Posted: 11/17/2007 4:45:27 PM EDT
| I took the side plate off my mod. 65 today, just to see if it needed detailed cleaning or lubrication. This is police trade in I've had for several years and have only shot it a few times. Inside looked ok, so I applied a little break free and tried to put the side plate back on. After I put the side plate on and secured the screws, the cylinder stop would stick in the down position when I dry fired the revolver and and not pop up into place like it is supposed to do. When I would cylcle the action with the side plate off, everything worked fine; but everytime I put the side plate on the cylinder stop would stick in the down position after a couple of trigger pulls. I finally noticed that when I would put the side plate on it was not seating fully. Afer trying several times to just push it into place with my hands, I got my robo-grips and gently squezed the side plate into place. Now everything seems to work fine. Is this normal? Do I have anything to worry about? |
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You've obviously never watched an experienced armorer work on one. It can get ugly, especially if he is adjusting cylinder "freeness", or yoke aligment, and has to break out the babbet bar or brass hammer. Once I lay a sideplate in place, I always whack it with a karate-chop-like motion to make sure its seated before installing the screws. Here's hoping you put the correct screw in the correct hole. The earlier K-frames have a fitted yoke screw that is identical in appearance to the middle screw. These older guns have a flat-headed "plate" screw (the rear-most one) which is easy to differentiate; its equally easy to get the middle and front screws mixed up. . |
You're right about that. All I know is through trial and error and what I can pick up from helpful folks on forums. 
I've always been careful about keeping track of which screw goes to which hole. Thanks for the help. |
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I have a 65-5 retired Police pistol with 4" barrel. I had to use a rubber mallet to seat the side plate in! It is a light press fit. Very exactly fitted. I did notice the screws were different and laid them out in order so I didn't mess that up as I put it back together. Lucked out there. I was very impressed with how this old pistol was made and how smooth it's action is. To bad it's kind of large for a CCW. |
Yes, grasshopper...we all learn about that, sooner or later. |
Hello The side plate screws are fairly easy to distinguish from each other. The flat headed screw always goes to the rear upper side plate location. The Lower left rear one will not have the end turned down as much as the forward side plate screw does as the forward one holds the cylinder crane in place and the crane has a Milled out section which this screw rides in when tightened down, and it will have a slightly smaller diameter extended tip, that rides in the Crane cut out spot longer than the threads on the rear lower one. A Great book to buy which shows all facets of working on any S&W revolver, along with Tricks to make it easier is the book entitled A S&W shop manuel by Jerry Kuhnhausen. It shows how to remove and replace the sideplate and do it easy and right the first time. I would Highly suggest this book as it can be had for around $20.00 and is the best I have seen on S&W revolver's out there. I hope this helps, Hammerdown |
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When hammering (or squeezing!!) on a S&W sideplate to get it to reseat, suggest you strike the sideplate on or near the screw holes. The lower center of the sideplate is milled out considerably (and weakened) for the bottom of hammer block. A few heavy strikes there can put a dent in the sideplate. I typically use a plastic mallet to reseat sideplates. Incidentally, if you mix up the center and forward screws on an older Smith, you can figure out which is which pretty easily. Simply screw one of the screws in the front hole. If it’s the wrong screw, you’ll note: 1) it resists screwing fully into the hole, or, 2) once it’s screwed in, the yoke is (a) either hard to turn out (as you open the cylinder) or (b) the yoke turns out easily but then moves backward and forward a bit. If any of the above happens, the other screw is probably the right one. With the correct screw the yoke will turn out easily but won’t move backward and forward much. Also, you didn’t mention the hammer block getting out of its recess and causing problems reseating the sideplate (which happens to me all the time!). Hopefully that isn’t because yours was missing. |