Wife dropped 500 and won't open

stratofisher · June 30, 2008, 12:08 AM

Got back from fishing the Russian River and the wife grabbed my S&W 500 revolver and managed to tumble it off the top of the truck and on to some pavement. A few scratches, but now I can't get the cylinder open, and the hammer will not cock back. Any ideas on what might be wrong? Would like to unload before working on it, but can't even get that done given the jam. Planning on taking it to the local smith, but figured I would see if this has happened to anyone else.

**44 AMP** · June 30, 2008, 12:31 AM

Did the lock engage? Have you tried locking and then unlocking it?

Wildalaska · June 30, 2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

figured I would see if this has happened to anyone else.

Bet the crane is bent, we have fixed about 6 this month with the same problem. Folks in Alaska have the dropsies

WildheavycylinderyouknowAlaska TM

Mark Milton · June 30, 2008, 11:41 AM

I have seen revolvers with bent cranes work.
I am betting it's the lock....

Thats what the Hillary hole is there for after all.
To F... er Foul things up....

stevieboy · June 30, 2008, 01:51 PM

I had a similar problem recently with my Smith 686SSR. I hadn't dropped it and I don't know what caused it, but it locked up tight. I sent it to Smith for warranty work, they fixed it within a week, and advised me that it was a broken trigger rebound spring.

stratofisher · June 30, 2008, 02:59 PM

I will probably take it to a gunsmith here in Anchorage. Would like to make it safe, but currently loaded with my bear protection rounds. Any quick way to release the cylinder?

Wildalaska · June 30, 2008, 03:15 PM

Just bring it to the gunsmiths and make sure you tell them it is loaded...

Of course, there is only us anyway so I know

WildsimplefixAlaska ™

huchahuchax · June 30, 2008, 03:24 PM

I've never handled a .500, but if it is the same design as every other S&W revolver (except J frame) then the first thing you'll want to do is remove the grip and back off the tension screw on the grip frame all the way from the main spring. That way if the hammer somehow does get cocked it will not have the tension to release and strike the firing pin.

If you are not comfortable opening the gun up (taking the side plate off to get inside), and you have a local gunsmith that you can go to, then what you could do is maybe wire tie the hammer down - over the hammer spur and behind the trigger would probably work. Call the gunsmith and ask them if this would be an acceptable way to bring the gun in.

That is the only thing I can think of. Otherwise, you are probably going to have to take the side plate off and see if you can release the cylinder from inside the gun.

huchahuchax · June 30, 2008, 03:26 PM

Well hell,

If WildAlaska is your gunsmith, you are all set!

454c · June 30, 2008, 04:39 PM

"Bet the crane is bent, we have fixed about 6 this month with the same problem. "

6 x-frames or 6 of various make/model?

Jim March · June 30, 2008, 05:07 PM

And THIS folks is why I like single action revolvers as field guns in rough country. Odds of this sort of malfunction: radically lower. No crane.

(Obviously I'm excluding breaktops...I'm talking about guns loosely based on the Colt SAA mechanics including Freedom Arms, all Rugers, etc.)

Wildalaska · June 30, 2008, 05:17 PM

Quote:

6 x-frames or 6 of various make/model?

Mostly Ns recently

WilditsanepidemicAlaska ™

88cupfan · June 30, 2008, 08:25 PM

I drop things from time to time..... change as I pull it from my pocket..... the soap in the shower..... and even my cell phone when I'm carrying with other stuff from the Van to the house. But there are some things that you just never put yourself in the situation to drop. On top of that list is a baby and a very close second is a firearm, especially a loaded one.

PT111 · June 30, 2008, 09:19 PM

If nobody ever dropped their gun then there wouldn't be any need for a drop hammer safety.

If you have never dropped one then you either haven't handled one enough or are the exception to the average person rule. Trying to think if I ever dropped any of my babies over three feet.

I did drop me flat of my back one time about four feet on ice. IT HURT landing flat on my back and my head hit the pavement. Would say it knocked some sense into it but I can't prove it.

clayking · June 30, 2008, 09:37 PM

I dropped a loaded, but empty under the hammer, last week and it won't open either. It is an older model Charter undercover 38 special. It's off to the gunnie also......of course, no lock on this gun.....................ck

88cupfan · June 30, 2008, 09:43 PM

When my pistol or shotgun is in my hand, there is nothing else on my mind until it is placed back in the safe place where it came from. That is usually a holster or a safe place. I just cant imagine the frame of mind that a person would have in placing a loaded gun on a truck where it could slide off. To me..............thats as dumb as leaning to far over the grand canyon to get a better look. You just don't do it!

