Making a hand for a Colt I Frame revolver.......

[philthephlier]

I have a milling machine and I know just enough about how to use it to maybe pull this off. I am primarily a blackpowder gunsmith and I have built about 160 custom rifles and pistols when I was an active builder. I made about 1/2 dozen locks from scratch just to learn what was involved. I know what has to happen and I have successfully made replacement gun parts for people that couldn't find a factory replacement. But I haven't made a replacement hand which is a high stress part in a double action revolver. I have no doubt that the master Colt armorers are doing this for guns because they keep them running when there are no longer factory parts available. I also know I will pay several hundred dollars to have one made and then fit to a Colt Official Police. The gun still works fine but doesn't carry up all the way on two chambers. The cylinder will lock up on those if the gun is cocked quickly but not if the hammer is drawn back very slowly on those 2 chambers. I have read I can stretch the hand on a one time basis in Kuhnhausen's book but if not done right the hand will crack in the process. Then I don't have a shooter anymore at all. So my question is what steel do I use? And any other advice will be greatly appreciated.

[Three44s]

Hello,

Found this:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/1369490.htm#1369490A



Am I anywhere's close?


Best regards and good luck


Three 44s

[philthephlier]

Wow!! You probably just saved me a ton of work.

[philthephlier]

Any tips on fitting the reproduction hand to my Colt Official Police will be greatly appreciated.

[Three44s]

Glad to help out ....... but no ideas on getting it fitted.

Good luck and good shooting!

Three 44s

[akajun]

One thing on the hands on those old colt da's they can often be bent a little to make them work , and an old colt armorer stated that was actually sop on old official police guns

[MtGun44]

If the bending wouldn't work, I have successfully stretched them before, works fine,
easy to do.

Bill

[pietro]

Any tips on fitting the reproduction hand to my Colt Official Police will be greatly appreciated.

AFAIK, you're going to need a caliber-appropriate range rod, so each chamber can be ranged while fitting the (usually) overlong pawl/hand.

Trial & error, while filing a bit at a time, should arrive at a hand/pawl length that will satisfactorily align all chambers with the bbl.

Brownell's has range rods & instructions.



.

[JMtoolman]

It can be done, I spent the better part of two days making a hand for a Enfield 455 revolver a few months ago. Spent a week trying to find one, and finely made one with the milling machine and files. Worked just fine! I made it a little too long and then hand fitted it to make sure it worked on all cylinders. Best of luck, the toolman.