Revolver cylinder alignment.

[Nora]

I've got an old Colt Police Positive that could use some help. The primers are being struck slightly off center. I checked the cylinder by sliding an aluminum cleaning rod down the barrel against both sides. On one of the sides it is catching. The bolt is solid and offers little play with the cylinder. Could anyone tell me the correct way of adjusting the cylinder alignment? All else seems to be fine with it that would indicate a problem.

Thanks in advance

Nora

[Cactus Farmer]

Without looking at the Colt I would think a "crane alinement" issue. Too many old revolvers show signs of "Mike Hammer slamming the cylinder closed" like I've seen too many times. It still gives me the willies to see a nice revolver abused.

[StarMetal]

Tell you how I observe the alignment if I don't have the gauge pins to do it right. Cut a long strip of aluminum foil just width that slide through the frame behind the cartridge end of the cylinder. It is best to do this with the gun cock because for one the firing pin is out of the way and the cylinder is locked in the firing position. They looking down the muzzle while shining a light through the cylinder so it lights up both front and rear of the cylinder. You can plainly see if the cylinder is out of alignment. The way it's adjusted is take the firearm apart. Then you peen one side of the bolt window. This moves metal into the window. Next with the proper file you file the other side until the bolt just passes through. What you are doing is moving the bolt left or right depending on which way you have to go.

For God's sake check the alignment with the revolver unloaded!!!!

Joe

[stubshaft]

Index the brass. Mark the position when you load it into the chambers. Rather than striking it side to side. The hammer may be striking it either at 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock. This is normal. Because of the design of a primer, there in very little if any compound under the anvil. Most firearms strike the primer slightly off center.

[leftiye]

I shouldn't admit this, but I have a set of Brownell's range rods, and I have no idea how they should be used. Not to hijack the thread, but thinking rather that that might fill out the information here.

[bob208]

check the hand it could be worn. colts lock up when the triger is pulled the hand pushes it aginest the bolt for tight lock up.

[Bret4207]

Check more than one cylinder too. Sometimes one or two will be off a little and the rest are fine.

All the older gunsmithing books cover adjustments or you can send it out to some good gunnysmith and have it done.

Of course finding a good COLT gunsmith may be a trial.

[Char-Gar]

Please check out my post under the thread "Range Rods" above. It has some info in these old Colts you might find helpful to diagnose your pistols health issues.

[Nora]

Thanks for the input. I was not aware of the lock up sequence for the old girl. After checking the alignment with the trigger held fully to the rear and the hammer forward, all chambers check out just fine and the cylinder is rock solid. That makes me happy. It does shoot quite well for me with in my ability level. So I'm just going to write off the off center hammer strikes as a unique feature rather than a problem. (All chambers are being stuck off center in the 1:30 position about 1/4 of the way from the center to the edge).

Thanks again

Nora

[S.R.Custom]

...The way it's adjusted is take the firearm apart. Then you peen one side of the bolt window. This moves metal into the window. Next with the proper file you file the other side until the bolt just passes through. What you are doing is moving the bolt left or right depending on which way you have to go...

Peening isn't really an option with this model, as the bolt window is right up against the side of the frame...

Glad to hear it times out after all. It's a real pain to fix these-- you have enlarge the bolt window and fit a thicker bolt. (No, they don't sell 'em. You have to make it.) After the thicker bolt is fitted to the action, you then have to contour/fit the exposed part of the bolt in such a manner as to properly index the cylinder.

Usually, though, this is not the problem. 99.9 times out of 100, timing issues are caused by wear on the hand and/or hand window, some kind of wear/fitment issue in the extractor, or a combination of all of the above.

I wouldn't worry about off-center primer strikes. I have a specimen here at the shop that does the same thing. Cause? The firing pin's pointy end was polished off-center... and given the tolerancing in the hammer fitment itself and the size of the firing pin hole, I'd be surprised to find one in twenty that that actually hit straight.

[Char-Gar]

Fixing an out of time old model Colt is not rocket science, nor does it require a thicker hand/pawl.

Remove the hand and out will find a milled out thiner portion below the lower engaging surface. Lay this on a 100% flat service and peen in this thin area with a very small cross peen hammer or a peening punch.

Once it is stretched reassemble the revolver and file/stone the engaging surfaces of the hand until the pistol will cock SA, but will require some force to do so.

YOu can now "set the hand" for firm contact in one of two ways.

1. The Colt factory repair service gave the muzzle of the barrel a few strong whacks with a rawhide mallet.

2. Fire two or three cylinderfuls of full snort ammo.

Seting the hand will allow the pistol to function, but it might be a little stout at first, but will easy up with use.

If you dont wat to peen/stretch the hand, a new one can be purchased. They come long to be fitted as above.

Now Smith and Wessons often require a thicker hand. A standard hand can be "offset". "This sometimes requires some work on the window in the frame.

An out of time Smith is not a common thing. One the rare occasion I run accross one, I also suspect other things to be wrong as well. A well used magnum sixgun will show up with the cylinder window in the frame stretched. This will require the barrel to be set back, perhaps some work on the crane and other fun things to do.

Then there is always poor ignition caused by excess cylinder enshake due to the wear/peening on the rear of the crane.

Neither the Colt or Smith and Wesson are hard to re-time. It just requires some knowledge of what you are trying to do and some patience.