Wildalaska · June 30, 2008, 09:44 PM

Quote:

the soap in the shower.....

Thats why I don't carry in the shower anymore...too slippery

WildglockonaropeAlaska TM

vtoddball · July 5, 2008, 10:24 AM

People get distracted for good reasons. Muscles spasm. Sometimes surfaces are more slippery than expected. Maybe instead of criticizing someone who clearly won't be dropping a $1000+ firearm again any time soon, you can show compassion for a fellow gunnie(and/or his wife) who had an accident and needs our help to recover from it.

KCabbage · July 5, 2008, 11:10 AM

Greetings gentlemen,

Wow, i'm sorry to hear about your problem. Makes me second guess the revolvers reliability. Keep us posted to what the problem was.

Very nice post VT!

Take care guys

CraigC · July 5, 2008, 11:26 AM

. . . you don't have to be stupid, clumsy, careless or distracted for it to happen.

sandbag · July 5, 2008, 11:43 AM

Speaking of single actions being less prone to problems,I had a squib round go off in my Ruger 44 mag Vaquero,locking everything up tight.I couldn't remove the cylinder.It went to a gunsmith in that condition and he got it apart and re-timed it.I used a bad reload it turned out.The reloads were locally made commercial stuff-normally very reliable,but really dirty.

RsqVet · July 5, 2008, 11:59 AM

88CUP ---

These things happen from time to time; you are taking your gun on or off, placing it here or there or whatever; all in a perfeclty safe manner and then GUESS WHAT? Life happens and the thing take a tumble and gets dinged. Do you think for one moment the guy this happend to is thrilled to have damaged a nice gun?

Having been a part of or witnessed testing on a number of guns trying to get them to pop a primered case it's G-D hard to do.

Guns are tools that deserve to be treated with care and respect; HOWEVER it's hard to get them to go off without a pull of the trigger and yeah NO MATTER WHAT and WHO you are if you carry / use them long enough you are going to have to set one down in some way and it will end up taking a spill, a fall or whatever.

Jim March · July 5, 2008, 06:58 PM

Sandbag: you could have used a wood or brass rod (or a good grade of plastic) to gently tap the slug backwards to clear the rear of the barrel. That's the field-expedient solution to bring a gun back online if you have to.

I'm puzzled that the gun needed to be "re-timed"? That squib may have tied the gun up but it shouldn't have done any damage.

I'll also note that while revolvers are vulnerable to this "tie up" on a squib, the same type of squib on a semi can be worse. The revolver will usually "catch" a squib at the end of the cylinder where there's a constriction - a semi will spit it a couple inches down-barrel and then allow a full-power round to fire behind it, at a minimum bulging the barrel and possibly totaling the gun, part of your hand, etc.

Finally, SA and DA are vulnerable to this sort of squib-tie in exactly the same fashion and to the same degree. The sole difference is that the SA's odds of having zero damage is lower as there's no crane to bend when you gently tap the round backwards.

Race Bannon · July 5, 2008, 07:18 PM

I dropped my model 64 a few weeks back. It locked up to a point that I had to use a padded mallet to open the cylinder. Once opened I found the problem. When dropped the tip of the center pin sheared off, leaving just enough to hold the cylinder closed but not enough for the cylinder latch to engage.

Ultima-Ratio · July 5, 2008, 08:02 PM

wa said-

"Bet the crane is bent, we have fixed about 6 this month with the same problem. " And then ya sway to Ns, probably forgot about that detent ball eh?

Then, If WildAlaska is your gunsmith, you are all set! Chuckle, wa ain't a smith!

The best smith in Anchorage is of course Stan Jackson followed by Vince, Dean, Steve, Lou and of course my humble self.

June 30, 2008, 12:08 AM	#1
stratofisher Junior Member Join Date: April 25, 2006 Location: Platte City, MO Posts: 11	Wife dropped 500 and won't open Got back from fishing the Russian River and the wife grabbed my S&W 500 revolver and managed to tumble it off the top of the truck and on to some pavement. A few scratches, but now I can't get the cylinder open, and the hammer will not cock back. Any ideas on what might be wrong? Would like to unload before working on it, but can't even get that done given the jam. Planning on taking it to the local smith, but figured I would see if this has happened to anyone else.

