It's necessary to remove . . .

by Kentucky, Saturday, January 05, 2013, 16:21 (4342 days ago) @ FOG
edited by Kentucky, Saturday, January 05, 2013, 16:24

. . . the ejector assembly to get the base pin completely out of the gun. The fact that the screw is messed up does indicate he's had it out one or more times.

I'd carefully remove the ejector assembly and then pull the base pin all the way out so you can then remove the cylinder and see how the pin fits in the frame without the cylinder and how it fits the cylinder alone. Make every effort to keep the cut in the base pin collar properly oriented to the barrel, as this keeps the base pin properly positioned with respect to the pin latch. This is tricky sometimes.

With the cylinder out, you can see if the pin appears to be appreciably undersized with respect to the holes in the frame. It is not uncommon for it to appear undersized and yet still function well. The pin should spin freely within the cylinder as mentioned above. The hassle comes when attempting to remove or install the cylinder. Just be careful and make sure all the holes are clean, the pin is properly aligned, and the pin latch is depressed. It frequently helps to spin the cylinder a little while inserting the pin, and one should take care to not force it if it hangs up.

Be exceedingly careful when re-installing the ejector assembly as that's a very small screw in a very small tapped hole. DO NOT overtighten.

A Belt Mountain pin may be a final resort, but it will NOT make things easier to remove and re-install as it will merely fit tighter although I don't believe they have the collar to complicate matters.