s&w model 65 problem??

[bigo5552000]

so i was at the range today and i was shooting my model 65. i had shoot 20 or 30 rounds when all of the sudden the pistol completely locked up! hammer wont move the cylinder wont advance trigger wont move!! it could not get it open!! there was an older gentlemen to my left a couple lanes down shooting some big bore revolvers so i asked him for advice and he pulled out a rubber mallet and lightly tapped the cylinder and it popped out. we inspected the rounds and found the one that was causing the jam. where the firing pin hit the primer it had bubbled back out (from compression i suppose) and when i tried to advance the cylinder it jammed. he said that i might have a weak spring for my hammer and to replace it. what do u guys think about it? oh after that i shoot about 30 more rounds threw it to see if it would happen again and it didn't?? any ideas? should i replace the spring? how much would that cost??

thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Doc Holliday]

I've got a M65 that I shot a good bit. Never had that happen to me. I would chalk it up to the case causing it to seize up since you were able to shoot it 30 more rounds and not have a stoppage. However, if you carry it for serious work you might want to let a gunsmith check it out for you.

[forestranger]

Never had that happen with my old M13 but I did see something similar happen to a M19 shooting hot 357s. Might be an ammo issue?

[Doc Holliday]

Also want to add in case you didn't know.....don't be shooting a bunch of the hot 125 gr .357 loads out of your old K-frame. This can lead to cracking on the forcing cone as these older guns were not designed to hold up to the newer, hotter loads. I try to only shoot 158 gr .357 mag loads or .38 special out of mine.

[bigo5552000]

Also want to add in case you didn't know.....don't be shooting a bunch of the hot 125 gr .357 loads out of your old K-frame. This can lead to cracking on the forcing cone as these older guns were not designed to hold up to the newer, hotter loads. I try to only shoot 158 gr .357 mag loads or .38 special out of mine.

oh ok! thanks!!

i was shooting Remington 125 grain jsp.

[gasmitty]

A popped primer is a common cause of tying up a wheelgun. Were you by any chance shooting reloads? Seems to happen more often with them, especially with commercial reloads where scrutiny of the used cases may overlook the tightness of the primer fit in the pocket. I'd be more inclined to pursue ammo problems first, gun problems last or nearly so.

[Geezer Glide]

Sounds like an ammo issue, not a revolver issue. Could have been a little hotter charge in that one round causing the primer to "crater" around the firing pin or just a bad primer.

[Saber]

Yep, I would suspect the ammo in this case. Personally, I’ve never experienced anything like that in 35+ years with a revolver. Then again, I’ve always used top-shelf ammo.
Regards,

[Rexster]

Have a 'smith or armorer check your firing pin tip and the hole in the breechface, through which the FP passes. These are probably OK, but for peace of mind, it is good to be sure.

[ctr]

I've only had that happen once in 25 years of shooting revolvers. It happened with a reload. Never had it happen with factory loads.

Btw, might want to check the crane arm - whacking with a mallet could possibly bend it.

[dukalmighty]

Ammo issue caused by a loose primer or a hot load causing overpressure which forced the primer out

[Rexster]

If the old guy with the mallet knew what he was doing, well, that is the way to free a stuck cylinder.

+1 on replacing the mainspring, a.k.a. hammer spring. Brownells.com has them, and they are cheap. Spring replacement every few thousand rounds is considered normal maintenance.

Those 125-grain JSPs are probably loaded to full pressure specs, and are the ones that will eat your gun up sooner. Though it may not seem logical, heavier-bullet loads at full pressure are kinder to the weapon than lighter-bullet loads at full pressure. In simple terms, the blowtorch effect at the forcing cone is less. There are 125s loaded to lesser pressures, such as Remington Golden Sabers, which will be kinder to the weapon. Another sub-pressure load, that has worked well against felons over time, is the 145-grain Winchester Silvertips.

[bigo5552000]

I've only had that happen once in 25 years of shooting revolvers. It happened with a reload. Never had it happen with factory loads.

Btw, might want to check the crane arm - whacking with a mallet could possibly bend it.

we taped it very gently and it came out on the second tape!


the ammo where factory loads not reloads..

[Archie]

Typically this is a 'soft primer' issue. The material of the face of the primer flows into the primer hole. It's one of those things that happen. Make of primer is pretty irrelevant. This puts the lie to the old saw about revolvers never having malfunctions. Revolver malfunctions are harder to clear, too. For future reference, a boot (or shoe, I guess) heel will serve to open a locked cylinder in such cases; or the edge of a WOODEN table or bench.

Also, if your cylinder locks up, FIRST check to see if the extractor rod has unscrewed. It is a left hand thread, but can untwist enough to lock up the cylinder and prevent it opening. Pounding that open will damage the extractor rod.

In reality, primers always back out of revolver cases, and the case slides in recoil and reseats it. (If you want to check, try firing a couple live primers in empty cases. Sometimes the backed up primer will jam up the cylinder and be visible.)

Just remember, ain't nothing foolproof. Us fools are too ingenious.