June 30, 2008, 12:31 AM	#2
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,818	Maybe it got locked? Did the lock engage? Have you tried locking and then unlocking it? __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

June 30, 2008, 05:07 PM	#11
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	And THIS folks is why I like single action revolvers as field guns in rough country. Odds of this sort of malfunction: radically lower. No crane. (Obviously I'm excluding breaktops...I'm talking about guns loosely based on the Colt SAA mechanics including Freedom Arms, all Rugers, etc.) __________________ Jim March

June 30, 2008, 08:25 PM	#13
88cupfan Junior member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Posts: 0	I drop things from time to time..... change as I pull it from my pocket..... the soap in the shower..... and even my cell phone when I'm carrying with other stuff from the Van to the house. But there are some things that you just never put yourself in the situation to drop. On top of that list is a baby and a very close second is a firearm, especially a loaded one. Last edited by .; July 7, 2008 at 10:34 PM. Reason: Irritating noise

June 30, 2008, 09:37 PM	#15
clayking Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 796	I dropped a loaded, but empty under the hammer, last week and it won't open either. It is an older model Charter undercover 38 special. It's off to the gunnie also......of course, no lock on this gun.....................ck __________________ Never argue with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

June 30, 2008, 11:41 AM	#4
Mark Milton Junior member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 504	I have seen revolvers with bent cranes work. I am betting it's the lock.... Thats what the Hillary hole is there for after all. To F... er Foul things up....

June 30, 2008, 01:51 PM	#5
stevieboy Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2008 Posts: 1,695	I had a similar problem recently with my Smith 686SSR. I hadn't dropped it and I don't know what caused it, but it locked up tight. I sent it to Smith for warranty work, they fixed it within a week, and advised me that it was a broken trigger rebound spring.

June 30, 2008, 02:59 PM	#6
stratofisher Junior Member Join Date: April 25, 2006 Location: Platte City, MO Posts: 11	I will probably take it to a gunsmith here in Anchorage. Would like to make it safe, but currently loaded with my bear protection rounds. Any quick way to release the cylinder?

June 30, 2008, 03:15 PM	#7
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Just bring it to the gunsmiths and make sure you tell them it is loaded... Of course, there is only us anyway so I know WildsimplefixAlaska ™

June 30, 2008, 03:24 PM	#8
huchahuchax Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2007 Posts: 298	I've never handled a .500, but if it is the same design as every other S&W revolver (except J frame) then the first thing you'll want to do is remove the grip and back off the tension screw on the grip frame all the way from the main spring. That way if the hammer somehow does get cocked it will not have the tension to release and strike the firing pin. If you are not comfortable opening the gun up (taking the side plate off to get inside), and you have a local gunsmith that you can go to, then what you could do is maybe wire tie the hammer down - over the hammer spur and behind the trigger would probably work. Call the gunsmith and ask them if this would be an acceptable way to bring the gun in. That is the only thing I can think of. Otherwise, you are probably going to have to take the side plate off and see if you can release the cylinder from inside the gun.

June 30, 2008, 03:26 PM	#9
huchahuchax Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2007 Posts: 298	Well hell, If WildAlaska is your gunsmith, you are all set!

June 30, 2008, 04:39 PM	#10
454c Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2002 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 229	"Bet the crane is bent, we have fixed about 6 this month with the same problem. " 6 x-frames or 6 of various make/model?

June 30, 2008, 09:19 PM	#14
PT111 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2007 Posts: 1,041	If nobody ever dropped their gun then there wouldn't be any need for a drop hammer safety. If you have never dropped one then you either haven't handled one enough or are the exception to the average person rule. Trying to think if I ever dropped any of my babies over three feet. I did drop me flat of my back one time about four feet on ice. IT HURT landing flat on my back and my head hit the pavement. Would say it knocked some sense into it but I can't prove it.

June 30, 2008, 09:43 PM	#16
88cupfan Junior member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Posts: 0	When my pistol or shotgun is in my hand, there is nothing else on my mind until it is placed back in the safe place where it came from. That is usually a holster or a safe place. I just cant imagine the frame of mind that a person would have in placing a loaded gun on a truck where it could slide off. To me..............thats as dumb as leaning to far over the grand canyon to get a better look. You just don't do it! Last edited by 4V50 Gary; July 5, 2008 at 12:54 PM. Reason: Static noise removed.

