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January 19, 2012
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Hey guys,
I have been on here before with some issues (stuck bullet, lost plunger) and figured I would ask you guys what you thought of this.
I have a 15-2 6" VRHB and have owned it for 18 years. I started shooting it again and every time I go to the range I get blasted by bits of lead and it's really annoying. I don't remember having this problem when I first got it.
I had to remove the barrel to remove a squib load that got stick in the barrel that I was unable to remove any other way I got everything but the jacket out and turned a piece of aluminum rod down so that I could push the jacket out.
I reinstalled the barrel and set the clearance with a feeler gauge of .004" and made a tool on the lathe to turn the barrel nut (which I had done previously to remove the barrel) I have reduced the clearance to .003" down to the point that I can no longer turn the cylinder with no reduction in blast.
I have checked the timing and even made sure the cylinder is timed before taking a shot but still get a face full of lead. It does it with jacketed bullets (which I shoot almost exclusively). I shoot a mix of .38 and .357 from 125gr to 158gr.
One other thing is the cylinder gets stiff and I haven't been able to completely disassemble it ever. I lube it and it will rotate free for a little while but then it gets gummed up again.
I'm pretty sure not a timing issue since I only shoot single action and have checked to see that it is locked in place before I take a shot.
Last Sunday I had one of my targets up to the right of me that I had already shot and just had it there so it was out of the way and it blew teeny tiny holes in the paper and ripped it up which I am not surprised about but the little holes were pretty annoying.
I have shot other revolvers and not had this as much of a problem namely a Rossi .38 snubbie.
Thanks,
Jeff
September 10, 2010
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A friend has a Monson 44 that does the same thing. We have tried setting the gap between .004 to .006 with no improvement. The gun has a low round count, timing looks good and tight. I can only think it's a barrel to cylinder alignment issue. Could be timing? He hasn't taken it to a gunsmith yet so don't know. Good luck with yours.
Without a beard you are no different from any woman or child.
April 30, 2011
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No immediate answers but just to throw out some ideas:
Have you done a full detail strip and cleaning? Couple of good threads in the gunsmithing area on stripping DWs and you may see something indicating if the crane or plunger rod is out of alignment.
Can you use a feeler gauge to confirm the cylinder gap is the same on either side of the bbl - another clue to mis alignment?
Any sign of lead or jacket build up in the forcing cone or rear face of the bbl?
Tried holding a sheet of paper to either side of the weapon during firing to see if there is a pattern to where the debris is coming from?
I take it that you don't have any other bbls on hand to try as with a pistol pack?
Looking forward to seeing how this all turns out. As you are getting lead shavings with jacketed bullets you must be shaving the whole jacket off at some point which is a lot!
January 19, 2012
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I get lead out of both sides. I've detail stripped it many times until the only parts not apart are the cylinder and crane assembly. That is the only thing I have had trouble getting apart. I've set and checked the gap with a set of feeler gauges. As far as checking individual cylinders I haven't checked that, but I will.
What is funny is that when I got the gun when I was 21 and the gap was Huge I'm talking 10-12 thou and never had a problem.
Jeff
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January 24, 2009
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J57ltr said
I've detail stripped it many times until the only parts not apart are the cylinder and crane assembly. That is the only thing I have had trouble getting apart.
Wait a sec, if you haven't cleaned the cylinder & crane from debris (one of the simplest cleaning areas of a 15-2), you really should.
Cleaning the cylinder & crane are one of the very most basic steps to cleaning most any revolver. You'd be amazed at how much gunk can accumulate between the crane & cylinder of any revolver, no matter which brand.
Give your DW a good scrubbing, it will love you for it.
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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The only other piece of the puzzle to know is: what is gettting spit back at you? My Dad once thought he had the sme issue. Turns out it was unburned powder, not lead or copper. Adjusted his load a bit and the problem was solved.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
January 19, 2012
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Charger Fan said
J57ltr said
I've detail stripped it many times until the only parts not apart are the cylinder and crane assembly. That is the only thing I have had trouble getting apart.Wait a sec, if you haven't cleaned the cylinder & crane from debris (one of the simplest cleaning areas of a 15-2), you really should.
Cleaning the cylinder & crane are one of the very most basic steps to cleaning most any revolver. You'd be amazed at how much gunk can accumulate between the crane & cylinder of any revolver, no matter which brand.
Give your DW a good scrubbing, it will love you for it.
No I've cleaned it but I haven't been able to disassemble it to individual components. It looks as though I need a spanner of some type to unscrew that piece under the ejector. I have resorted to brake cleaner And hosing it out then re lubing it. When clean it will spinning for a good 1-2 seconds. As far as loads they are factory for the most part.
Should the blow by be powerful enough to pepper holes through thick target paper?
It just seems much worse since I closed up the gap, it may just be powder, but I had a friend actually get a small cut on his face and what looked like a curl of brass on his cheek.
