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Does anyone ever have a cylinder that won't turn or very stubborn to turn?

At first I thought it was the stainless steel gun that overheated quickly and with too tight tolerances resulted in the cylinder being hard to rotate/turn while trying to fire double action. I examined the gun and found a few flakes of unburned powder. After wiping off any extra gunk (just a little bit, not excessive), I loaded the gun and it would fire again for a couple of cylinders then the problem returned. This happened with my stainless K frame and then with my blued steel K frame. Neither guns have done this before. The only difference is the new handload that I'm using, especially the powder (Clay). Could this be the problem? is the powder wrong for the .38spl cartridge using .125gr. cartridge.

If it's never happened before, and happened with Clays, then I'd think it was the powder.

I've used it in a few cartridges, but not 38 or 357, so can't comment specifically. In fact, it's been a while since I've used it at all.
Somewhere in far depths of my memory, I recall something about it burning extremely clean, BUT not with light charge weights. But that's been a while, so I may be thinking of something else.

The load is neither too hot or too light according to Hodgdon's data. I used a friend's set up with his preweight powder for his identical .38spl load. He's never had any problem with this loading freezing his cylinder, at least he never admitted to it.

There are a couple of things that could be causing the issue.

1) Unburned powder under the ejector star. This area needs to be clean and dry. Getting gunk here is pretty common with S&W revolvers.

2) The ejector rod is unscrewing. On modern S&W wheel guns, this is left-hand threaded so "lefty tighty, righty loosy".

3) You may have excess carbon buildup on the cylinder face and forcing cone.

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Scott

Scott:
I checked all 3.

1. There was minimal residue under the star. I had lubed the ejector rod that the star is attached to, I'll try to wipe that off and leave it as "non lubed" as possible and see how that work.

2. On both guns they were on tight.

3. On the 64, I cleaned the end of the cylinder that faces the barrel thoroughly, but no difference. The forcing cone is reasonably clean.
On the 10, the force cone is reasonably clean but the cylinder face has the usual light build up.

Do you have the cylinders loaded when it is difficult to turn? If so I would check for high primers. Is it hard to turn on every cylinder, if not send it to your local trusted smith and have him or her check the yoke/crane or for that matter call smith I have had really good customer service with them. Also on the K frames, look on the ring which is just under the forcing cone at the front of the cylinder if it is rubbing it could be a tell tale sign of a warped yoke/crane. Best of luck hope this helps.

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"One thought he was invincible the other thought he could fly" well? "They were both wrong"
SIC VIS PACEM PARABELLEM

Yes. And won't turn on any cylinder, sometimes I couldn't get the cylinder to close.
The primers didn't seem to be high.

It's just strange that neither K frames behaved this way with other ammos. They only started doing this when I used a friend's Clays powder.

That is almost certainly a sign of unburned powder under the extractor star. I suggest removing the crane/yoke assembly from the revolver (you need to remove the yoke screw) and cleaning the cylinder and yoke. Be sure that the extractor star and the cylinder underneath it are clean and dry when you are done.

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Scott

Took the round gun to the range yesterday and ran about 130 rounds through it with no problem. The first 90 rounds were handloads using VV N320 powder and the last 40 with the Clays loaded rounds that gave me fits last week. I shot the Clays round as fast as I could shoot and reload and the cylinder and barrel got so hot that you couldn't touch them. I didn't see any residue this time. I must have gotten in some kind of revolver twilight zone or something the last couple weeks.

The unburned or powder residue can do that as well, I was thiking worst case scenario. My background is mainly PPC revo's and I have been taught as well as learned the hard way not to lube the area under the star. This can cause the cylinder to bind. I recommend that you disassemble the cylinder and clean the "hole" that the ejector rod goes through just make sure u have cases in the cylinder when you disassemble it and use a chamber brush to clean it out. Try not to get any lube inside of it. Clays powder or any powder for that matter can build up in the lube and bind the cylinder usually after you are done shooting if you dont clean it put it away and shoot it before cleaning it. This happens frequently when using wadcutter ammo. You might also look at the headspace of your revo and measure the thickness of the cartridge rim's against your headspace and see if the brass is out of spec. I had the same thing happen with a lot of factory ammo a while back. Dern things wouldn't go bang without a fight! Any way hope this helps if you find yourself at wits end feel free to PM me and I will share some of the hard learned knowlede I have aquired with ya. best of luck...

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"One thought he was invincible the other thought he could fly" well? "They were both wrong"
SIC VIS PACEM PARABELLEM

Everyone:
Thanks so much for the advice, I'll make sure the cylinder rod "hole" and the star area clean and lube free.

I use an old toothbrush to clean under the ejector star frequently during a match. As a long-time wheelgunner, I think that was your problem.

The only other explanation for a tie-up not already mentioned is when bullets jump the crimp and protrude out the front of the cylinder. Then the bullet nose hits the forcing cone and everything stops When this happens the first time to you, it's pretty darn puzzling. This happens with S&W 8-shooters on occasion.

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Bob

Smiths and 1911s are what it's all about!

Nope, the bullets didn't hop, skip or jump the crimp.

BTW folks, thanks for all the tips, I think the cleaning under the star did the trick and keeping that same area dry so that it won't attract residue. Put 150 rounds through the gun and it ran perfect.