July 5, 2008, 10:24 AM	#18
vtoddball Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Posts: 42	People get distracted for good reasons. Muscles spasm. Sometimes surfaces are more slippery than expected. Maybe instead of criticizing someone who clearly won't be dropping a $1000+ firearm again any time soon, you can show compassion for a fellow gunnie(and/or his wife) who had an accident and needs our help to recover from it. __________________ VT Vermont not VT Virginia Tech. Freakin' psycho ruined a perfectly good nickname. Last edited by .; July 7, 2008 at 10:32 PM. Reason: Too much noise - too little signal.

July 5, 2008, 11:10 AM	#19
KCabbage Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2007 Posts: 707	Greetings gentlemen, Wow, i'm sorry to hear about your problem. Makes me second guess the revolvers reliability. Keep us posted to what the problem was. Very nice post VT! Take care guys Last edited by .; July 7, 2008 at 10:33 PM. Reason: Refinement of EQ.

July 5, 2008, 11:26 AM	#20
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	. . . you don't have to be stupid, clumsy, careless or distracted for it to happen. Last edited by Johnny Guest; July 8, 2008 at 07:08 AM. Reason: Remove a quote of another pposter's crude language

July 5, 2008, 11:43 AM	#21
sandbag Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2008 Posts: 642	Speaking of single actions being less prone to problems,I had a squib round go off in my Ruger 44 mag Vaquero,locking everything up tight.I couldn't remove the cylinder.It went to a gunsmith in that condition and he got it apart and re-timed it.I used a bad reload it turned out.The reloads were locally made commercial stuff-normally very reliable,but really dirty.

July 5, 2008, 11:59 AM	#22
RsqVet Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2005 Posts: 2,474	88CUP --- These things happen from time to time; you are taking your gun on or off, placing it here or there or whatever; all in a perfeclty safe manner and then GUESS WHAT? Life happens and the thing take a tumble and gets dinged. Do you think for one moment the guy this happend to is thrilled to have damaged a nice gun? Having been a part of or witnessed testing on a number of guns trying to get them to pop a primered case it's G-D hard to do. Guns are tools that deserve to be treated with care and respect; HOWEVER it's hard to get them to go off without a pull of the trigger and yeah NO MATTER WHAT and WHO you are if you carry / use them long enough you are going to have to set one down in some way and it will end up taking a spill, a fall or whatever. Last edited by .; July 7, 2008 at 10:36 PM. Reason: Enhancement of eEtiquette

July 5, 2008, 06:58 PM	#23
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	Sandbag: you could have used a wood or brass rod (or a good grade of plastic) to gently tap the slug backwards to clear the rear of the barrel. That's the field-expedient solution to bring a gun back online if you have to. I'm puzzled that the gun needed to be "re-timed"? That squib may have tied the gun up but it shouldn't have done any damage. I'll also note that while revolvers are vulnerable to this "tie up" on a squib, the same type of squib on a semi can be worse. The revolver will usually "catch" a squib at the end of the cylinder where there's a constriction - a semi will spit it a couple inches down-barrel and then allow a full-power round to fire behind it, at a minimum bulging the barrel and possibly totaling the gun, part of your hand, etc. Finally, SA and DA are vulnerable to this sort of squib-tie in exactly the same fashion and to the same degree. The sole difference is that the SA's odds of having zero damage is lower as there's no crane to bend when you gently tap the round backwards. __________________ Jim March

July 5, 2008, 07:18 PM	#24
Race Bannon Member Join Date: February 26, 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 21	I dropped my model 64 a few weeks back. It locked up to a point that I had to use a padded mallet to open the cylinder. Once opened I found the problem. When dropped the tip of the center pin sheared off, leaving just enough to hold the cylinder closed but not enough for the cylinder latch to engage.

July 5, 2008, 08:02 PM	#25
Ultima-Ratio Junior member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 227	Hyperbole wa said- "Bet the crane is bent, we have fixed about 6 this month with the same problem. " And then ya sway to Ns, probably forgot about that detent ball eh? Then, If WildAlaska is your gunsmith, you are all set! Chuckle, wa ain't a smith! The best smith in Anchorage is of course Stan Jackson followed by Vince, Dean, Steve, Lou and of course my humble self.