cylinder rotation in both directions while at rest) and some endshake (ideally around .001" to .002", but not more than .006") are part of the design and necessary to proper function.

Have you correctly measured to determine that repair is definitely needed?

If so, I would not use S&W for work on their pre-locks; both parts and institutional knowledge fixing and tuning their older revolvers is on the decline.

Karl Sokol is an excellent suggestion. Frank Glenn in Arizona is superb, as is Nelson Ford. Andy Horvath in Ohio, too. Quite a few others who know how and have the correct tools to properly repair and tune S&W revolvers, but it's a diminishing number. Don't know any in your neck of the woods, and most proclaimed gunsmiths these days are armorers with little if any know-how around correct S&W revolver repair; the honest ones will say so and send you on your way, but some won't who ought to.

The slop in the cylinder, if truly excessive, will likely require a new cylinder stop fit, and that's assuming there's no issue with the cylinder notches. This takes someone trained.

The endshake, if it in fact it needs correction, can be done with the correct shims yourself. You'll want to know your way around the the revolver and there is a little finesse to doing the job properly. Suggest the Kuhnhausen manual.

Stretching the yoke barrel is not for the uninitiated. Takes either a specific tool, or a good hand with peening. The tool method is considered the only "correct" one by S&W. Kuhnhausen's a fan of a hybrid stretch-and-shim approach.

If learning, time and tools are interesting to you, there's a start.

In my experience, it pays to pay a pro. Since you'd have to ship and attendant costs for two somewhat smaller repairs, you might also consider what else you'd like done to the revolver, as long as it's going to be with a good gunsmith anyway.

Good luck. Let us know how goes...

[revolvergeek]

Clarks has brought a couple of rather rattly beat up ex service S&W revolvers back into fine form for me. I plan on taking them another couple for work sometime early next year. Karl has done great custom work for me on several revolvers also. Can't go wrong with either one. Big advantage to me on Clark's is that they are easy driving distance so I can save some money on shipping and talk to them directly when I get there.

Silly question, no offense intended, but have you completely detail stripped it and cleaned it very well? You would be surprised what a difference that can make in some circumstances (more-so on old Colt's, but still worth a check).