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February 22, 2009
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OK- if you saw brass, then it's probably not powder. The other check would be to see if the barrel isn't in backwards and you're firing the bullets into the crown, rather than the forcing cone.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
January 19, 2012
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I'll have to admit that I laughed pretty hard at that, but I understand you gotta ask. The brass curl was one time. I'll take it to the range and shoot some pics of what I'm talking about. By the way the primer hits are almost dead center.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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I'm guessing you have examined the forcing cone for irregularities or damage. Is this happening on every shot fired or intermittently (like on one or some specific chambers?).
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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February 22, 2009
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Ya, I didn't want to ask, but I've done, um I mean, seen it.....
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
January 19, 2012
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The forcing cone and barrel look pristine. I did read a post regarding the cylinder not being square so I started checking, I found that mine is pretty sloppy and is about .003" between the closest and farthest. This may explain how when I set the gap and got to the range and was unable to fire pistol more than 6 rounds one time. I reset it again but was unaware that the cylinder could be that far off. I've noticed I have a couple of chambers that are a little looser so I guess I'm not surprised anymore.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Many revolver brands share that issue of the cylinder front not being perfectly flat, the reason that manufacturers commonly set gap at .006".
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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Order another barrel from EWK something from the stuck round may have or be causeing the problem.
I know i get a blast form the gap but never noticed shaveings!
You ay want to open the forceing cone up some more. Not sure why it would have changed and worked so well with huge gap!
October 31, 2012
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J57ltr,
It sounds like unburned powder to me, if it was lead or copper jacket you'd see it on the forcing cone and the front of the cylinder. Since you reload, did you change recipes or powder lately?
I have seen unburned powder leave marks at 2 feet on target paper, so that's not unusual to me. I'd recheck the B/C gap and set it to the longest charge hole and give it another whirl. Please keep us posted and let us know if you find the cause.
January 19, 2012
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I don't reload .38/.357 yet I only reload .45 right now since that's the only thing I have dies for. The reloads I shot were from a friend and were .38's loaded a little hot for shooting silhouette. But 99 percent of the time I shoot factory loads. But I did buy a 100 125 gr JHP's, and a few hundred .38 wad cutters from the gun show. I'm pretty sure now that it's powder I'm getting, but it seems like a lot. I've reset the gap and will report back next time I get to the range.
Jeff
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June 20, 2010
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+1 on trying another barrel to rule out throat/forcing cone issues.
The strange part is that you don't remember this happening before, else I would say perhaps your cylinder(s) are bored too small (since a lot of other suggestion were covered). Does it happen on every shot or just a few select cylinders? Have you tried brushing out the cylinders vigorously with a nylon brush?
If the bullet is going into the throat way undersized, it may already be off angle and scraping the throat edge as it travels to the forcing cone. The throat size and bullet size should match up well to guide the bullet into the forcing cone. Someone else chime in on this one, i have never seen one that undersized....
.
December 12, 2009
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Well first off between my stable and two others 1/2 have been throat reworked. We usually use lead only for our loads. If their is excessive leading at the throat it gets reworked, if the lead is consistent from the throat to the first 2 or 3 inches it is normal. As for your gun, I would shoot 6 rounds of lead and shoot them in to loose dirt or sand and recover them. If you find a few shaved you have a bad cylinder. I really doubt that will be the case. Look for the leading patterns I gave earlier. I got the feeling you got a tight throat" Gee Never Seen This Before". If you have access to a lathe go in at 20 to 30 degrees and shave a inch or two shaving off it. then use your finger and a folded up piece of emery cloth to polish it up. If you do not have a lathe use a piece of 200 to 300 grit sand paper wrapped around a sharpened pencil, and clean up with 600 grit. Cylinder gap can help, but more with velocity, and in some cases group size. Most of our DW's are set as tight as possible without binding with heavy buildup, the others just will not group well and want the DW 006 to shoot a group. As for weak loads not a good idea, unless it is a listed load. Bad things can happen as you found out, every gun is different and you could have a tight rifling, but that is a good thing. Try running smaller diameter bullets like .357 instead of .358. You could have a nasty batch of bullets. Gee Never Seen This Before. grab a dial and get busy.
I hope this helps
Jeff
February 2, 2009
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Having Rugers as well as DW's, I'm well aware of tight throats. The easiest way to check the throats is to push a 38/357 slug through the cylinder from the front. There should be only light resistance, if it can't be done by hand then they're too tight and that can cause your problems, as well as split cases and tight extraction, due to high chamber pressure from the bullet being squeezed into the throat. I've used a dowel and 260 to 600 grit paper to open throats with a drill, going slow and checking with a slug til it pushes through. Good luck and keep us informed.
February 11, 2010
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J57ltr said
The reloads I shot were from a friend and were .38's loaded a little hot........But I did buy a 100 125 gr JHP's, and a few hundred .38 wad cutters from the gun show..... I'm pretty sure now that it's powder I'm getting......
I think the OP may have firgured out the problem
-Blacktop
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