Did Colt say re indexing or re-qualify? It a barrel goes past about 10;30-11:00 oclock with hand tightening only, then the rear of the shoulder can be milled off and the forcing cone can be shorten until it will tighten correctly going in another whole turn. They will also cut the correct forcing cone angle. Colt has the tools and knowledge to do it. Of course this should have never left the factory but it happened. Wait and have it repaired correctly. That is what I would do.
The barrel just screws in so it wouldn't be rocket science to take it apart, clean the threads and screw it together to see how it fits. Check how the barrel lines up as it snugs down. Check the cylinder gap with regular feeler gauges. .004"-.007". Check the threads, barrel should rotate as you screw it in, no wiggle side to side.
Colt did a lot right with the Anaconda. I picked one up and after feeling the trigger and the way the cylinder closed, couldn't put it down. The reason I was able to snag it and why it looked new was it wouldn't shoot 6 rounds without the cylinder tying up with powder residue, gap was too tight. Fixed that. The bore is like a mirror, no tooling marks but it slugs .430". Those factory combat grips are the worst. The two rubber halves meet in the middle of the backstrap, on a Magnum, Really? I'm sure those grips alone unsold a lot of Anacondas.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
You confuse me with the gap and residue. Or was it boolit pull? Or a cylinder face that hit the barrel because it was not true.Originally Posted by Mal Paso
Hello again,
The guy at Colt said it would need re-indexed.
What is re-qualify?
BUT, things went from not good, to really bad as far as this Anaconda.
I did as suggested and tried to unscrew the barrel by hand. It unscrewed easily once started, which wasn't hard to do. After removing the barrel, I glanced at the threads in the frame,,,, what is that mark on the frame??? Oh no, a small crack about 1/8" long at 6 o'clock in the barrel hole/opening. Crack starts at front of frame goes back into the threads maybe 4-5 threads. Was hard in low light to be sure it was really a crack, so I took a pic with cell phone, then zoomed in on the picture and then there was no doubt.
I called Dave Clements and explained the issue, asked if it could be repaired. Dave said it probably could, but not by him.
A call to Cylinder and Slide resulted in basically the same reply.
Dave did give me a number to a friend of his that specializes in welding and does lots of work on guns, Dave says he's very knowledgeable and has done work for him. I might give him a call next week.
So right now it doesn't look good for this heirloom to be a shooter. May just end up in a shadowbox on the wall. One of those "high dollar" wall hangers.
Any one have any suggestions...?
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and help so far, at least I've learned a few things.
I'm really bummed right now...such a good looking revolver....
OH HELL, a cracked frame. Nothing can be done. If Colt does not replace the gun you have scrap metal. No wonder the barrel was loose.
You have nothing in it, and it has sentimental value, I'd personally put some money into repairing it. After the repair I would shoot a cylinder and inspect, repeat a few times until you were comfortable it was permanent. If it ever begins to go again, a retirement to the shadow box might be best. They can fix a lot when it comes to welding, but it's not a job for Bubba either.
I'm sorry, but don't give up hope yet.
The end of the barrel was too close to the cylinder and not square with the high point on the right hand side. The cylinder turns to the right delivering debris to the choke point. Factory or handloads did not matter, after 2 to 4 rounds the cylinder drag ended shooting. Cylinder fit was tight as well and I stoned a .001" from the standing breech and squared the barrel. It was about .002" high on the right, very tight on a .004" feeler gauge.
Seems simple looking back but for a few days I thought I wasted $925. The fact I bought it for under a grand from that gun shop told me they knew something was wrong. It looked like a brand new gun. I think both of us got a good deal.
Good luck Pb Burner!
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
If we could get Colt to replace the gun it would be great, but the it wouldn't be Uncle's old revolver. If the Anaconda was still in production that might still be an option, but how could they replace it?
Maybe if we could find a frame somewhere it could be "partially" Uncle's revolver. I'd bet used Anaconda frames are scarce, but will be looking.
