Conventional J-Frame Wisdom for a revolver newbie

[willie]

By disassembling the revolver and doing a minimum of work on action parts that move against one another, then you will have fixed most complaints. Flitz polish is wonderful stuff. I've used it on my dentures! With it you can polish contact point using a patch and Q-Tip. Of course polish that part of the frame where parts touch. On the rebound slide, break the edge that rides against the frame. You can break the edge with gentle pressure from a fine stone or do it with Flitz. The purpose to smooth the edge to the point that it does not "grab". On the section of the frame where the slide contacts, hit it with Flitz and a Q-Tip. Polish the rebound slide's channel with same. Look for rub marks and polish. With Flitz and elbow grease you can do no harm. Finally clean up the frame and mechanism. You can blow it out with aerosol Rem Oil. Wipe and blow again. Reassemble. You will be happy. The sudden stop at the rear of the pull is caused by the new style(for a while now)floating hand. Dry firing and shooting will smooth it out.

I no longer trust folks to do action jobs because many will go crazy with a Dremel tool. Oh. The grittiness you describe may be junk from the factory. Anyway, if you follow my suggestion, you will spend about a hour leisurely resolving most if not all of the issues that you mentioned. Flitz is available at Midway.

[Pit]

By disassembling the revolver and doing a minimum of work on action parts that move against one another, then you will have fixed most complaints. Flitz polish is wonderful stuff. I've used it on my dentures! With it you can polish contact point using a patch and Q-Tip. Of course polish that part of the frame where parts touch. On the rebound slide, break the edge that rides against the frame. You can break the edge with gentle pressure from a fine stone or do it with Flitz. The purpose to smooth the edge to the point that it does not "grab". On the section of the frame where the slide contacts, hit it with Flitz and a Q-Tip. Polish the rebound slide's channel with same. Look for rub marks and polish. With Flitz and elbow grease you can do no harm. Finally clean up the frame and mechanism. You can blow it out with aerosol Rem Oil. Wipe and blow again. Reassemble. You will be happy. The sudden stop at the rear of the pull is caused by the new style(for a while now)floating hand. Dry firing and shooting will smooth it out.

I no longer trust folks to do action jobs because many will go crazy with a Dremel tool. Oh. The grittiness you describe may be junk from the factory. Anyway, if you follow my suggestion, you will spend about a hour leisurely resolving most if not all of the issues that you mentioned. Flitz is available at Midway.

Ok, you have me looking around the house for the camera. I was using Fritz when you posted. Helped some. I'm a bit hesitant with these MIM parts in reference the case hardness and depth of same. Figure Fritz can't hurt used sparingly.

JW

[Spartan1980]

In case you missed it elsewhere, I picked up a 642-1. I put some orange paint on the front sight and added CT LG-405’s. I shot it for the first time today. 50rds 130 Fiocci FMJ and 20 rds Winchester 130 +P Bonded. I began with the irons just to establish basic function. The first 2 cylinders at 7 yds were a little left with the irons. Could be odd indoor lighting.

Attachment 23991

After that I did some more iron-sighted fire at 10 and 25. Then I swapped to zeroing the laser. I had performed a rough co-witness zero when I installed the grips and with just a bit more adjustment things were going well. This is 5 rounds with the Winchester 130 +P with the laser freestyle at 10yds:

Attachment 23992

I’ll say that’ll do pig.

So now, what’s good maintenance? Clean the carbon off with an eraser? Any lube needed?

I've heard that Hoppes #9 will jack the finish on the frame (642 only). Don't know personally as I use Ballistol on mine just in case.

The shooting left is likely the barrel clocking being off. Sadly they just no longer fit parts these days like they used to. They install to a prescribed torque and call it a day. They'll fix it if you send it in, but it's frustrating that they let us customers do their QC. Ruger has the same problem with their SP101s often. My 642 is worse than yours, take your group on the top target pic and center it on the line between the 7 and 8 ring and that's where mine shoots at 10 yards. Really disappointing.

The Ruger LCR is an ugly stepchild but it's a fantastic shooter with a better trigger, but the S&W J frame still pockets better because of slightly smaller size and is a solid choice.

Like others .357s are a no go for me unless in a steel gun, they are just too punishing for the minimal gain in Airweights and they don't pocket carry comfortably at all like the Airweights.

[Rex G]

Nothing against J-frames, but given your experience and comfort level with the G17, why go to an unfamiliar gun and not a G26, G43 or G42?

Well, perhaps, because the protruding, squared-off rear of the slide presses against the clothing to produce the all-too-familiar Glock Bulge? Now that so many folks carry electronic devices these days, such bulges at waist level, and inside pockets, no longer “frighten the horses,” as in the Eighties and Nineties, but thieves and robbers now covet mobile electronic devices, producing a new set of problems.

At ankle level, a J-Snub, or even an SP101, disappears much more convincingly than a G26/G27-sized weapon. This is based upon actual personal experience, with Alessi ankle rigs. (I have not yet tried a flatter single-stack sub-Glock at ankle level.)

Or, perhaps, because that same protrusion interferes with a smooth draw from pockets and other confined spaces, while holding the weapon in a fighting grip?

Another factor, with deep concealment, or other tight spaces, is that I can slide my fingers into proper position on the rounded grip area of a revolver easier than I can a flatter-profile auto pistol. I am not merely parroting Mas Ayoob here; I learned about pulling flat autos from tight spaces when I was required to use flap holsters on patrol duty in the early/mid-Eighties.

I am not hating Glocks. I have a brace (pair) of G17 pistols, and three G19 pistols. A G42 is on my short list. I did sell my G27 in 2002, after owning it a very short while. It simply could not compete with SP101 and J-snubs for deep concealment. At the ankle, it bulged my older-style straight-leg police uniform pants. I sold my G26 in late 2017, after owning/using it 2+ years. It had become a one-trick pony, an ankle gun while in my police uniform, with the newer full-cut pants legs. With retirement imminent, its job was finished, and the G26 found a new home.