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Skill Set: Revolver Malfunctions

Annihilator

Annihilator

Emissary
Founding Member
One for the revolver guys, skill set, revolver malfunctions, good read from the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Skill Set: Revolver Malfunctions | Buckeye Firearms Association

Revolvers are great for self-defense. That’s what I carry on a daily basis. They come in a variety of sizes, easily carried and concealed. There’s an assortment of effective calibers available – more today than ever. A well-maintained revolver will experience fewer malfunctions than the...
www.buckeyefirearms.org www.buckeyefirearms.org
 
i do have a few revolvers, one of which is a 2.5" barrel .357 magnum Ruger. i had hoped to use that as a daily carry come winter time, and buy a nice OWB leather holster.

but i still ain't bought the holster yet.

i do practice with all my revolvers, but like all my gun collection, i practice with them, as the cycle of thier turn comes up. so in other words, not as often as any of my semi-automatics. i have 4 revolvers, to my 20 semi-automatics...
 
I've picked up a few wheelguns over the years because I admire the craftsmanship and like the simple manual of arms. The article's title worried me because it made me think that there might be potential malfunctions I had never considered. After seeing that the author counted needing to reload as a malfunction, my faith in the reliability of my revolvers has been restored.
 
wmg1299 said:
I've picked up a few wheelguns over the years because I admire the craftsmanship and like the simple manual of arms. The article's title worried me because it made me think that there might be potential malfunctions I had never considered. After seeing that the author counted needing to reload as a malfunction, my faith in the reliability of my revolvers has been restored.
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the only problem, and i mean THE only problem i had with any of my revolvers was with the what else....ammo.

i was using reloaded ammo, from a place i get it from when it is available.

well, the knuckle head reloader (who he himself has said he's been reloading for like 30 years??) , made a "few" rounds OVER the OAL specs for 38 special. as the wheel turned, it would hit the frame!

at least twice, the wheel jammed and i simply could not get it free.

i didn't think to check OAL, i mean after all, when you buy something, new or reloaded, you EXPECT the rummy on the other end, actually DID HIS JOB!!

suffice it to say, i do NOT buy reloaded 38 special or .357, or even 9mm anymore, but only .45 ACP, and that is done sparingly now that factory ammo is on the shelves and the prices are coming down.

but yeah, like on our semi-automatics, ammo should be suspect #1 for revolvers as well, before we worry about our firearms..
 
Most common revolver malfunction I've encountered is an empty case slipping under the extractor star, whereupon it gets pushed back in and has to be removed with a pencil or pen, or a thumbnail.

Mas Ayoob teaches how to completely prevent this problem: When ejecting your empties, point the barrel straight up and smack the ejector rod with the palm of your other hand, once, HARD. This has never failed for me, even on .22s, which can be quite "sticky" sometimes.
 
Old_Me said:
the only problem, and i mean THE only problem i had with any of my revolvers was with the what else....ammo.

i was using reloaded ammo, from a place i get it from when it is available.

well, the knuckle head reloader (who he himself has said he's been reloading for like 30 years??) , made a "few" rounds OVER the OAL specs for 38 special. as the wheel turned, it would hit the frame!

at least twice, the wheel jammed and i simply could not get it free.

i didn't think to check OAL, i mean after all, when you buy something, new or reloaded, you EXPECT the rummy on the other end, actually DID HIS JOB!!

suffice it to say, i do NOT buy reloaded 38 special or .357, or even 9mm anymore, but only .45 ACP, and that is done sparingly now that factory ammo is on the shelves and the prices are coming down.

but yeah, like on our semi-automatics, ammo should be suspect #1 for revolvers as well, before we worry about our firearms..
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High primers can be a killer.

That's why when I put carry loads in a revolver, I will either thumb back the hammer just enough to get the cylinder to free-wheel, or depress the trigger on a hammerless model (make bloody certain of your backstop when you do this! I use a stack of 1975 Encyclopedia Britannica) and spin the cylinder...if it hangs up, there's problem.

This comes from having apractice round with a high primer lock up a J-frame tighter than tight...needed a mallet to open the cylinder, and fully expected a catastrophic event doing it...
 
