S&W Home Armorer: Fixing a slow timed revolver

[tomrkba]

My 629 was slightly out of time on two cylinders. I was going to send it to Sand Burr Gun Ranch, but I decided I didn't want to pay the cost of shipping and gunsmithing. I found a 13 part series from Midway USA for common gunsmithing activities on the S&W revolver. I used these videos, along with the AGI "Smith & Wesson Revolver" DVD, to fix the timing on my gun.

The first problem was I have never disassembled an S&W revolver. This is where the Midway USA videos fall short in that they do not provide close-ups of the internals at each step. The AGI video had some better shots and several tips on takedown and reassembly. I took the gun apart without losing a spring or screw.

Gunsmithing - Disassembly and Lubrication of S&W Revolvers

I ordered a new hand from Numrich. Midway USA names the hand they used (Power Custom). I just bought one labeled for the 629-1. I followed the instructions in the video. I did not need to break the leading edge of the hand as shown in the video since everything was smooth.

Gunsmithing - How to Repair a Slow Timed S&W Revolver

I checked the gun for function and everything seems solid. I will take it to the range tomorrow for testing.

Prior to all this, the cylinder was loose. I fixed that using a gunsmith's posts on another forum and the Midway USA videos.

Gunsmithing - How to Repair a Bent Extractor Rod on S&W Revolvers


Now all the gun needs is a proper yoke screw and new flat sideplate screw. I saved $72 in shipping (one way), $35 to tighten the cylinder, who knows how much to fix the hand, cost of parts and verification. We'll see if I messed up tomorrow.

[oldgunsmith]

The other lower sideplate screw is identical to the yoke retaining screw. Have you tried switching them? It isn't uncommon for one to work better than the other in the front hole.

[tomrkba]

Yeah, I did. They're both a bit long and the yoke moves slightly.