Author Topic: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal  (Read 2971 times)

Offline mehavey

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S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« on: September 25, 2015, 05:24:17 PM »
Picked up a Taylors/Uberti S&W New Model #3/Frontier last month, and after getting Sandy Garrett to reduce the  trigger to 3lbs or so, I got it out to the range.

Other than having to raise the front sight by a tenth for correct point of impact, it shoots the Lyman 454190(soft/30:1) over 8.0gr of Unique exceptionally well.

Then... I tried to get the cylinder out so as to see if I wanted to size the bullet larger than  standard 0.452.

Problem:
When unscrewed/taken out, big cylinder release screw on the top strap appears almost cosmetic.  I can't see where it connects/intersects anything that would retain the cylinder.

Moreover, the cylinder actually appears to be retained by a small leaf-spring like ledge under the barrel catch:



Am I missing something obvious here ?
(Like maybe that latch/spring above is supposed to slide out when the cylinder release screw is removed -- and it's just stiff ?)


~~~~~~~~  BREAK BREAK  ~~~~~~~~
Answered my own question.
Yes, it does slide out.
Yes, it was stiff.
 ::)

Offline Johnson Barr

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Re: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2015, 02:35:47 PM »
The cylinder retainer clip is of spring type material and the slot it is fitted into can be a bit tight. I've used a break free spray solution called 'PB Blaster' sold at O'Reillys Auto Parts stores as an aid. After you remove the take down screw spray a little PB in from the top and let it do the magic for 5 minutes or so. Then I use a small thin screw driver blade inserted between the retainer clip and cylinder to gently twist and pry rearward the retainer clip. Once moved rearward the spring action of the retainer clip will rise upward away from the cylinder. At that point you will be able to unscrew the cylinder (counter clockwise) from the quill shaft that the cylinder rotates.
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Offline Blair

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Re: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2015, 03:30:15 PM »
First, (and this is on the original S&W's. not what the repro's are calling a New Model)
The New Model 3's do not have this top screw.

The last S&W to use this is the #3 Model 3 and the screw head is quite large.
One does not need to remove the screw, only loosen it about one turn.
One also does not need to remove the cylinder retaining clip. Other wise this will allow the cylinder latch spring and cam to fall out, or fly off into places unknown.

In the New Model 3's, the cylinder latch is built into the latch itself. Lift the latch up and turn the cylinder out counter clock wise.
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Re: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« Reply #3 on: Today at 02:12:09 AM »

Offline mehavey

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Re: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2015, 08:36:50 AM »
Thanks all....

Johnson, I discovered that if I just applied a steadily-increeeeEEEEsing rearward pressure to the cylinder, the spring/retainer clip would finally move rearward ~3/16" -- enough to clear the cylinder edge for removal.  Pushing the clip stiffly back in with a wooden pencil upon reassembly works OK.  Kroiled the heck out of it after that.

Blair, you are correct.  This is an Uberti repro of the New Model 3/Frontier.  Some interesting combination of "best design practices"

 

Offline Flint

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Re: S&W New Model 3 -- Cylinder Removal
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2015, 07:58:41 PM »
The top screw in the Ubeerti made New #3 is from the Russian, as many have noticed, Uberti uses mechanisms from one model to the other, as the Uberti Russian uses their  Schofield extractor mechanism.  They save tooling costs that way. As above commenter stated, an original S&W  Model 3 needed only to lift the latch to free the cylinder.
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