Removing Colt SAA cylinder base pin bushing stuck

[Hang Fire]

I have an early BP frame Colt SAA in .44-40, I want to replace or shim the cylinder base pin bushing to remove a little cylinder end play. It is froze in place, tried soaking in Liquid Wrench etc, but to no avail. I don't want to get western with it and run the risk of doing damage.

Have any of you guys had experience in removing Colt SAA stuck cylinder base pin bushings?

Any advice will be appreciated.

[stubshaft]

Try Kroil.

[Hang Fire]

Try Kroil.

That was in the etc after Liquid wrench.

[Larry Gibson]

Can you disassemble the hammer from it and punch it out from the back? I've done that on clones.

Larry Gibson

[Hang Fire]

Can you disassemble the hammer from it and punch it out from the back? I've done that on clones.

Larry Gibson


It is not the base pin, that comes out easy.

It is the removable base pin bushing which slides into the front of the cylinder on early first generation 1873 Colt SAA. Colt later dropped the removable bushing for a pressed in one, then switched back, but I think all Colt SAA in production now have the pressed in bushings.

I am tempted to take a block of wood with a sized hole drilled in it for bushing to pass through, place the cylinder front down on it and try tapping bushing out from the rear with a brass punch. But remain spooked could mess something up resulting in having to shell out few hundred bucks for a replacement cylinder.

It is item #20 in schematic shown here:

http://www.coltparts.com/pix_saa1early.jpg

[stubshaft]

Have you tried a little heat it may help loosen years of crud. I have never had one that was as hard to remove as yours, but your alternate plan sounds viable.

[Hang Fire]

Silly me, just remembered I have a large arbor press sitting in the corner of the garage. If someone in the distant past didn’t solder bushing in, (have come across sillier things) should come out with turned down aluminum stub sized to press on.

[Hang Fire]

Well after several days of soaking in various brands of panther urine, finally got the bushing out. I went with the arbor press and broke a couple of hickory dowels before it let go. Used steel fur on OD of bushing to clean up and it now slids in and out of cylinder free as a well oiled bird.

On the black powder 1873 SAA. they learned just how quickly the BP fouling could bring things to a halt, so Colt opted for the base pin cylinder bushing to give two rotating surfaces.

I was beginning to wonder if the bushing had ever been out since the gun was made 125 years ago.

Slugged the bore and it mikes out to .426" and the chamber throats slugged .427", so that is good to know not upside down as to oversized bore and undersized chamber throats.


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P1010289.jpg

[cajun shooter]

I shoot the 44-40 in SASS matches with 100% black powder rounds and a 210 grain bullet of my own design.
If you polish the base pin with some 600 or more sand paper with it chucked in a drill or drill press that will help a lot.
The second thing to do is to go to your local Autozone and purchase a can of Mobil One Synthetic grease in either a grease gun tube or wheel bearing can.
It will last your life time.
The revolvers that I use USFA that are built on the Colt First Generation frame. they slug at .427 and I use .429 bullets.
With putting a small amount from end to end on both the bushing before inserting it into the cylinder and then on the base pin I can fire over 60 or more full cases of BP without any binding at all.
If you look in Brownells catalog or web site you will see that they sell new base pins and bushings in standard and oversize. This would take up any slop you have in the end shake area. This would be a good bet as your gun will work much better with the newer parts. Cimarron sells a nice over size thumb screw for it's guns that may fit your Colt.Later David

[Hang Fire]

I will be shooting BP only in this one and not much of that.

The base pin slides in and out with ease, was the bushing to cylinder that was stuck bad. Pin may have been replaced at one time for it shows no sign of wear and there is no side play in the bushing whatsoever and once freed up, same with bushing in cylinder. There is some cylinder endplay but need to find out max/min on that, I understand people often shim the bushing in cylinder recess to limit endplay.

Mechanically the revolver is very sound and tight, all exterior finish is gone except in protected areas. But it was carried a lot, the acid etched "Frontier Six Shooter" on left side of barrel is long gone. The one line lightly rolled address on top of barrel is still easily read, all three patent dates on left side of frame are legible.

The Mobil One Synthetic grease with BP will not screw things up like a petroleum based grease would?

When I bought the gun, got an old period holster with it, (no markings at all) leather was dirty and dry but not cracked, saddle soap and neatsfoot oil brought it right to life. The bottom of the holster was once sewn shut, but the threads busted out and if Colt is now shoved in, it swallows it, but I will not be resewing it.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P1010279.jpg

[Larry Gibson]

Ah...I missed "bushing"....my bad....nice revolver BTW. Should be a lot of fun to shoot.

Larry Gibson

[smkummer]

Maybe its just me but if I owned that gun it would never see blackpowder again. I would find a low pressure smokeless load and enjoy it without worry about spending 1 full hour cleaning, drying, oiling and double checking to make sure it wasn't rusting. Very nice shootable frontier six shooter.