Broken yoke S & W M-27

david s

Well-Known Member
I've not heard of a S&W crane cracking like that. I bent one once but that was purely my negligence. I currently have 4 of Ruger's new model single actions. A 22 a 32 H&R a 327 Federal and a 44 magnum. I've probably owned 10 or so since 1980 including some that were shot more than a little when I use to compete in silhouette. I never had any problems until the 327. The transfer bar broke after just over 300 rounds. It broke just above the dogs leg bend the transfer bar makes. I was plinking with it and the gun just stopped working. Took me a minute to figure out what was up. Called Ruger and they said send it back I asked if they could just send a new transfer bar and the woman from Ruger said that would be fine. So far the new one has been fine.
 

Wallyl

Active Member
Indeed...the dozen Transfer Bars that broke on me over the years were at above the dog leg junction, as you mentioned. It is the weakest spot. The cylinder tube, which the cylinder rotates on, separated from teh yoke where it meets. Looks like it was crystallized. I have a ticket w/ S & W awaiting their response. Had a M-29-6 with "pushoff" that I had to send back and a model 24 that had an internal pin * break off inside the frame.. I know it sounds like I load hot; the funny thing is that I load moderate loads in all my S & W's.

* (No. 5079 in the below diagram)

10928
 

david s

Well-Known Member
I bent the crane on my 629 Mountain gun when a case separated just above the cannular and followed the bullet into the bore. The case piece lodged there spanning the barrel cylinder gap and expanded to fill the forcing cone. It couldn't be pushed back into the cylinder because of the case's expansion and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to push it forward. You couldn't open the cylinder because the case piece spanned the barrel cylinder gap. You'd have to work thru the firing pin hole, thru the cylinder and as much as I tried couldn't make this work. Finally took some dental floss some grease and some valve grinding compound and started sawing. About a month later success. Finally sawed it thru. It went seemingly quickly in the beginning but as the groove in the piece of brass finally cut edges the floss kept cutting and the frustration level went up. My brass problem turned out to be related to it's use in a Browning 92 also in 44 Magnum. I don't know if this rifle has to much head space or what but it eats brass. Now my 44 brass is kept segregated for this rifle and then everything else.
 

Ian

Notorious member
That is some persistence, David.

I too am totally unfamiliar with a Ruger breaking in any way. Obviously I don't shoot mine enough. I do have a few Smiths and they for sure don't get shot enough, just not my cup o' tea except for the JP Sauer K-38 target masterpiece which has swallowed several 5-gallon buckets of wheelweights.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
That transfer bar was the only down side to my old Security Six. "click, click, click" Seems like every time the gun moved it clicked a bit. I could hear back then and found it irritating. Other than that it was a beauty of a 357 and not so heavy and oversized as the later Ruger DA's.
 

Charles Graff

Moderator Emeritus
Well over 60 years with Smith and Wesson revolvers and as other have said, I have never heard of such a breakage. My only guess it that it was bent and straightened at some point in it's history.
 

Wallyl

Active Member
I bought it new in 1989....I never did any such thing to it, however I did send it back to S & W to have the front sight bade adjusted as it was shooting far to the left and the rear sight could not compensate for it.


Here's a photo of my broken yoke.....
Well over 60 years with Smith and Wesson revolvers and as other have said, I have never heard of such a breakage. My only guess it that it was bent and straightened at some point in it's history.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
Wally,
If ya don't mind my asking? How did you send your Revolver back to S&W ?
Last time I sent a Revolver anywhere, UPS charged me $95.00, the Dealer (turners) refused. That was a New Vaquero to Ruger, about 12-13yrs ago.

When I was younger and fresh out of the Service (1975). I had a used M19-4" and New NM Blackhawk-6 1/2" in .357Mag. I used My Dad's .357 load of the Lyman #358156GC over a HEAVY CHARGE of 2400 in a mag case. After about 2000rds or so, the M19 became very 'loose' so I sold it and bought a Ruger Security-Six, but that's a story for another day.

The Blackhawk ate those loads without a whimper. Over 35,000 by 1980, and countless Skeeter loads with a lighter charge and crimped in the lower groove in a .38Spl case.

My Reloading notebooks disappeared in a burglary some 15yrs ago. But I remember the load count of full power rounds. Blackhawk 357Mags were well past 80,000 full power loads. But by 1985 that load was reduced to then current book levels. The Blackhawk has a tiny bit of endshake now, but I can't send it back. It's been "customized" with a Polychoke bbl rib and a SBH gripframe. Hammer, trigger and gripframe have been Satin Nickeled. And it is at least as smooth as a Pre-War S&W. Geez but they would screw that up at the factory.

And no, I've never had a yoke break in a Smith or anything into a Ruger. Old or New Model.
Just loosen a bit.
 
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Wallyl

Active Member
I contacted S & W and they gave me a shipping label w/Fed Ex....I took it to a Fed Ex office.. With a Ruger pistol, that I sent back, I purchased a Fed Ex shipping label from them for $20. One can also have it sent by USPS is you get it sent by a FFL holder.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately none of the FFL Holders in My area want to be bothered, unless you're buying a $1,000+ gun from them.
I wanted to send an old M1917 bbl'd action for a new criterion bbl. 5 FFL's turned me down. In LA/OC area they have become down right nasty. About doing anything but selling what's on their shelves.
 

Wallyl

Active Member
California is a tough state when it come to firearm ownership...just read the Gov there just signed 9 more egregious gun control laws,
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
Actually it was 15 bills. 2 of which even nanny brown vetoed twice before.
Now we are limited to one long gun every 30 days. Just like handguns 3 years ago.
They'll probably combine that In the next year or 2. One gun period every 30 days.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Let’s be careful and not begin a political discussion please.