New NAA ... New Sidewinder

champco · June-08-15 21:06

Just now looking over my new friend and are noticing the frame at the swing arm has some rather sharp edges. The boxiness should be smoother/rounded out. Is it just me or is this something others have pointed out?
Do others soften these edges?? Also is it common to have the hammer pull lightened???

Thanks for reading...

Uncle_Lee · June-09-15 04:06

Welcome champ,
Yes I smoothed off the edges of the Sidewinder that I carry.
I also made it easier to open and close.
No on the lightened hammer. These are rimfire and need the heavy hammer.
Enjoy your mini and may you get more.

To Old To Run · June-09-15 05:06

Welcome Champco
You'll find good advise on this forum, and meet some nice people, and have a few laughs to boot.

champco · June-09-15 08:06

Lubed it up today with a old metal can of Birchwood Casey all weather synthetic gun oil. A couple drops in the ejector rod and the trigger and the cylinder spur. Hammer already feels better as does the trigger. Loaded and off to the range. I am impressed with the cylinder off set safety. Thinking of taking some 800 grit to the edges and slowly hand smoothing them.

coopercdrkey · June-09-15 13:06

Received my Sidewinder pocket holster from John Losey yesterday. Excellent, as you would expect from John and Concelement Holster Solutions.

champco · June-10-15 17:06

Yesterday I had a opportunity to empty the cylinder with lots of noise and spark. The first three rounds fired fine. The fourth round misfired. Fifth fired ok. cycled to the forth again and it fired. I figured it to be a anomaly.
Today I went to the range to see if I could hit something. The first two fired. Third misfired. forth fired and the fifth misfired. cycled the cylinder and three and five failed to fire. Both had hammer strikes.
Reloaded different CCI ammo. one fired, two fired, three fired..... four and five are still in the cylinder. It will not move. Hammer comes back enough to unload the cylinder lock but it will not index. I have so far been unable to release the cylinder catch and swing the cylinder out to unload or turn the cylinder by hand. It is stuck. Any suggestions???

boone123 · June-11-15 10:06

champco
Did you get your cylinder open yet. There was someone else on here the other day with a stuck cylinder, using CCIs. Are they a target load? Some target 22 ammo will not work in some revolvers. They cause the same problem you are having.

Zennashton · June-12-15 01:06

I now understand why these are so collectable. I just got a black widow and I'm already thinking about getting a Pug and sidewinder. Oh what have I started now....

champco · June-16-15 11:06

Boone yes I did finally get it open. Took some doing but the stuck case finally got pushed thru.

I discovered that it is much easier for me being right handed, to open the cylinder pushing with my right thumb instead of a index finger. The left hand easily pulls the cylinder rod away from the catch.

Yes they are CCI but not a target load. They were Maxi-Mag HP=V

Kinda surprised how little advice came of my post.

To Old To Run · June-16-15 16:06

The last time I read your post, boone had asked you a question back on the 11th, I was watching for your response and seen there was none until today the 16th. I for one thought you resolved the problem and moved on.

champco · June-18-15 22:06

Hey too old
Thanks for the confidence. I did manage to get it open just before I had a short road trip. Unable to do any reading or posting til I just got back. I also have other projects as do most of us and have not retested with additional firings. On the other hand I am continuing to open and close the sidewinder which is becoming less difficult to operate. The trouble shooting assist I hoped to be there was not. Expectations were too high. Hoped there was some sort if trick to get it open someone had experienced to share.

To Old To Run · June-20-15 06:06

The only suggestion I could have offered, would have been to call the service department at NAA and see if they could walk you through it, I don't have any experience in the sidewinder at all, I am glad to hear it"s working better for you, I cringed when I read you had live rounds stuck in it, your safe, it works, it's a good day.

champco · June-20-15 21:06

Yep. Understood and appreciated. Best advice I can think of when facing any firearm operational abnormality, when there are live rounds involved is to keep one's wits about them. Many different situations can and do happen so best thing I have found is to stop doing and start thinking.
Familiarity can grow in these situations. For me, being a right handler the natural control move is to pull the cylinder rod in the finger/thumb of the right hand. Wrong... flip it around and use the left hand finger and thumb to pull the rod and the right thumb to push the cylinder open,,, Eventually the hammer can be pulled back as the cylinder is pushed. VERY IMPORTANT. I PLACED A FOAM EARPLUG UNDER THE HAMMER TO PREVENT IT FROM CONTACTING ANY PRIMED ROUNDS..... With the hammer disengaged. Once the cylinder pin clears the latch it will just be the spent round which has jammed the cylinder from opening that needs to be overcome.
Slow steady pressure......