Dave Clements gave me info on the welder/gun fellow. I'll give him a call next week I guess.
Packing up the truck right now to head out of town for a 4 day camping trip with daughter and granddaughter, a music festival.
If anyone has any thoughts on who could repair this revolver, please post!
Thanks again,
Burner
Good fix. I wondered because I had DW revolvers that had cylinder fronts that wobbled. Set the gap and gun would lock up when trying to cock it.The end of the barrel was too close to the cylinder and not square with the high point on the right hand side. The cylinder turns to the right delivering debris to the choke point. Factory or handloads did not matter, after 2 to 4 rounds the cylinder drag ended shooting. Cylinder fit was tight as well and I stoned a .001" from the standing breech and squared the barrel. It was about .002" high on the right, very tight on a .004" feeler gauge.
Seems simple looking back but for a few days I thought I wasted $925. The fact I bought it for under a grand from that gun shop told me they knew something was wrong. It looked like a brand new gun. I think both of us got a good deal.
Good luck Pb Burner!
If Grant Cunningham would take work from people he didn't know, I would say try him, but time has worn on his hands. He pretty much only works on friends guns now, and stuck mainly with early Colts.
He highly recommends Frank Glenn. And to be honest, if Grant Cunningham tells me to go to Frank Glenn for my Python, that is were I am going. If Frank can't or won't, he will be your best source for who possibly could. Yes, I know this is an Anaconda, not a Python, but if the guy can repair Pythons, the Anaconda should be in his wheelhouse.
Personally at this point I would get on Colts waiting list and see if they will make this right. Though, not sure what they can do for a gun that has been long out of production. An anaconda with a cracked frame even if repaired to shooter level will never be worth much. I like the shadow box idea and would put the repair money towards a nice pre lock S&W 29 or 629 which are better 44s than any Anaconda ever will be imho.
"I don't want men who miss." -Capt. Leander H. McNelly
I wouldn't trust a cracked frame gun to be repaired. I would like to know if Colt even had any spare frames in storage.
Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth. Sherlock Holmes
Colt had crappy CS when they were building Anacondas, I wouldn't expect anything more now. In fact, I'd ask specifically about the frame before sending it in. They might not want to return it in any condition.
Most people would sooner die than think, in fact, they do so. -B. Russell
I'd love to find a good Dan Wesson. Or if Smith would make a 44 with some meat.
The Anaconda's firing pin protrusion was wrong when I got it and mainspring too light leading to misfires. Cylinder throats were smaller than the groove. And the Combat Grips had to go. Colt got it most of the way there though. I think the guys complaining expected a finished gun, when has that ever happened?
If you want a DA 44Mag heavier than S&W with a Fine Trigger there aren't many places to go. However my Anaconda started life it's a custom gun now, dead nuts accurate and reliable.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
Colt made some fine guns but never advanced and stuck to old ideas. They could not compete. But the amount of money for any gun killed them a few times. Ruger made the SA work. Freedom had a better idea and failed with only a 5 shot with 6 chambers. Still better and stronger then a Colt.
What would you buy today? A SBH or SRH or freedom or BFR?
Even every Colt clone is a low pressure gun. An Anaconda is not a SRH or a S&W 29.Sales did not come so it failed.
I've owned several of the snake family of guns. I had a really nice snub Python when I first became a LEO and I thought that I ought to put it away and carry something less expensive. Our department Armorer told me that once a gun has been fired- there's no difference in shooting fifty rounds through it or five hundred- it's been shot. I figure that they were built to enjoy and use. If it lives at my house- it has to work for a living.
sarge901 I would question your departmental Armorer's knowledge. Factories test fire gun and then sell them as new. Firing one round through a gun it can be listed as test fired only. A big difference between that and 500 rounds.
Once there is a mark on the cylinder for more than 1-2 cylinders it is a spun gun and has been shot. Ask any SAA collector!!
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