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Webleymkv · March 20, 2011, 04:15 PM

Before you do anything else, I'd try giving the gun a good thorough cleaning. .38 Special ammunition can, in my experience, often be quite dirty especially if it's loaded with unjacketed soft lead bullets. If you get enough lead or powder fouling in the right place such as the front of the cylinder or under the extractor it can cause the cylinder to bind and hinder cycling of the action. When cleaning, pay particular attention to the area under the extractor as a small amount of dirt or unburnt powder there can cause the extractor not to seat fully into its recess and bind the cylinder. When ejecting spent cases, the barrel should be pointed straight up in order to avoid dirt getting in that area.

Also, because they are shorter, .38 Special cartridges will often leave carbon and lead deposits in areas of the chamber that would otherwise be occupied by .357 Magnum cases. If allowed to build up, these deposits can cause sticky extraction of .357 cases and, in extreme circumstances, cause .357 ammo not to seat fully into the chamber. If the .357's don't seat all the way into the chamber, the case head can drag against the recoil shield and cause the cylinder to bind. If you're going to shoot large amounts of .38 Special ammo (more than 50 rounds or so) you should thoroughly clean your revolver before switching to .357 Magnum ammo.

If a good cleaning doesn't work, I'd look into returning the gun to the manufacturer. Rossi is now owned by Taurus who offers a lifetime warranty on all their guns. Assuming you bought the revolver new rather than used, I'm almost certain that the warranty would cover the cost of repair although you'll probably have to pay shipping at least one way.

March 20, 2011, 04:15 PM	#2
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	Before you do anything else, I'd try giving the gun a good thorough cleaning. .38 Special ammunition can, in my experience, often be quite dirty especially if it's loaded with unjacketed soft lead bullets. If you get enough lead or powder fouling in the right place such as the front of the cylinder or under the extractor it can cause the cylinder to bind and hinder cycling of the action. When cleaning, pay particular attention to the area under the extractor as a small amount of dirt or unburnt powder there can cause the extractor not to seat fully into its recess and bind the cylinder. When ejecting spent cases, the barrel should be pointed straight up in order to avoid dirt getting in that area. Also, because they are shorter, .38 Special cartridges will often leave carbon and lead deposits in areas of the chamber that would otherwise be occupied by .357 Magnum cases. If allowed to build up, these deposits can cause sticky extraction of .357 cases and, in extreme circumstances, cause .357 ammo not to seat fully into the chamber. If the .357's don't seat all the way into the chamber, the case head can drag against the recoil shield and cause the cylinder to bind. If you're going to shoot large amounts of .38 Special ammo (more than 50 rounds or so) you should thoroughly clean your revolver before switching to .357 Magnum ammo. If a good cleaning doesn't work, I'd look into returning the gun to the manufacturer. Rossi is now owned by Taurus who offers a lifetime warranty on all their guns. Assuming you bought the revolver new rather than used, I'm almost certain that the warranty would cover the cost of repair although you'll probably have to pay shipping at least one way.