[pkcgbifaid]

We had a trooper bring in a Smith revolver the other day asking if we could fix a problem for him. We are all Smith & Wesson pistol armorer certified, but none of us are revolver certified, but we said we'd look at it for him.

The problem:
When you push the thumbpiece forward to try and swing the cylinder out to load or unload the chambers, the revolver does not unlock enough to swing the cylinder out. If you push rearward slightly on the cylinder, the cylinder and extractor rod all move rearward and the revolver unlocks and opens.

What I've noticed:
Under magnification, I have noticed that when the thumbpiece is pushed all the way forward, the center pin (inside the extractor rod) does not push forward enough to be flush with the front of the extractor rod. So, the locking bolt in the barrel lug is hanging up on the lip of the extractor rod. Pushing the cylinder to the rear moves the extractor rod back enough that the center pin is flush, allowing the locking bolt to ride over the edge of the extractor rod and unlock the action.

Question:
Is there an accepted way to fix this problem?

Any suggestions are appreciated, and if you have a question please feel free to ask.

Kent