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Thread: Colt Cobra

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    I have one made in the 50’s that I had for almost 30 years. Great little belly gun and the same type pistol that Jack Ruby used to kill Oswald.

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy c1skout's Avatar
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    I've got one of the Armscor copies, it's a good shooter!

  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c1skout View Post
    I've got one of the Armscor copies, it's a good shooter!
    I've long been tempted to get one of those. Does it have a steel or aluminum frame? What's the barrel to cylinder gap like? What boolit weight does it like?
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master Airman Basic's Avatar
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    Heresy, I know, but I swapped my Cobra carry gun for a Ruger LCR in .38. Don't get hammer scratches from it and the Ruger has a better trigger pull. Don't everybody hate on me at once. I know the LCR is ugly.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #25
    Boolit Buddy c1skout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FergusonTO35 View Post
    I've long been tempted to get one of those. Does it have a steel or aluminum frame? What's the barrel to cylinder gap like? What boolit weight does it like?
    All steel gun. I had never checked the gap before, so I just did. The largest feeler gauge I could fit was .013". It shoots to the sights with standard pressure 158 and slightly heavier boolits, mine really likes the old Ideal 358-432! I replaced the wood stocks with a Pachmayr compact made for a Colt.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c1skout View Post
    ...The largest feeler gauge I could fit was .013"
    That is a bit "large." Enough so that I would be cautious firing jacketed bullets for fear of sticking one in the barrel. Lubricated lead bullets should be OK, but you can expect significant velocity loss, about 10 fps for each 0.001" larger gap beyond Mean Assembly Tolerance, normally pass 0.004/hold 0.006 for a new gun before proofing. After proofing it is normal for both dimensions to increase 0.001," with end play not to exceed 0.002", which is the difference when measuring with and without rear [head clearance] gage in place.

    Max. gap for new a .38 Special build is generally 0.008." Back in the day police contract orders would usually be built to 0.003 pass/0.005 hold. Is recommended practice that when gap exceeds 0.010" that the barrel be set back a thread, existing cylinder end shake be fixed, usually by stretching the crane arbor and refitting, and the gap re-set to new factory normal production specs of pass 0.004"/ hold 0.006"

    While it is fairly common to find old black powder-era guns with gaps over 0.012", such as Colt New service, Single-Action Armys and British Webley's, Speer and others in their reload manuals do not recommend that revolvers over 0.012" cylinder gap be fired at all, because they are worried about "bullet-in-bore" malfunctions.
    Last edited by Outpost75; 11-23-2017 at 12:37 AM.
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  7. #27
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Good morning
    The "cylinder gap" info is interesting. Makes one wonder what Colt did with all the rejects ? Surely they would not pass them onto unsuspecting civilians.
    This is one that has been with us down here in the Southern confines of Peru for near 15 years. Has a Hip Grip ... But alas is really just a Police Positive Special with the barrel cut back to 1 7/8. But works just as well and cost 3/4 less than what a Cobra might.
    Mike in Peru
    Last edited by missionary5155; 11-23-2017 at 07:54 PM.
    "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
    Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy c1skout's Avatar
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    Uh-oh, I'd better re measure and proceed from there!

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c1skout View Post
    Uh-oh, I'd better re measure and proceed from there!
    Correct way to check cylinder gap is not to see how thick a gage you can shove in the gap.

    The "pass" dimension is the thickness of feeler gage you can insert completely through the barrel-cylinder gap, so that the gage protrudes through the frame window, and the trigger can be cycled DA to rotate the cylinder through a complete revolution without resistance.

    The "hold" dimension is the thickness of a gage which causes resistance to cylinder rotation, such that with the gage inserted, the cylinder cannot be cycled through a full revolution by DA trigger pull.
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  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy c1skout's Avatar
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    Thanks for the lesson!

    My "pass" reading is .007, .008 starts to drag.
    My "hold" reading is .010, .011 won't let the cyl turn completely.

    I'm happier now...... At least I know how to measure the gap.

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c1skout View Post
    Thanks for the lesson!

    My "pass" reading is .007, .008 starts to drag.
    My "hold" reading is .010, .011 won't let the cyl turn completely.

    I'm happier now...... At least I know how to measure the gap.
    Repeat the measurement again with sized, empty brass in the chambers. It sounds like you are pushing the empty cylinder back when forcing in the 0.010 gage. Up to 0.002 cylinder end play is "acceptable." I expect that your true "hold" dimension with the equivalent of "rear gage" in place is really 0.008" and the extra 0.002 you get checking an empty gun is cylinder end play. In a Colt that the gap will tighten when the hammer is down and the trigger is held back, because of differences in how Colts lock up. Try the "pass" gage in DA and try to pull it out when holding the trigger back and see if the cylinder pinches the gage and then releases it again when you let the trigger rebound. Another check for end play, with and without empty brass substituting for "rear gage".
    Last edited by Outpost75; 11-23-2017 at 01:51 PM.
    The ENEMY is listening.
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  12. #32
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    In so I can find it again, Thanks Outpost.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check