Score - S&W M36

[DeaconKC]

It is nice to know that Tyler is shipping again in a reasonable amount of time. Gotta order one for a N frame.

[MW surveyor]

Did you ever wonder why most revolver grips jam your knuckle into the back of the trigger guard? I know that I do (wonder that is).

Is it a hold over from the original design of the things or what. Every revolver that I have, my mid finger knuckle gets jammed and the only way to shoot comfortably is to get a different set of grips that move the knuckle down.

[Barth]

Did you ever wonder why most revolver grips jam your knuckle into the back of the trigger guard? I know that I do (wonder that is).

Is it a hold over from the original design of the things or what. Every revolver that I have, my mid finger knuckle gets jammed and the only way to shoot comfortably is to get a different set of grips that move the knuckle down.

My Hogue Bantams don't do that at all???

[jocko]

thse are darn nice grips IMO. that looks like a model 342 J frame with prelock. . I had one in non prelock and like a total ass I let it go. Even had the fokker ported. IMO my best J frame ever. Had a complete action job sdone to it and it was totally smooth. U knew u were shootin a lightweight though. but to me there is just so so so much class in that J frame there.

[JFootin]

My Hogue Bantams don't do that at all???

Yeah, they do it all! I put this one on my 638 and I am not going to take it off. I believe it is the perfect grip for my J-frame!

[mr surveyor]

I ordered the bolt this morning, so should have it early next week.

If I put anything on the handle, it will either be a "T" with the factory grip, or "one piece" genuine lumber. I really like the classic look of the "T" though.

Once I get the bolt assembly problem fixed, I may go ahead and stone the action and replace the rebound spring. Mrs surv may actually become fond of it with a slicked up trigger.

surv

[CJB]

CJB..... do you think it could be possible to torque the bolt out of spec by extreme force, like, say, hammering a wood block against the thumb piece?

At first consideration, it seems unlikely. The bolt doesn't protrude all that much from the frame, and doesn't reside all that deeply into the cylinder. I'm wondering if there is actually enough "meat" to force against - that would cause deformation of the parts. Just my gut feeling on that.

More likely, and I've seen.... trying to lighten the trigger on a 36/60. The rebound spring is cut or a light weight one is put in there. Also, a light hammer spring (main spring) is put in...at that point, the wee little spring that runs the operation of the cylinder locking bolt becomes out of balance with the rest of the springs. It is too heavy and must also be lightened, that way the trigger will reset. Problem is, the spring on the bolt needs to be at some proper strength to work. So... our home gunsmith tries to stone, sand, Dremel his way into "smoothness" on the bolt. Particularly, the angled face on the bolt is subject to misfitting, and has a rather rough factor finish (inviting the home smithy to do his work at that spot). Modifying that spot disrupts the timing... etc etc etc.

Thats what I think.

[CJB]

Should also add, a new bolt is cheep. New spring set is cheep... restore it all, and you're good to go again!~

Not saying this is what the gun in question needs, but just in general, that seems to be the way a lot of J frames ended up when I was behind the gunsmith counter at the range.

[mr surveyor]

Should also add, a new bolt is cheep. New spring set is cheep... restore it all, and you're good to go again!~

Not saying this is what the gun in question needs, but just in general, that seems to be the way a lot of J frames ended up when I was behind the gunsmith counter at the range.

Thanks. As could be expected, just getting all the crusty, 30 year old gunk off the action parts made a huge improvement in the trigger. But, trying to push the bolt forward to open the cylinder just ain't working right. I would think that when, during re-assembly, that you drop the bolt into the bolt channel that the "pin" protruding through the frame would actually line up pretty darned close....maybe no more than a couple of thousandths? This one is considerably more than that as you have to pick it up to get it into the cylinder pin lock up hole. I'm even wondered if it may be so far out of spec that it's dragging on the hammer, but couldn't see any tel tale signs of marring on the nickle plated hammer. If I hadn't already ordered a replacement bolt, I suppose I could have "smoked" the hammer, re-assembled, worked to bolt, then dis-assembled to check the hammer for drag marks. If the new bolt doesn't make a drastic improvement, I'll take it to one of my GS buds to work on.