Snake45 said:
Most common revolver malfunction I've encountered is an empty case slipping under the extractor star, whereupon it gets pushed back in and has to be removed with a pencil or pen, or a thumbnail.

Mas Ayoob teaches how to completely prevent this problem: When ejecting your empties, point the barrel straight up and smack the ejector rod with the palm of your other hand, once, HARD. This has never failed for me, even on .22s, which can be quite "sticky" sometimes.
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i recall a video that Paul Harrel did about revolvers and him smacking the extractor rod hard, like Mas says..

then some nitwit, who "claimed" to be some sort of video expert on you tube, took Paul to task on that.

there he sat, drinking (and drunk) a glass of whiskey, slurred speech and all.

Paul Harrel and Mas know more about guns, then that nitwit could ever hope to.
 
HansGruber said:
High primers can be a killer.

That's why when I put carry loads in a revolver, I will either thumb back the hammer just enough to get the cylinder to free-wheel, or depress the trigger on a hammerless model (make bloody certain of your backstop when you do this! I use a stack of 1975 Encyclopedia Britannica) and spin the cylinder...if it hangs up, there's problem.

This comes from having apractice round with a high primer lock up a J-frame tighter than tight...needed a mallet to open the cylinder, and fully expected a catastrophic event doing it...
Click to expand...
actually it wasn't the primer(s). it was the actual bullet not seated to OAL. i could see that in later loadings of the wheel. i hold the gun down, as one should dropping in cartridges, and when all chambers are loaded, i look to see if any hang out of the cylinder.

had i loaded the gun this way in the first place (and watch for the bullet sticking out too far) i would have avoided the jammed wheel. but why would i ever had to know this?

it should be "thought that" the reloader did his job properly in the first place, and seated the bullets to OAL..

lesson learnt, on my part.
 
HansGruber said:
High primers can be a killer.

That's why when I put carry loads in a revolver, I will either thumb back the hammer just enough to get the cylinder to free-wheel, or depress the trigger on a hammerless model (make bloody certain of your backstop when you do this! I use a stack of 1975 Encyclopedia Britannica) and spin the cylinder...if it hangs up, there's problem.
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Just stick your "social finger" behind the trigger, then depress the trigger with your trigger finger. Your other finger keeps the trigger from coming back far enough to drop the hammer. Try it! ;)
 
Old_Me said:
actually it wasn't the primer(s). it was the actual bullet not seated to OAL. i could see that in later loadings of the wheel. i hold the gun down, as one should dropping in cartridges, and when all chambers are loaded, i look to see if any hang out of the cylinder.

had i loaded the gun this way in the first place (and watch for the bullet sticking out too far) i would have avoided the jammed wheel. but why would i ever had to know this?

it should be "thought that" the reloader did his job properly in the first place, and seated the bullets to OAL..

lesson learnt, on my part.
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Mine was meant as an addition to that.

I'd add, as far as bad reloads go--poor crimping. Can lead to bullet jump and binding the cylinder (same thing as what you had happen, but the look good initially...recoil will cause the bullets to jump the crimp).

Usually only a problem in ultra lightweight revolvers and heavy recoiling loads (and is the reason that S&W says to stay above 125gr on their J-frame Airweight PD Magnums)...but can also happen with bad reloads.
 
Annihilator said:
One for the revolver guys, skill set, revolver malfunctions, good read from the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Skill Set: Revolver Malfunctions | Buckeye Firearms Association

Revolvers are great for self-defense. That’s what I carry on a daily basis. They come in a variety of sizes, easily carried and concealed. There’s an assortment of effective calibers available – more today than ever. A well-maintained revolver will experience fewer malfunctions than the...
www.buckeyefirearms.org www.buckeyefirearms.org
Click to expand...

Thanks Anni, good short article.
Seems like from article, most common malfunctions as with other firearms, occur with ammo difficulties. Especially with proper seating ranges.
 
HansGruber said:
Mine was meant as an addition to that.

I'd add, as far as bad reloads go--poor crimping. Can lead to bullet jump and binding the cylinder (same thing as what you had happen, but the look good initially...recoil will cause the bullets to jump the crimp).

