Mass produced revolver question

[Letfreedomring]

I was wondering if anyone knows how much hand fitting/timing goes into mass produced revolvers, particularly with lower-end offerings like taurus? Do they just throw them together, check for function, then ship them out till they have a problem/warranty claim then hand fit the parts or do they hand fit each one that comes off the line?
Reason I ask is I've got a wild hair up my arse that if I can buy a used complete cylinder and crane for same model and caliber as the one I have, I'd like to convert the used one to 9mm from .357mag. What are the chances it will work and be in time in my revolver? Is this more trouble than it's worth or could this make into a nice convertible 8 shooter?

 

[HoLeChit]

Disclaimer: I’m not a gunsmith, or any sort of gun aficionado. I just shoot them. Most of what I say is probably dumb and dangerous.

If you’re talking about buying a factory 9mm cylinder, and assuming the cylinder matches up with the timing/clockwork/whatever it’s called, I don’t see why not. The rounds are very similar in size and the cylinder arrangement shouldn’t be any different.

Or are you talking about cutting a 357mag cylinder into a 9mm?

 

[Letfreedomring]

This:

Smith & Wesson 9mm Revolver Rechambering | TK Custom Store

Send your Smith & Wesson Model 686, 627, 66, or 60 revolver to TK Custom. Your S&W will accept 9mm rounds after installing the 9mm revolver cylinder.

tkcustom.com

but still keep the original cylinder in the .357mag configuration. It would be nice to be able to remove the crane screw, swap cylinders and have a completely different caliber. I can get a used 357 cylinder with crane for around $60 from fleabay, but just wondering if it's worth the hassle.

 

[swampratt]

If it something you want and you have money to try it and see then to me it is worth it.

When i was 19 i was porting cylinder heads. No flow bench but i would tweak/port the heads and install them and tune and run the vehicle then remove the heads and tweak them some more.

I did a Nova for a buddy and it just would not pull up top like I thought it should.
Tuned on it for 2 days and this engine was in the car for 3 days.
I pulled the heads knowing good and well something needed tweaked.

Pound some fuel wash on the chambers about 1" wide and kicked the chamber out there and that engine was totally different.
Never quit pulling on the top end I was at 7600 RPM with a hydraulic flat tappet and it was still sinking you back in the seat.
Not my ride so i shifted and told my buddy shift at no more than 7400 rpm.

I did not get paid to do this it was all experimental.
Worth it because now I know.

 

[mr ed]

Go for it ! Thare are other things besides timing. Such as headspacing.
22/22mag they don't worry about it too much. They just give you a bigger forcing cone ( think funnel) if its off a few thousandths no biggy. However centerfires need closer tolerances or you get a kaboom. Videotape your experiences.

 

[D V US]

With the modern CNC machinery and laser gauging, it is very likely that it will be a clean swap, and at the worst you might have to pull the hammer back fast enough to let the inertia of the cylinder carry it to lock. I have several old revolvers, and have seen hundreds more that operate this way. And if you have, or know someone with the ability to cut the new cylinder for moon clips, timing the new cylinder is a piece of cake.

 

[GlockPride]

Not a gunsmith, but At minimum I would get some BRIGHT Orange 9mm dummy rounds to visually inspect down the barrel to see where the cylinder times with the barrel once installed.

 

[D V US]

That, unfortunately, won't show anything but gross misalignment. A tool called a "range rod," a snug fitting rod that slips in from the muzzle and is inserted into each hole in the cylinder to check alignment is needed. Even this will not indicate true alignment unless it has a fitted head that screws onto the rod once inserted and fits inside the forcing cone with the cylinder closed so you can check all the bores as you cycle the action. But with most revolvers, just the basic range rod is close enough because of the play in the cylinder when in lock up.

 

[Letfreedomring]

Unfortunately the cylinder assembly I had my eye on sold so there goes another hairbrained scheme to burn off my eyebrows. Lol. Thanks for all the help and suggestions and I'll be keeping my eye out for another assembly.

 

[D V US]

Well, here's a suggestion. Have your current cylinder cut for moon clips and you can shoot 9mm and .357 out of it. Smith and Wesson has done this with their 627, no reason that it can't be done with a Taurus. I believe the 8 shot 627 cylinder spacing and the Taurus 8 shot are very similar. Worth checking into.