.22 Revolvers & lead bullets

[Hugnot]

Wifey just assumed ownership of a new S&W M63, .22LR revolver, stainless, 3-inch barrel. She noticed at after a few shots it was difficult to cock for single shot use. Her ammo was .22LR Blazers - plain lead bullets, only lubricated. The cylinder face was plastered with black stuff. I cleaned everything up & measured the cylinder barrel gap at between .005-.006 with the cylinder pushed forward. Negligible end shake.

For this gun we will use the cleanest .22LR ammo with copper plated bullets that we can find. Fed .22LR Punch ammo looks good.

Wifey wants to protect me from rattle snakes & the little gun fits inside her huge purse.

 

[birddog 68]

They are definitely a PIA to clean up after shooting a bunch. Never had any issues cocking even after 50 shots and I shoot the cheap blazer also.
If her purses are like my wife's I'm sure she could fit bigger than a 3" barrel! lol

 

[Rosebud]

Timing may be off and you're shearing off lead in the forcing cone. Try another brand and see if it improves.

 

[LoneTraveler]

First check the timing on the cylinder. It may be shearing lead as it enters the forcing cone. Also check the area where the crane closes into the frame. Dirt or junk can collect and the cylinder will be off just a few thousandths, Even though the latches have locked.

 

[Old Rooster]

That is exactly why I don't buy the cheapest 22 ammo.I don't buy match grade ammo but I do buy something in between.
A gunsmith can check the cylinder to barrel alignment with a ranging rod.I've seen it done and not expensive to check.

 

[Hugnot]

Yes, looks like a timing problem.

Revolver shipped back to Smith & Wesson, Springfield Massachusetts via Fed Ex. Shipping process was easy & quick. I sent S&W an on-site email asking for warranty repair, they responded next working day with an email providing detailed instructions regarding shipping & a prepaid 2-day Fed Ex mailing label. We dropped off the little gun at an Authorized Fed Ex site next to our local airport on Monday early PM. Smith & Wesson at Springfield Massachusetts received the little gun before noon on Wednesday. Usual repair work runs 6-8 weeks. Did S&W make some deal with Fed Ex making Fed EX an FFL to enable shipping?

I noticed that the cylinder did not lock up at 1 chamber. Extractor star looked like it was chewed up slightly by hand. No signs of scraping on front of cylinder. Difficult to cock for single action use after 1 round fired with better copper plated bullet ammo - CCI Mini Mag.

Wifey was disappointed but is anticipating future use. Little gun to compliment her .22LR (rifle) .223, 9 twist & .22-.250 7.7 twist.

The cheap .22LR Blazer ammo performs extremely well in a Ruger M77/22 & Ruger MKIV. We plan to try CCI Tac .22LR thinking it will shoot cleaner. All the match grade .22LR ammo that I have seen are plain lead bullets, no copper plate.

 

[strokinhermanjr]

I just sent an old Super Blackhawk in to Ruger to get refinished. Used my local FFL to keep it simple. He uses UPS as he has had quite a few hassles with FedEx. This is the second Ruger I've sent in for an overhaul. Very pleased with their work. Please update on how your S&W turns out.

 

[Hugnot]

The S&W was shipped out on 2/13/23, received on 2/15/23, & logged in by S&W on 2/17/23. Work was completed on 3/1/23, shipped back on 3/2/23, & received on 3/3/23 & 3/4/23. On the return the FedEx driver guy arrived on 3/3/23 instead of the tracking date 3/6/23 & we were late in responding to his tappy tap on our door, so we had to make a trip to the FedEx depot near our airport - no big deal - a sweet young thing with orange & blue hair checked me out upon presentation of ID with matching name & address as shipping info & tracking number.

As noted, the problem was thought to be a timing problem, "timing issue" as noted on comments.

Examination of the cylinder showed that the back or star end of the cylinder had been polished leaving faint circular marks that were not present before warranty work. The gap between cylinder & back of frame appeared to be greater after warranty work. Possibly, the cylinder was jammed into the frame upon firing the 1st round making it difficult for the hand to move it. S&W note was "Evaluate/Repair" "Repair Yoke" Barrel/front cylinder gap was measured at .008.

Final verdict will be after 200 rounds of a variety of ammo go thru it.

Sent S&W form for $50 rebate - will treat wifey to lunch/dinner vs buying more gun stuff.

 

[milo-2]

For this gun we will use the cleanest .22LR ammo with copper plated bullets that we can find. Fed .22LR Punch ammo looks good.

I shot CCI mini mag hollow points in my 617 -10 for yrs, extracting them from the cylinder got to be a pain at times and I chalked it up to case expansion from hotter ammo.
Being I don't hunt with it, CCI SV works great, I am equipped to clean lead. I really like Rimfire blend from Boretech, it cleans the cyl face up pretty easy.

 

[Hugnot]

Back to using CCI Blazer ammo - cylinder face gets brushed clean with toothbrush & Hoppe's Black after 3-5 cylinders full (24-40) rounds. Shooting SV ammo is a good idea, extraction of Blazers is tough.

The problem was the cylinder face was not trued up with the barrel end making contact, no barrel gap, at a 180-degree point. S&W adjusted crane ("repair crane" on ticket) up so cylinder rotation would maintain barrel gap.

Revolver workings are sort of a mystery to me.

 

[tomme_boy]

There are types of Blazer 22rf. One is loaded by CCI, the other is loaded by Federal. The CCI loaded has a wax type of lube. The Federal has the graphite lube. I have had nothing but problems with the dry lube.

I have not shot any of the Blazers in about 4 years so the CCI loaded may not even be available anymore

 

[purpledragon]

They are definitely a PIA to clean up after shooting a bunch. Never had any issues cocking even after 50 shots and I shoot the cheap blazer also.
If her purses are like my wife's I'm sure she could fit bigger than a 3" barrel! lol

No kidding BD68, my gal could carry an Uzi and no one would ever know!!!! LOL

 

[Reelamin]

Timing may be off and you're shearing off lead in the forcing cone. Try another brand and see if it improves.

Shoot it inside a cardboard box with about 3-4" space around the cylinder. Will tell you quickly if it is.