Revolver accuracy factors.

Q I have an older .38 Spl. revolver with fixed sights that cannot get to shoot accurately, no matter what type of ammo I buy or reload. What should I check or have checked on this revolver?

A Most of this will necessitate taking your revolver to a knowledgeable, competent gunsmith as few folks have the tooling necessary to check these items.

First, have the bore checked for constrictions. I have seen a number of revolvers where the barrel was threaded so tightly into the frame that the bore was actually squeezed down a bit. Needless to say, having the rear of the barrel with a smaller diameter bore than the front of the barrel is not conducive to accuracy!

Next, check the alignment of the bore with each of the cylinder chambers. If the chamber is not properly aligned, the bullet will slam into the side of the forcing cone at the rear of the barrel and will basically be deformed before it gets into the bore.

Finally, check the internal dimensions of each of the cylinder chambers. Quite a few revolvers have been produced with the forward portion of the cylinder chamber smaller than the bore diameter. This swages the bullet down to the point that it is undersize for the bore. Again, that's not conducive for the best accuracy.