S & W 422 barrel/nut?

[Tom2]

OK here is an odd question, perhaps. Smith and Wesson 422 .22lr. autopistol. I notice that the barrel is retained(?) with spanner nut just as on the old M61 Escort. I once took the nut off the barrel of an Escort and as I recall, I was able to remove the barrel without hassle. The 422 has some similarity to the old 61 Escort, which I determined to be sort of a dud gun. Before I waste time risking buggering up the nut working with a small spanner wrench to remove it, is it possible to remove the barrel that way, or is the barrel a snug fit, or not removable in the field, or does it require full disassembly of the gun to gain clearance, or other reasons not to try bothering with it? Thanks.

 

[James K]

Yes, removing the barrel nut and lock nut will allow the barrel to come out to the rear when a lot of other stuff comes out. The barrel unit is not just the barrel, it also has the breech piece and also the recoil spring support and the stop for the slide.

Now, why in heck do you want to remove the barrel? Removal is not needed for cleaning the gun and the barrel was really not intended to be removed by the customer. Why take a chance on buggering up the gun when there is no earthly reason to do so other than just curiosity?

Jim

 

[Tom2]

Well, Jim, I figured it might be a can of worms, so I made the inquiry instead of just making like a goober and going after it. The M61 barrel did not have too many hassles as I can recall. I was thinnin of polishing up the feed ramp area and busting any sharp edges around there, where a feeding cartridge might come across them. But since I have no proof of substantial gains in the case of this particular gun from doing that, and it is apparently a hassle to remove, (negs outweigh pos) I shall therefore decline to make the effort to attack this challenge. Will err on the side of caution.