[Roy Allain]

I am cleaning a S&W rev. for a friend and trying to free the cylinder. It will not release.
The button is missing and I tried pushing the stub forward with a dowel, but to no avail.
The cyl. will not open.
I checked the barrel; no obstruction. There are no rounds in the chambers.

The gun functions fine. The cyl spins when the hammer is pulled back. The hammer cocks back ok and the trigger releases the hammer when pulled.
All ok, except the cyl. will not open. It is totally locked except when moving the hammer back. That tells me something, but I don't know what.

Some people said they think the problem is the "hand", a small part below and to the rear of the cyl. A couple of schematics show the hand, but not how it functions.

I cannot get anyone to explain how to dissemble the internals after the side plate is removed. I have never done this and will not do anything until I have a clear picture of where to begin and end.

Oh, and just to clarify a bit, the side plate and also the left side to a lesser extent looked like they have been worked over with a hammer and a center punch. Not badly or deeply, but it really shows.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Roy