Usually only a problem in ultra lightweight revolvers and heavy recoiling loads (and is the reason that S&W says to stay above 125gr on their J-frame Airweight PD Magnums)...but can also happen with bad reloads.
Click to expand...
Had that problem with a SW 329 I had for about a month. Did it with several loads. That thing actually made my hand numb after shooting full loads.. Finally decided though that if I wanted that kind of pain I would, as Massad Ayoob said, go to Mistress Fifis house of pain and sold it.
 
Some good basic information in the article. I was issued my first revolver, a S&W Model 15, in 1970. Still arguably the most accurate revolver I ever carried. A few years later I was issued a Model 36 3" heavy barrel for plainclothes assignment. Great for concealment but they could not handle a steady diet of duty loads. Then I carried a Model 27 on patrol, and a Model 19 2.5" off duty. Also a Model 66 2.5 inch for a period as an off duty. The last revolver I was issued before the big transition to semi autos was a Model 64, a truly durable, accurate LE workhorse. I was an instructor during much of that time. The only malfunction I ever had with any of those revolvers was caused by bad ammo and/or high primers. I did send the Model 27 back to S&W because the tolerance between cylinder face and forcing cone was so tight that after a few rounds carbon would drag on the cylinder. I borrowed a Python while the 27 was in the shop and wanted it but could not afford one at the time. I saw a number of malfunctions occur on the range when the ejector rod was not tight and unscrewed itself, making it difficult to open and reload the gun. When speedloaders came into vogue we slammed those guns around a lot to get them reloaded in a hurry. Many times I told students, "take your time to shoot, reload in a hurry". I trusted S&W, Colt, and Ruger revolvers based upon my experience with them in law enforcement firearms training. S&W has had some quality control issues in recent years. I have seen some horrible examples of cheap off brand S&W knockoff guns in recent years that make me shake my head as to why anyone would use them for defensive purposes. The key to keeping a revolver running is start with a quality gun, annual inspection, maintenance, and good ammunition.
 
HayesGreener said:
I did send the Model 27 back to S&W because the tolerance between cylinder face and forcing cone was so tight that after a few rounds carbon would drag on the cylinder......I saw a number of malfunctions occur on the range when the ejector rod was not tight and unscrewed itself, making it difficult to open and reload the gun.
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I had that same (cylinder gap) problem with a brand-new Colt King Cobra back when they were introduced. Took me a while to diagnose because it would only do it shooting live. When I finally figgered it out, only took me a few minutes of CAREFUL, one-stroke-at-a-time file work to open up the gap to about .004" and it's worked fine ever since.

Good point about the ejector rod unscrewing. Seen that many times myself. I've gotten in the habit of giving the rod a little tweak almost every time I have it open. Excellent point, thanks for bringing it up! 👍
 
In days of yore I carried my personal S&W model 66 .357 as a duty weapon. I did a lot of dry fire practice during slow periods at work. One day I took it out, unloaded and inspected it. I discovered the hammer mounted firing pin (called a hammer nose) was broken! You should have seen the blood drain from my face. I was on duty, carrying a completely non functional gun. I had no idea when it had broken, or how long I had been carrying it that way. I nearly threw up.

Years later, the gun was relegated to home defense. One day I went to check it out and guess what. I found the hammer nose had broken again! When? How? I had no idea. This time, the gun was so old that the local gunsmith could not find the part, even from S&W, and had to improvise a repair. The gun still stands ready for home defense, but I never pick it up without grabbing that hammer nose and making sure it's still solid on there.

Of course, these were not malfunctions but breakages. There's not much training you can do for that. Frequently inspect the guns you rely on!
 
I too broke a firing pin on a S&W M19. Got a replacement and fixed it myself. Later, I broke the firing pin on a Colt Python--replaced that one myself too. And I've broken the firing pin on a WWII Walther P.38 TWICE and replaced it! Needless to say, I don't do much dry-firing these days, at least not without snap caps in place. Except 1911s--their firing pins are hella robust and have on occasion been mistaken for truck axles.
 
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