First Range Trip with S&W 617: Sooooo Disappointing

[JamminJ]

[Sheldon]

Maybe rough chambers? Sounds like the cases are setting back upon firing and the case heads are dragging against the frame. Try some standard velocity loads and see if the condition lessens......though it should work with the minimags. I have two 617s and have never tried minimags in mine so I don't know if mine would lock up like yours too.

[586L-Frame]

Have you tried tightening the ejector rod.
Sometimes it becomes loose and then the cylinder will bind.
Just a possiblity.

[stevie]

Try cleaning the chambers and under the extractor star. Sometimes junk get caught under that star. Also try another brand of ammo.

[shadowofnight]

Same exact issue my nephew has with his 617 , I figured it was the cheap cci blazer ammo he brought ...so I tried 3 different match brands I had brought along to shoot in my 10/22's...same exact issues.

Sent it into S&W , came back with the same issues...so he traded it in on a new 9mm auto.

I too had issues with a S&W revolver, my 629 ...would shoot 44 special all day long..but put 44 mag in it and the cylinder would lock up. Sent it into S&W, came back with the exact same issues.

So I figured I really liked the 629 ( Was given to me by my dad...has sentimental value ) , so I sent it back to S&W for a second time...this time I paid an extra 300 dollars to have the combat revolver package done to my 629.

It came back with chamfered charge holes, bead blasted....and supposed tuned action.

First trip to range, threw factory white box winchester 240 gr soft point cartridges in it....cylinder jammed up on the 4th round...to say I was pissed was the understatement of the year.

Since I was checking it with factory loads, I decided to take reloads from starting loads up to max loads and see where it crapped the bed.

By the time I got to somewhere middle of the road in charge strength the cylinder would jam. My Super redhawks would eat that winchester white box and reloads hotter than anything in the books ALL day long without a hitch. It was after paying for that custom service from S&W , and my nephews 617 coming back still broken that I swore off S&W for good.

Funny thing is my dads S&W model 10 has had thousands and thousands of rounds through it and is still like a swiss watch, maybe its just the newer guns...I dont know...but I wont drink that koolaid ever again.

[Mail Clerk]

JamminJ,

Take a look at the face of your cylinder and get a cloth and clean it. Then unlock the cylinder and look at the chambers where thr rim of the cartridge rides/rests. There might be some dirt/fouling that binding the cylinder. Lastly while the cylinder is unlocked....spin the cylinder and see if it spins smoothly. You might put one or two drops of oil down the ejector rod just in front of the yoke and move the rod in and out to circulate the oil.

Lastly buy some snap caps and dry shoot to see if it works smoothly. DON"T buy those red cheaply made plastic versions. The rim wears FAST so sooner than later the firing pin will wear that area and ding the rim of the chamber. Get some that made out of metal.

Good luck and Happy New Year,

Mail clerk

[JamminJ]

Very interesting in the range of replied this thread received, thanks to all who responded.

I'm really surprised by the folks that had absolutely awful experiences with Smith & Wesson. Multiple trips back for repair on a "premium" firearm would certainly turn me off the whole company.

@Sheldon: No harm in trying some lower velocity loads. I've been stocking up in anticipation of the ammo ban and have 5 or 6 different types of 22LR ammo around. I'll give the bulk stuff a shot (pun intended).

@585L-Frame: Ejector rod seems tight. I also have a 686 and the spring response seems about the same between the two revolvers. Theres a bit more play in the cylinder itself on the 617 though.

@stevie: Another good suggestion, I'll give her a good cleaning before trying again. To my eye the star looks clean but who knows. I just ran a boresnake through the barrel before shooting it.

@shadowofnight: Geez, sorry to hear of your troubles with S&W. Scary stuff, I hope I am not in the same boat. The 686 I've mentioned above is a wonderful gun, only had it for 6 months but its given more than 1000 rounds of flawless service.

@comulsivegunbuyer: That's awful, sorry to hear of your troubles too.

@Mail Clerk: Thanks for the detailed suggestions, I appreciate you typing them up for me. I'll give it a really thorough cleaning in the areas you've mentioned and lube it up well too. I have it right here with me and the cylinder spins smoothly. No snap caps on hand but definitely a good idea to get some for this gun. Happy New Year to you too!

I'm hoping to get out to Burro Canyon this Monday. I'll bring the 617 along and give it another try, I'll check back afterwards.

[Sheldon]

Is it jamming up in the same spot? Does it jam when just cycling the cylinder with snap caps.

[TANK]

MAN AND I WAS THINKING OF GETTING ONE OF THESE. MAYBE ILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW.

[Mike A]

For some reason S&W K-frame .22s often have a problem with the cylinder star binding up the cylinder. I have had several (K-22, M17-2, M-48-2) and they were all sensitive to any buildup of powder grains under the star. When I go to the range I bring a used toothbrush with me and brush out under the star every third cylinder full. That seems to solve the problem. However the problems cited above seem MUCH worse than this!

For some reason the J-frame Smith 22s I've had were less sensitive to this problem--you would think with lighter parts they would be worse. But my M63-1 will run for a full box without needing sweeping out and my 651 will go for about four cylinders full of .22WRMs without needing help.

The problems you cite seem really extreme to me. Maybe it's a good thing I can't afford any more Smiths! I have never before heard of such problems with centerfire S&Ws; all mine run for hundreds of rounds without cleaning (K-38, 1917, M64). Discouraging indeed. Make mine Ruger from now on, I guess.

[jackandblood]

I have a feeling this problem has to do with all the engineering and dimensional changes required to scale to 10 rds from 6, may have been underestimated. Could explain why heritage ended up doing a 9 instead of 10 and took so long to release it.

[brassburnz]

Your diagnosis of the problem sounds good. I've had similar problems with a Dan Wesson .22 but not with my Model 17's.

Try different ammo. It sounds like the diameter of the charge holes are oversized for the ammo you are using. With my guns, the ammo is a snug fit. After a while, it is sometimes difficult to extract the empties because of fouling build-up in the cylinder.

It is also possible that something is binding up inside your revolver. If the cylinder latch isn't pushed all the way back, the hammer could be rubbing on the inside of the cylinder latch. This happens sometimes if the cylinder push rod backs out. Make sure it is screwed in all the way. BTW it's a reverse thread.

[wellfedirishman]

That's very odd. I have 3 different 617s from different years of manufacturing (early 2000s, mid 2000s, and 2009) and all are superb. I have never had a problem with cylinder binding.

Try plated ammo (e.g., Federal bulk pack) and see if that makes a difference. I shoot tons of that and it works great.

Also, keep a 22 cal brush handy to clean the inside of the chambers regularly. CCI ammo tends to have a waxy coating that can build up inside the chambers and under the extractor star preventing rounds from seating fully in. This would cause the cylinder binding you describe.

Good luck with getting this resolved. S&W customer service is supposed to be excellent, although I have never needed to use it.

[Mail Clerk]

JaminJ,

After re-reading your post I now wonder if you have a burr spot inside your internals or perhaps it's slightly outta time. Take ca look at the rear of the extractor star and see of the notches has a burr on one of them. Then maybe looks closely at the cylinder lock at the bottom of the cylinder windor and pull the hammer back to see of the lock retracts out of the notch in the cylinder. Again maybe it's a timing issue.

Mail Clerk

[Purdey]

MAN AND I WAS THINKING OF GETTING ONE OF THESE. MAYBE ILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW.

Same here! I was going to mail Bud's a check this coming week. Now I'm not so sure...