Officers Model Heavy Barrel problem?

[Denny Crane]

I have had this Officers Model HB .38 for a while but hadn't had it out in a long time until yesterday. I got it out to shoot it and it didn't take long to remember why I had left it buried for so long.


It binds while cocking anytime the muzzle is pointed up or even level. It cocks fine while pointed down. Makes DA not work at all.

When empty it cocks fine at any angle but as soon as you load it the binding starts.

The lock-up is good and no excessive end play. I have not measured it but the cylinder/forcing cone gap looks good.

I have looked and looked and can not see anywhere that the shells are touching when it hangs up but sure enough as soon as you unload it the binding is gone?

Probably a simple problem but it sure has me scratching my head?

[A1A]

How about if you start with one cartridge (or case) and see if you can pinpoint a position?

[Oyeboten]

Factory Ammunition? Or, re-Loads? ( re-Loads can often enough have subtly higher Primers ).

[Denny Crane]

Have tried various ammo with the same result. Live or empties, makes no difference.

With 1 empty case it "hangs" in the same spot every time. Not the case moving into battery but the next one. The case barely touches the latch. The latch is nice and flush with the frame but I took the side plate off to check the latch pin and the hole in the latch for excessive wear. None found. The latch spring and spring guide were also in place. Then it gets more frustrating. When I put the side plate back on and pull it through in DA the trigger starts hanging up and not wanting to return forward. So back off the side plate comes and everything looks good. This time as I put the side plate back I pull it through after placing the side plate in place (no screws yet) and it is fine. Then I put the rear screw in but just snug and it still pulls through fine. I try it several times as i put the front screw in and it works fine until I snug the screw up and the trigger starts hanging again, loosen it up a 1/4 turn and it's ok. Side plate fits perfect and #'s match. It does not touch the trigger. The interference must be internal as if it is compressing something together as the side plate is tightened. I only have to back the front screw off 1/4 turn from tight to make it work fine??

With the sideplate off I can pull it through just fine.

[swamprat]

Sounds to me like the hand is binding on the sideplate. You might try thinning the hand slightly by rubbing the outside surface on a stone to polish it and remove a LITTLE BIT of thickness.

[A1A]

When you first put the sideplate back on, did you ensure that the rebound lever arm was sitting on the cam on the inside of the hand and not the hand axis? You may have induced another problem.

Official Police, Trigger Binding After Sideplate Re-Install

I

[retiredgunsmith]

Nn my opinion too, you must inadvertently assembled the revolver with the hand not properly set down on the trigger, and the rebound lever not on the cam section on the hand.
Make sure you have the hand on properly and the rebound lever engaged where it belongs.
This was a 'problem' which we often had come in the shop when officers tried home gunsmithing and/or total action cleaning and thought it was right when the parts looked good.

[Denny Crane]

Wish it was that easy. The hand and rebound lever are in the correct position. I removed the hand and checked to be sure no crud or anything was between it and the trigger. I can see some scratches on the hand that look like it has been rubbing on the sideplate so I stoned it just until the marks were removed and then a little more.

I put it back in place and try pulling it through in DA before putting the sideplate back on and it binds in the same place with no sideplate so the hand rubbing wasn't the problem.

Now when it binds it seems like the hand is wedged between the shell case and the extractor?? It's hard to tell for sure but that's the point in the action where it binds. Like the hand might be too thick?

[Denny Crane]

I took the sideplate off my Officers Model Special and pulled it through to watch the hand and compare. The top of the hand in the OMS is shaped a lot different than the one in the OMT. The one in the OMT had a lot longer hook or claw shape and the OMS really has no hook at all. I switched hands and the problem followed the hand so I filed some of the hook off and presto, problem solved. The hand was getting wedged between the case and the extractor and that was just enough to bind it up. That's why I could not see where it was binding while it was all together. Wasn't the case touching the latch. I never thought that was enough to bind it up. After using a stone to thin the hand just a little I can now tighten both sideplate screws without causing the trigger to hang up and not return.

Maybe the hand was replaced at some point and never fitted?

[A1A]

All's well that ends well.