Much excitement, much disappointment

[Ryridesmotox]

Well today was the day, went to the gun store to get the S&W Thunder Ranch in .45ACP. Glad to see her after 10 days. Had firearms qualifications today, so perfect timing. Loaded up my 10mm Delta Elite, My AR, my service pistol shotgun... Off I went.

Finish with quals, waiting for the sun to go down for night shoot portion, got to play around.

10mm Delta shoots as flawlessly as ever.
AR is on the money

But.. The Thunder Ranch makes it through 2 moon clips (the ones included with the gun by the way) and the cylinder block jams... Or the trigger isn't actuating it properly. It fired 2 on the 3rd moon clip, then jammed up. I took the clip out and made sure it wasn't bent, slid it in, tried it on another round... BANG... Then jam. Tried a 4th clip, no go... The 5th clip no go... Tried it with an empty cylinder... Nothing. The trigger nor the hammer will actuate the cylinder block to allow the cylinder to rotate...Really sad, it shot a golf ball sized group from 15yards in double and single action with 230 grain WWB ammo. Nothing crazy powerful, just some Wal-Mart sale winchester.

Call SW in the morning... Gonna have to get it taken care of. I was monkeying around with it at the station afterwards, had one of the other guys take a peak (shoots sw a lot) he started to monkey with it, and after a bit, it started to work. Just continuously trying to manipulate the trigger and or the cylinder, trying it on different chambers... Finally it started working, somewhat consistently.

That's all... Gonna cry myself to sleep now

[billped]

S&W makes fine guns but no company's products have a perfect record. Disappointing that it happened to you, but you'll be back and running soon.

[Ryridesmotox]

Yea I'm just more sad than anything. They stand behind their product. I am not intending to bad-mouth them in any way at all.

[Lucky Scott]

Sometimes you gotta put a little effort into a gun. You think it will just be perfect from day one, but that is not always the case. But you will get it handled.

[Carcassonne]

I never heard of the Thunder Ranch 45ACP. I had to look it up. It is a very nice gun.

Is it possible that one of your fingers activated the cylinder release on recoil? The cylinder doesn't have to come out. It just has to move a very small amount to prevent it from turning. I have had it happen to me with a S&W and Taurus revolver. I had to scratch my head a few times before I figured it out. Since it is a new gun to you, you might be gripping it a little differently than your other revolvers, and your finger is hitting the cylinder release during recoil.

Re-read what you wrote. Does your S&W have the lock thingy by the cylinder release? Maybe that is the problem.

.

[Ryridesmotox]

Yea I've been wanting one for a while... The wife actually picked it for her gun. So we bought it. I just wanted to make sure it would function properly... Luckily I did.

Initially that's what I though it was, My big thumbs hit the release. So I opened the cylinder and tried several times to close it and start again... The revolver version of a tap/rack/bang. But honestly, I tried several times, several of the range officers, and it wasn't until much later, when I finally was trying after cleaning my other guns, it randomly started cycling.

Edit... Carcasonne... I checked that as well, while I was still at the range. It seemed to function properly. The external 'flag' that comes up next to the hammer worked when I rotated the lock. It wasn't that. I got it to more or less function later... Dry fired it a bunch of times and not another hiccup. It's just such a weird issue.

[sealocan]

This is just my opinion but I'd send it back to Smith & Wesson if you can stand to be away from it.

They will open it up and give it a once over ( possibly check into why someone there was sleeping on the quality control job) and get it back to you hopefully in better condition (maybe even with a freebie or something).

[Ryridesmotox]

This is just my opinion but I'd send it back to Smith & Wesson if you can stand to be away from it.

They will open it up and give it a once over ( possibly check into why someone there was sleeping on the quality control job) and get it back to you hopefully in better condition (maybe even with a freebie or something).

Yea... Too late tonight. I'll call in the morning. I know they will take care of it. I have never ever ever ever had a single issue with a S&W before. I'm more surprised than anything.

[jimmythebrain]

I would send it back in, make SW cover shipping both ways.
My SW 625 JM had a perfect trigger, no problems.
However I had a 5 shot revolver that had to have some internal parts tuned to reliably lock up right.

[onelonehorseman]

Definitely arrange to send it back for a once over by S&W. Could be a problem with the internal lock (curse of the Hillary Hole)? They'll get it right.

[Ryridesmotox]

Sending it back to S&W. Probably sending it out tomorrow morning.

['ol shooter]

Are the spent rounds backing out and sticking in the cylinder, dragging on the recoil shield? If so, a judicious polishing of the chambers to smooth them is in order.

[Ryridesmotox]

Are the spent rounds backing out and sticking in the cylinder, dragging on the recoil shield? If so, a judicious polishing of the chambers to smooth them is in order.

Not that is could see. The rounds Loaded and ejected properly. The issue seems internal. Its just weird that the cyclinder wouldn't cycle loaded or unloaded. Even completely empty, it was jammed up.

Either way, Smith and Wesson was eager to get it back to fix the issue. I have every confidence that they will repair it to 100% effctive working order.

[Ryridesmotox]

It occured to me that this thread is worthless without pics

[nothingextra]

Hand is turning the cylinder, that good.
If you shake it can you hear metal rattling?
The safety sometimes rides out of its slot.
Pop the screws out, hook the base and align it in its slot and you're good to go.

There isn't much in an S&W that'll come loose if your side plate is on.
Generally, its the safety.