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When the hammer falls, there should not be play in the cylinder. The alignment between the bore and the cylinder throats is called range. There is specific specifications on revolver ranging.
Diameter of ranging rod is 0.011" to 0.012" smaller than the bore diameter. .357 for instance, it will be 0.345" to 0.346".
With the revolver in fired configuration, i.e. hammer drops and trigger to the back, drop ranging rod from muzzle into cylinder. Repeat for all chambers.
The rod should go in all chambers by its own weight. It is acceptable to have up to 2 chambers with "tick". Any chamber with stoppage the revolver fails range specs.
It is possible to correct range failure. Gunsmithings are trained to do that, especially in the old days. It involves bending the frame.
That's what I learned from gunsmithing school. I saw the instructor demonstrating on a S&W, but I haven't had a chance to do one myself yet. Soon I will. I have a colt police positive that is slightly out of range.
-TL
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