Smith & Wesson Model 19 question........

[Kivaari]

I've a brand new in the box Model 19, blue, 6" that I've never fired.

Upon some maintenance cleaning tonight, I noticed a "flat" of sorts on the outer, upper edge of the rounded edge recoil shield above where the ratchet enters the recoil shield, top left side. I can't decide if its supposed to be there due to the small diameter of the recoil shield and its quick curvature or that it is a factory defect??? :shock:

Is this normal or what? can't believe I never noticed this before  :roll:

[bigdaddytacp]

I've a brand new in the box Model 19, blue, 6" that I've never fired.

Upon some maintenance cleaning tonight, I noticed a "flat" of sorts on the outer, upper edge of the rounded edge recoil shield above where the ratchet enters the recoil shield, top left side. I can't decide if its supposed to be there due to the small diameter of the recoil shield and its quick curvature or that it is a factory defect??? :shock:

Is this normal or what? can't believe I never noticed this before  :roll:

.....THe flat is located at the left side when you are shoting the gun and the right side when you look at the recoil shield from the front......the small flat is to keep a cly edge from getting caught aganist the recoil shield.....the end shake would have to be very bad to need the small flat to push the edge of the cly foreward but my old late 60's model 19 has the same small "flat" that is semi triangle shaped and that is the only reason I can see for the extra machining work at the recoil shield area...........if anyone knows any different maybe they will share it with us......hth..good luck and good shooting!!!

[Kivaari]

Thanks man :-D

I feel a whole lot better.

I, like you, cannot imagine end shake that egregiously large.

Perhaps if "speed loading", if  the rear of the cylinder is not counterbored (right?) then the "relief" would allow a slightly protruding rim to breech and the cylinder to be closed in a lurch. Perhaps it's for the actual speed loader's mechanism to clear with the magnum length cylinder thus making this flat unique to the magnum K frames and not the .38 Specials.

 My N frame, 25-5 , has no such "flat/relief". It must be something unique to the K frame due to its smaller cylinder/recoil shield diameter. Dunno...