Colt revolver question for experts ( Vanity )

Free Republic ^ | 9/14/20 | Self

[devane617]

The cylinder has been misaligned for a while and that has caused excessive force to one side. The misalignment is probably happening on double-action too, but not as easy to see as single-action. When a cylinder gets misaligned then each successive shot causes tremendous force to one side and eventually you have noticeable misalignment.

If it happens to fire in a severely misaligned position then look out hands and face!

[SheepWhisperer]

I had a S&W with same clocking issue.
It peeled some jacket off a round into my face below
my eye

Send it to colt or colt armorer.
Do not use

[Clutch Martin]

Colt website has all the info.

In the past I’ve sent weps back to factory for tuneups.

Plus... the factory will go over the whole piece.

Ask a question with an online form. They usually respond within a few days.

[LouAvul]

It's a timing problem. When you fire it "double action" (actually is "trigger cocking"), the momentum of the cylinder carries it forward to lock into place.

"Single action" (actually is "hammer cocking") the cylinder isn't moving fast enough for momentum to carry it forward.

Colt revolvers sometimes do this. The Anaconda model was especially bad.

Cock the hammer slowly. When it reaches full cock, then see if the cylinder rotates slightly until it locks into place.

Definitely don't shoot it and definitely find a competent gunsmith.

[sarge83]

Colts can get out of time and Colt rated gunsmiths are hard to find. But finding one is worth the effort or send it back to Colt for repairs. Old Colt revolvers are very collectable.

[sarge83]

Practice with FMJ and lighter loads if you want to carry for self-defense then load with P+ loads.

[Doc91678]

I agree. Bring it to a gun smith for repair, or better still return it to Colt for repair...
More than likely if it is a manufacturing defect Colt will repair it for nothing and send out a notification of the defect.

[Doc91678]

As a back up to my statement.. Check out the following:
https://www.tactical-life.com/news/colt-announces-recall-of-7-models/

[Georgia Girl 2]

Take it to a gunsmith. If it was a Ruger you could just send it back to the factory and they would likely fix it for the $27 shipping fee.

[OKSooner]

Congratulations on owning a nice revolver.

My best contribution is to take it to a gunsmith who specializes in Colt revolvers. I’ve heard that’s a niche industry anymore.

I’m tuned in to the thread though, for edification. You’ve come to the right place...

[central_va]

I called Colt. They referred me to another aftermarket company. It is going to be about $200-$300 repair. I am not sure it is worth it.

[wjcsux]

I second that statement! A friend of mine had a Ruger revolver that had the same problem. I was standing next to him and the gun was shaving lead from the bullet when he fired it. I got hit with lead shavings a couple of times. He wisely quit using it and had it fixed by a good gunsmith.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Bingo.

[Swordmaker]

You have a worn hand. The reason it works on double action is because the leverage of the double action imparts a fast spin on the cylinder where the inertia of the spin carries enough rotation to engage the cylinder lock... most times. In single action, the hammer cocking and subsequent cylinder rotation are slower, thus not imparting the inertia to the cylinder before the hammer reaches cock and the lock drops early almost every time.

The gun will shave lead on firing and is not safe to shoot even in double action. You need either a new hand or some welded buildup on the old and then a retiming.

[central_va]

This is the exploded view of the Cobra which is the same as the Agent but with a steel frame. Can you tell which part that I need?

I guess #24, right? Couldn't it also be the spring #29 is worn out?

[Swordmaker]

The hand is part #24, and you should also probably replace the pin #44 that actuates hand (it goes in the trigger, if I recall correctly), it is also a good practice to replace all springs that go with the parts you are replacing, or repairing. It is also possible that part #30, the ejector ratchet on the rear of the cylinder is worn out, and needs replacing. It stands to reason that if the hand is worn from ratcheting the ratchet, the ratchet itself would get worn, although not as much as the hand. Each of the gear facets would get one sixth the wear of the hand, being used only one-sixth as much, but still get wear.

A good gunsmith can also make or repair parts that are no longer available from the manufacturer, secondary sources, or third parties. Or, alternately, he or she can repair the original part by brazing or welding on the missing or worn metal back on and then reshaping the metal back to factory specs.

When I was in the retail gun businesses, working at Simms Hardware’s Gun Department, and later managing the Olde Sacramento Armoury, Simms was the West Coast Colt Wholesale Parts supply, while the parent company of the Armoury, Pacific International, was the West Coast Colt arms wholesaler. Simms had a comprehensive selection of Colt parts in stock, including parts for obsolete Colts such as some parts for the Thunderer and Lightning, and parts specific for the black powder Colt Single Action. I also recall that each of them had different part #s on the charts. So, if you order the parts, describe them by name, so the parts department where you order them will send the correct part, for the correct gun.

As I recall, there were separate internal part #s for the Colt Cobra and the identical looking Colt Detective Special. . . Because there were subtle differences. My point is do not assume that the Agent and Cobra are internally identical just because they look similar externally. They may not be.

[sarge83]

If it is in good condition otherwise the $200-$300 range is worth the money. Old Colts go for quite a bit on the market.