Problem with NIB Cimarron Lightning.

[CountryGent]

So, I picked up a brand new, Cimarron Lightning from the FFL on Thursday. It is a single-action, chambered in .38 Special.

I just now brought it up to the home range for some shooting. I loaded six rounds of 130-grain, Winchester-brand, .38 Special. I cocked the hammer, fired, and when I tried to cock it again found the cylinder completely immobilized. The hammer won't go back more than a few millimeters. I tried removing the cylinder by depressing the base pin screw and sliding the pin out, but it got stuck half way. Now it can't be pushed back in or pulled all the way out.

Does anyone know what I can do to at least get the live rounds out of this revolver so that it can be returned for repair? There is no way, legally or ethically, I can ship it back in this condition. I hesitate to bring it into my gunsmith with live cartridges either, though he is a good guy to work with, and might understand.

I have a message into Cimarron, but I doubt I'll hear anything until Monday. Thanks all.

How far the hammer will go back:

Stuck pin:

Read More

 

[Medic!]

Take it to a gun smith. Just to be safe.

If it were mine. I'd WD 40 the cylinder pin and grab it with a pair of vise grips. Pad the jaws with leather so I didn't mar the pin. And work that pin out.
If I damaged the pin then they can fix that to.

You don't have a round bridging the cylinder and forcing cone do you?
Or one of the bullets from another round locking up the cylinder?

Good luck.

 

[CountryGent]

You don't have a round bridging the cylinder and forcing cone do you?
Or one of the bullets from another round locking up the cylinder?

Thanks for the notes. It appears to be a negative on both. I shown a bore light down and I see an empty cartridge case and no bullet. The other five rounds don't appear to be locking it up.

 

[nammac]

WD-40 both the cylinder pin and catch, try working the catch will pulling in the cylinder pin...

Stinks to get one shot off and then have it lock up solid on ya...

Good luck, let us know how it goes...

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks for the notes @nammac. I tried some Kroil, which has worked for me on really stuck parts before, while working the pin and catch, but still no go. I'll give WD-40 a try per your and @Medic!'s advice.

Indeed, it is a swift kick in the ... eh, knickers to have it lock up solid after cartridge one.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Can you decock the hammer? Might try putting pressure on the trigger while attempting to release the hammer. Can you rock the cylinder? Sounds like there is pressure being exerted on the cylinder ether at the take down pin, or from the timing ring partly slipped on the paul! just some thoughts! Please, be careful if you attempt any thing further, we don't wanna loose you!

 

[Colts4me]

The pin is in a bind, what might help is removing the base pin screw. It's spring loaded so you have pressure against the base pin. Odds are the jam is ammo related in some way. Maybe a high primer or bullet that moved ahead. Just opinion now because I can' get a close look.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Wow! Sorry you got that, Gent! Thanks for the warning!

I'm going to buy one real soon! NOT!!!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I wonder if the cylinder hand or spring is broken ?
This can cause the cylinder hand to be in the up position and "Lock "the cylinder....
Andy

 

[Colts4me]

By the looks of where the hammer is its in the first notch or the safety notch.

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks all for the replies and thoughts. Additional details, in case it helps:

• The hammer is decocked. I can only pull it slightly back and it never even gets to the ¼ way mark.
• As far as I can see, there is no bullet that "jumped" and jammed it up.
• A high primer may be the case, but I am not sure how to tell.
• Good point on the pin being the "sticking point", no pun intended.
• The cylinder only wiggles just a tad, either with or without the trigger pulled.
• Pulling the hammer back does make the pawl lower far enough to be disengaged, but I still can't rotate the cylinder by hand.
• Not sure about how to check the cylinder hand though that does sound like the symptoms here.
• Agreed with the comment in post #8. Not real impressed with Cimarron thus far. Though, as noted, it could be an ammo-related fluke.

Thanks all. I really appreciate the ideas and thoughts.

 

[ma96782]

Problem with posting.

Had similar prob. Call me. # in PM

Aloha, Mark

 

[nammac]

Problem with posting.

Had similar prob. Call me. # in PM

Aloha, Mark

Educate us all, please...

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks for the talk, Mark. I am going to try that now and will fill in the rest in a bit. Much appreciated.

 

[CountryGent]

Mark, you are the man with the plan! I got the cartridges out.

Basically, he had me hold the hammer back and slightly wiggle the cylinder back and forth, back and forth, over and over again and, son of gun, it popped free. I now have the five loaded cartridges and the spend casing out of the gun. The pin is still stuck and I'm working on that next.

Thanks again, Mark. Much appreciated.

 

[ma96782]

Ok....trying again. Computer may go down again so, bear with me.

I shoot SASS and I was using my Ruger Vaqueros when it happened to me. The description sounds just like what I also encountered.

I had to take the revolver home, still loaded and with the cylinder still stuck in the frame, unable to move. Lucky for me though, I did manager to remove the cylinder pin.

Make sure that the bolt is NOT locking up your cylinder. You might have to tape it down (out of the way). Next, while holding the hammer slightly back...wiggle the cylinder left and right, left and right, it might take a bit of time. Gun oil on the back side of the cartridges and the recoil shield might help a bit too. Also note that: different revolvers turn differently, clockwise or counter clockwise. So, you don't want to be forcing/putting too much pressure on the cylinder in the wrong direction. Just in case the hand is up there, engaging the cogs on your extractor star.

Remove all of the cartridges as you are able to and disassemble the firearm to check on the parts for damage.

Also, inspect the cartridges. In my case I saw the obvious drag marks on the primer(s) of the cartridges that were at fault. Yup.....high primers (my reloads).

Next time....instead of loading one, skip, and load four more. I'll load five and make sure to have the cylinder make a full rotation to check that I'm not having a high primer rubbing/hanging up the rotation. Of course....the revolver's hammer will have to be under an empty chamber (SASS rules) before it's holstered.

If it's locked up and you want to check first before disassembly....

I guess that if you suspected that a high primer was causing the problem......you could try slipping a feeler gauge between the cartridges and the recoil shield. If the feeler gauge won't fit.....well, there you are.

Aloha, Mark

 

[nammac]

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge Mark, very informative.

Just another example of why this is the greatest firearms forum on the interwebs...

 

[CountryGent]

Just another example of why this is the greatest firearms forum on the interwebs...

You got that right, my friend.

 

[CountryGent]

Still no luck getting the pin free. Tomorrow I might head down to the lower shed and put it in the vice. Or bring it to the gunsmith on Monday and, if he can't free it, send it back to Cimarron and have them take care of it. Considering the problems, that latter might make the most sense.

 

[nammac]

Still no luck getting the pin free. Tomorrow I might head down to the lower shed and put it in the vice. Or bring it to the gunsmith on Monday and, if he can't free it, send it back to Cimarron and have them take care of it. Considering the problems, that latter might make the most sense.

I'd make Cimarron fix it and make things right...