Revolver Issue/Question

[Sangiovese]

Hello all,

I've got a new Rossi Plinker (.22lr) that seems to have an issue. I'm not much of a revolver guy so I thought I would see if any of you have an idea about what's going on.

With the revolver unloaded, everything operates smoothly. But we took it to the range and discovered an issue. When shooting, it occasionally sticks and the hammer either will not go back, or takes an unusual amount of force to get it to move back. When this happens I can rotate the cylinder a little and then it locks in place and the hammer operates normally. Could this be an ammunition issue? Something that needs to be cleaned? Or am I looking at sending it back to the manufacturer?

We took it straight out of the box to the range. I've cleaned it since we discovered the problem but since the problem only happens when shooting it, I don't know if cleaning it fixed anything. I'm a little reluctant to take it back out to the range to try again because I don't want to make it worse. Of course, if it could be related to being dirty, then I'll give it a shot.

Any thoughts?

[CodeJockey]

My dad had an old western revolver that was a .22lr that had this issue. It seems that the problem was that the indentation made by the firing pin on the outside rim of the cartridge put enough of a lip to cause it to want to stick. We took it to a gunsmith who was able to address it, but I'm not really sure how he fixed it. That would be my first thought, especially if it only happens after you have fired some of the rounds in the revolver.

[Jumping Frog]

It is new; let Rossi fix it.

Tell them you expect them to email an overnight shipping label. This should not cost you a penny.

[wheelgun1958]

My Taurus 94 would do the same. Taurus/Rossi are cousins. The problem was foulng and a tight cylinder gap. Take an old toothbrush to the range and every now and again brush the face of the cylinder and forcing cone.

[Sangiovese]

Thanks for the info and suggestions. Since it sounds like it may be a cleanliness thing, I'll take her back out now that she's had a good scrubbin' and see what happens. If that turns out to not be it, back to the factory she goes.

If anyone thinks of any other possibilities, I'm all ears.

[punkndisorderly]

Had a similar problem with the wifes sjngle six in. 32. In her case, it turned out that it didn't like the Black Hills ammo wetried first. Ran some different ammo (Privi) through it with no issues. The dimensions of the rim of the case were just enough between the two to make a difference.

[threoh8]

My dad had an old western revolver that was a .22lr that had this issue. It seems that the problem was that the indentation made by the firing pin on the outside rim of the cartridge put enough of a lip to cause it to want to stick. We took it to a gunsmith who was able to address it, but I'm not really sure how he fixed it. That would be my first thought, especially if it only happens after you have fired some of the rounds in the revolver.

If there's a burr in the chamber (often around the rim counterbore) that keeps the cases from fully seating, THIS TOOL can fix the problem. There may be other problems, such as burrs or high spots on the receiver face that drag on the cartridge heads. Look for shiny spots or brass coloration. Fired cases may also give a clue.

And, yes, it can be an ammunition problem. There are minor variations in rim thickness and uniformity. Some serious target shooters spend a lot of time sorting ammunition with rim gauges.

[Sangiovese]

The ammo seats properly and there aren't any burrs, so I think I can rule that one out. But the rim thickness is something I hadn't thought of. I'll have to take a look at that.

Thanks again for the suggestions!