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... to the point that DA trigger pulls won't even advance past the 5th round. Even pulling the hammer back for an SA shot gets tight.

Snap caps and unloaded all is smooth as silk.


What am I missing? Any and all help appreciated.

Edit: This is the first session this thing has been fired in 30 years. All lubed and operating well. It was used very little when "new".
 
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Are you firing full house 357 rounds? If so, full power loads can cause the bullets to walk from the case and extend into the forcing cone causing jams on later rounds.

It sounds like that may be the issue if small caps work but real rounds are a problem later in the cylinder.
 
Snap caps work but live rounds won't? Are the primers fully set?
Are you firing full house 357 rounds? If so, full power loads can cause the bullets to walk from the case and extend into the forcing cone causing jams on later rounds.

It sounds like that may be the issue if small caps work but real rounds are a problem later in the cylinder.


Everything works... Until the last 2 shots of live ammo... (edit:just the .38 did this.) No matter the order of cylinder alignment - after the first 4 rounds fired - the last 2 get stiff. Especially the last, 6th. My guess is the spent casings are binding the cylinder's rotation as it advances to the last 2 shots.
 
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Everything works... Until the last 2 shots of live ammo... 38 or 357. No matter the order of cylinder alignment - after the first 4 rounds fired - the last 2 get stiff. Especially the last, 6th. My guess is the spent casings are binding the cylinder's rotation as it advances to the last 2 shots.
Handloads or factory?
 
Primers backing out after firing? There has got to be some issue with interference from those fired cases, if the snap caps work okay. If this occurs with .38 Special, it's probably not inertial bullet creep. Next time you have the gun out for firing and you encounter this, check closely for any kind of interference between the cartridge case heads and the recoil plate of the revolver. Sometimes it can be as simple (and miniscule) as the primer cup material displaced from the firing pin indentation causing interference of cylinder rotation. This is more likely with an older N frame that has chambers counterbored for the cartridge case heads. These have pretty close rotational tolerances. Could be something else, but without my examining the revolver, this is the thought I'd pursue.
 
Gunk under the extractor star.
It's clean and flush...

Primers backing out after firing? There has got to be some issue with interference from those fired cases, if the snap caps work okay. If this occurs with .38 Special, it's probably not inertial bullet creep. Next time you have the gun out for firing and you encounter this, check closely for any kind of interference between the cartridge case heads and the recoil plate of the revolver. Sometimes it can be as simple as the primer cup material displaced from the firing pin indentation causing interference of cylinder rotation. This is more likely with an older N frame that has chambers counterbored for the cartridge case heads. These have pretty close rotational tolerances.

This is exactly what it seems to be. Cylinder gap is tight- but good, but it does seem that binding is happening at the recoil plate. I just went over the 2 boxes I shot today - all the primers are flush (or below) - but the case rims seem uneven - meaning, when I insert the spent cases into the cylinder, a slight lip that I can feel with a fingernail on one side - but flush on the other. It's very slight.
And my bad - the 2 boxes of .38 were both the same - Remington UMC.

Once reloaded - it cycles fine manually. Only once you fire off the 4th round do #5 and especially #6 (or the proud expended cartridge rims of 1 thru 4...?) seem to bind at the rear.
 
Have you properly scoured the 38 rings that form in the 357 chamber? That can cause seating issues. Try using new brass... sometimes that works when nothing else will.
 
One thing about primers. As the cartridge fires, the brass case expands against the chamber walls, locking the case in place. As this is occurring, the primer is forced backward against the recoil plate/firing pin bushing of the gun. Normal. Also normally, as the pressure drops once the bullet has exited the barrel, the residual pressure will push the cartridge backward, re-seating the spent primer. So, when you eject the casing, there is no way of knowing that the primer ever moved.

The problem arises when cartridge pressure is too low, so that even though the primer is pushed back, the case does not follow and re-seat the primer. Then, you have raised primers and balky cylinder rotation.

The N frame is a huge, heavy duty frame and unless something ran over it, I cannot imagine a mechanical problem. Would have to be in the ammo, methinks.
 
What do the primers look like after firing? Are they flush with the case or does any part stand proud?
The are flush - or below - nothing proud.

I am suspecting the ammo, too.
I played with some of the spent cases. A couple still bind up when reinserted.

.
The problem arises when cartridge pressure is too low, so that even though the primer is pushed back, the case does not follow and re-seat the primer. Then, you have raised primers and balky cylinder rotation.

It's kinda like this - but it seems the case rim doesn't sit flush all around the edge after firing. (Instead of bulgy primers - they all look below flush.)


All the help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I have a few more different loads/ammo choices. I'll run through a variety tomorrow and see what happens.
 
Had this problem in my 28 4", when the cylinder hand ejector had come slightly loose. Give the ejector rod a look to see if still snug.
 
The are flush - or below - nothing proud.

I am suspecting the ammo, too.
I played with some of the spent cases. A couple still bind up when reinserted.

.

It's kinda like this - but it seems the case rim doesn't sit flush all around the edge after firing. (Instead of bulgy primers - they all look below flush.)


All the help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I have a few more different loads/ammo choices. I'll run through a variety tomorrow and see what happens.
Don't go by feel, put them on something hard and flat and see if they wobble or you can see light under them.
 
Don't go by feel, put them on something hard and flat and see if they wobble or you can see light under them.
They all sit flat...

After firing - the primers are flat of lower... But - the edges of the case rims seem... unbalanced. Pretty much completely flush - but every one has a slight rim that sits ever so slightly above flush - like the rim itself was effected slightly, but only one one side/edge. And it's that slight rim protrusion (or combined dragging of the first 4 odd rims) that hangs up the last 2 shots coming around. All 6 do this.

IMG_4315.JPG
 
Hmm, OK, make real sure the chamber recesses sre perfectly clean and there's zero build-up /rings in the chambers. You need a chamber brush, not a bore brush.
I use stainless steel chamber brushes that are extremely difficult to push through and then pull out but one pass is all its ever took.
 
What do the primers look like after firing? Are they flush with the case or does any part stand proud?
It only shows as high primers when low pressures are involved. Otherwise all appears normal. But, if you have cases with deep primer pockets and the primer is seated below flush, it will be flush, but not deep-seated as it was before.
 
They all sit flat...

After firing - the primers are flat of lower... But - the edges of the case rims seem... unbalanced. Pretty much completely flush - but every one has a slight rim that sits ever so slightly above flush - like the rim itself was effected slightly, but only one one side/edge. And it's that slight rim protrusion (or combined dragging of the first 4 odd rims) that hangs up the last 2 shots coming around. All 6 do this.

View attachment 1057814
Mark the head of the spent casings with a sharpie and run it through a couple of cycles. The high spots will be apparent.
 
It only shows as high primers when low pressures are involved. Otherwise all appears normal. But, if you have cases with deep primer pockets and the primer is seated below flush, it will be flush, but not deep-seated as it was before.
But if there's a problem with the breech face/shield around the firing pin hole the primer can flow creating binding.
 

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