As for the "dremmel"...... not for me. Now, I have been known to fashion hand tools dressed with 1200-1500 grit wet/dry. Never reshape the factory part...just knock down the rough surface a bit.


surv

[JFootin]

Thanks. As could be expected, just getting all the crusty, 30 year old gunk off the action parts made a huge improvement in the trigger. But, trying to push the bolt forward to open the cylinder just ain't working right. I would think that when, during re-assembly, that you drop the bolt into the bolt channel that the "pin" protruding through the frame would actually line up pretty darned close....maybe no more than a couple of thousandths? This one is considerably more than that as you have to pick it up to get it into the cylinder pin lock up hole. I'm even wondered if it may be so far out of spec that it's dragging on the hammer, but couldn't see any tel tale signs of marring on the nickle plated hammer. If I hadn't already ordered a replacement bolt, I suppose I could have "smoked" the hammer, re-assembled, worked to bolt, then dis-assembled to check the hammer for drag marks. If the new bolt doesn't make a drastic improvement, I'll take it to one of my GS buds to work on.

As for the "dremmel"...... not for me. Now, I have been known to fashion hand tools dressed with 1200-1500 grit wet/dry. Never reshape the factory part...just knock down the rough surface a bit.


surv

When I got my 638 back from Ahlman's, I couldn't get the cylinder open without tremendous effort. After I found the local gunsmith to do the trigger job that Ahlman's failed at, I asked him to look at that. He said they didn't get the bolt tightened well enough. He got it secured and Locktighted it. Now, it opens easily as it should.

My gunsmith said Ahlman's had polished everything well, so he didn't have to do any more polishing. And he did not use lightened springs from a spring kit. What he did was to remove a coil or half a coil at a time from both springs (main hammer spring and trigger return spring), test firing it to confirm that it was still producing positive primer strikes, until he got it lightened up to where I needed it with my crippled, partially paralyzed hands: 4.25 lb DA. I can put you in touch with him, or you can talk with a local smith about doing a trigger job this way. I believe this is the way skilled gunsmiths did trigger jobs before there were spring kits for the relatively unskilled. Real gunsmithing is becoming a lost art, and there are a lot of pretenders around anymore.

[mr surveyor]

It's gettin' better all the time....a call to S&W today informed me that this 36 was manufactured in 1963

[Barth]

It's gettin' better all the time....a call to S&W today informed me that this 36 was manufactured in 1963

I'm still waiting on S&W to respond to my formal history request on the 65-3.
I think mine was produced around 1982?

Really hope they can identify what LE department the gun came from.

[mr surveyor]

well, my part (bolt) came in the mail today, and as expected it was not the "right" part. S&W must have changed the part sometime since 1963, but only in the way the "thumb piece" attaches to the bolt. My '63 model has a screw that attaches to the bolt through the frame, and the bolt I received has the threaded "pin" that protrudes through the frame that attaches the thumb piece with a nut. I still dropped it in to determine the function part, and could actuate it with the threaded pin protruding through the frame. A new bolt WILL solve the problem. Now, I either have to find a bolt for a 1963 vintage Model 36, or order a current "thumb piece" and "thumb piece nut", if those will actually fit the 1963 frame/slot. That's where I am now.... back to square one, with a tiny head start.

surv

[gb6491]

well, my part (bolt) came in the mail today, and as expected it was not the "right" part. S&W must have changed the part sometime since 1963, but only in the way the "thumb piece" attaches to the bolt. My '63 model has a screw that attaches to the bolt through the frame, and the bolt I received has the threaded "pin" that protrudes through the frame that attaches the thumb piece with a nut. I still dropped it in to determine the function part, and could actuate it with the threaded pin protruding through the frame. A new bolt WILL solve the problem. Now, I either have to find a bolt for a 1963 vintage Model 36, or order a current "thumb piece" and "thumb piece nut", if those will actually fit the 1963 frame/slot. That's where I am now.... back to square one, with a tiny head start.

surv

If Smith doesn't have any of the old "flat latch" bolts on hand you probably going to have to do a lot of 'leg work' to find one. I suggest giving any of these folks a try:
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/
http://www.poppertsgunparts.com/
http://www.gun-parts.com/index.html/
Post on the S&W forums: http://smith-wessonforum.com

It appears fitting more modern parts is possible:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-han...lat-latch.html

Perhaps a comparison of the old and new part would give you an idea where the old part needs tweaking and if it's something you could do yourself.

Alternatively, contact S&W about repair/retro fit.

Good luck,
Greg

[pineappleshooter]

Wow, I'll have to take some Kroil with me next time I go out to a night club.

"I'm here til Thursday, don't forget to try the veal!"