S+W old revolver safety question?

[astronomer]

gundoc need your opinion, A friend just bought A smith + wesson a old model 13 revolver or model 10 ? he asked my opinion on the condition , the gun looks solid, but the cylinder was A little hard to swing out kind of A little bind, then I notice the back end or the barrel, looks A little egg shape, the edge of the barrel, bent , but the bore looks to line up ok, with the front of the cylinder, but you got look at it very close to tell, the cylinder lock up ok, the old gun is solid, I don't know if its safe to fire, I told him? what do you think?

[surbat6]

Sorry, not Gundoc, but I have owned and shot at least a dozen pre-owned S&W DA revolvers and still have more than half of them. It's a little hard to decipher your description of the breech end of the barrel...does it have an egg-shaped dent that displaced metal to interfere with cylinder opening? Or is the barrel out-of-round with an oval cross section?
Not to be a nit-picker, just curious.
Based on your description, I'd probably pass on the deal.
The first thing I check on a used DA revolver is the yoke. If you look at the "crack" formed by the juncture of the yoke (pivoting part of the cylinder group) and the front of the frame, does this "crack" widen when you push gently on the side of the closed cylinder opposite the cylinder latch (as if you were pushing the cyl. open). If there's lateral (side-to-side) play in this area, the yoke is sprung. Run, don't walk away from this deal. A sprung yoke is fixable, but probably not worth the cost of repairs.
The model number is inside the area you just checked for play. Open the cylinder and read. The Model 13 is a .357 version of a Model 10 (.38 special) heavy barrel version. On a stamping like "Mod. 10-6" indicates the Model 10, 6th series (made in 1962, I believe).

[gundoc]

That plus - a range rod will help to determine if the cylinders are in line with the bore. The barrel can be set back and cleaned up if the damage isn't severe. You also need to check for end shake and a feeler guage measurement at the recoil shield and cylinder/bore gap. I would also check the top strap for gas cutting. When A gun is this old and possibly damaged, it is worth the bucks to have it checked out before firing. Did he get any kind of inspection and return period? If he did, get it in to someone quick so he can return it if it is a lemon.

[astronomer]

Thanks ,surbat6, Gundoc, for the Info. will ckeck it out an reply back in A day or too. thanks.

[astronomer]

Friends, I checked it out like you all asked me.The best I could, the barrel has a dent that seems to interfere with the cylinder opening.The end of the barrel is not rounded out there is sum side to side play.That creck that you asked me to check does seem to open a hair. I think its sprung and the cylinder rubs the frame. I opened the cylinder and their was the frame number.Its a model 10 38 special.I thought so. And also it has an end shake.I didnt have a range rod,but i did check with a feeler guage and it has a fair amount of opening.I told my friend the best thing is to take the gun back to who ever he bought it from.And try to get his money back.Im my opinion it is worn out.I think he paid $150.Thanks Surbat6 and gundoc.

[gundoc]

I hope he gets his money back. If he doesn't, ask him not to sell it to someone else. Numrich and some other places buy junk guns for the parts.

[surbat6]

The parts outfits pay next to nothing for parts and parts guns (mainly because they have to stock so much stuff that may never sell). Might be a better idea to part the gun out on EBay or one of the gun forums.

[gundoc]

But only if you sell it as a parts gun and not stick someone else with a problem gun that they may go fire it and injure themselves or others. Just my two cents.

[astronomer]

Problem solved , everybody happy ,first of all my friend said Thank's very much GUNDOC an SURBAT6 For the advice, he took the gun back to the man he bought it from, but the guy would not give him his money back, (I figyard that) so he going to do what you all said , sell it for part's to numrich or the part's outfit even for little of nothing, it's just unsafe to fire , my wife told him mark that down, A lesson to be Learned about buying other people's junk, he said it makes him sick everytime he look's at it. So there was A gun show going on in Baton Rouge this weekend, so my wife said let's all go , we went and looked around , an he found A deal on A Sigarms 226 9mm pistol, for $519 + tax from A dealer one of them factory reconditioned, like new one of them deal's sigarms was offering, like brand new with two 15 rd. mags, cable lock in case an 50 rounds ammo throwed in , plus we bought him so extra ammo, very fine pistol, so now he's happy again, my wife an me are happy to see him happy, and old (Slick willie) is happy with the $150 dollars in his pocket .

[gundoc]

Glad to help!