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Colt SAA Mechanic


LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L

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Been wanting a pair of SAA Frontier Six Shooters for a while now. Looks like I might be getting closer to acquiring some. But, I don't want a pair to put in the safe, pull out wearing cotton gloves, and keep unturned forever. I intend to shoot them!

 

Who would be a good gunsmith to do a timing job and a light action job on a new pair of nickel Colt SAA revolvers? I want someone to set the timing where I don't end up with a cylinder ring. I'd like the internals polished, and the springs lightened a just a touch.

 

Any help would be appreciated. :)

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Howdy

 

I can't suggest a mechanic at this time, but the way to avoid a cylinder ring is to never lower the hammer from half cock. Always bring the hammer to full cock and then lower it on an empty chamber. Most cylinder rings are caused by lowering the hammer from half cock. The bolt does not get reset, instead it is pressing against the cylinder and any subsequent manual rotation of the cylinder causes the ring. The other thing to look for on your new Colts is exactly where the bolt strikes the cylinder when it pops up. The bolt should pop up in the tear drop shaped lead in to the locking notches on the cylinder. If it pops up there, and it should if it is brand new, no further timing is necessary. If the cylinder pops up on the cylindrical surface before the lead in, or if it pops up on the edge of the locking notches, then the timing needs adjusting.

 

I'm willing to bet your new Colts will be properly timed, just don't lower the hammer from half cock and you will avoid the ring.

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Guest Joe West, SASS#1532 L Regulator

Hey pard,

Ask Rubideux how his Colts are doing.

I'd be glad to do the same to yours.

Joe

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Hey pard,

Ask Rubideux how his Colts are doing.

I'd be glad to do the same to yours.

Joe

 

Should have thought of you, Joe. Oldtimer's kicking in, I guess. :rolleyes:

 

I'll give you a shout. If you have time, PM me with a phone number. :)

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Howdy Again

 

Here is a photo of a Cimarron Cattleman cylinder with early bolt rise. The arrow points to the spot where the bolt pops up ahead of the lead in. You can see the slight dimple the bolt has created. Even though the timing is incorrect, you can see there is no ring around the cylinder because I never lower the hammer from half cock. I don't shoot this revolver much anymore, so I never bothered to have the timing addressed.

 

With your new revolvers, it is very simple to determine if the bolt is popping up at the right point. Take a Sharpie and ink up the lead in. This will not hurt the blue and will rub right off again. Then cock the hammer a couple of times over that particular lead in. The bolt will scuff the ink and you will see where the bolt is hitting. It should be smack dab in the middle of the lead in. If so, no further adjustment of the timing is needed. I just never bothered to correct the timing on the Cattleman because I am cheap. And I was not forming a ring anyway.

 

Cylinder

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Cody Conagher might be your best bet. There are a number of other recognized Colt gunsmiths. Without trying to generate posts, pros and cons, on individual smiths, those that readily come to mind are Eddie Janis, Bob Munden and Bob James. They all have different ways of tuning a Colt and it's best to speak with them and tell them what you are looking for. Those nickeled Frontier Sixshooters are beautiful revolvers. Have fun with them.

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If I were to have a pair I would have Colt Mcalister or Marshal Harland Wolff tune them. Both good smiths and more importantly very good competitive shooters. If they can keep a pair running as hard as they shoot them then they can make them last for anyone.

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Jim Martin, in Arizona, has been working on Colts and nothing but Colts since the 50s. He is an action master if you can get him.

 

Alan Harton in Texas can do anything you want to a Colt and his workmanship is top drawer and rates reasonable.

 

Both these guys also make excellent grips too.

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You can check the timing yourself and the nickel process will eliminate most rough spots. You may well find all you need or want to do is change out the trigger/bolt spring and main spring.

 

Coffinmaker

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I have bought spring kits from Wolff and installed them myself. This is easy and a couple good screwdrivers are the only tools needed. The revolvers will not be quite where they would be when smoothed over by one of the masters, but they get pretty close for less than $30. :FlagAm:

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I ain't sayin that our Champion shooters are top guns because of their equipment.

 

But I would 'guess' that if you look at the equipment used by most of the top 25-30% of shooters, you discover one consistency.......RELIABILITY.

 

And that reliability is found in the great work performed by most of those Gunsmiths who's name has been mentioned above.

 

I have my favorite Ruger smith. I have another favorite smith for my 97's. And I have a favorite smith for my Marlins. Ifn I were to shoot a 66 or 73, I would opt for another rifle smith. And ifn I were to shoot a 92, I would opt for a different smith for that.

 

We are lucky in SASS/CAS to have a host of great Ruger smith. And a host of Colt/clone smiths. Some of these may be the same person but in some cases, some of our smiths seem to have a specialty in the guns they work on.

 

Find out who's guns are holding up the best under harse conditions and continual usage.

 

Try to find a reputable smith closest to you if possible and support them with your business. You won't regret it.

 

 

..........Widder

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Bob James, aka James and Guns, aka Arizona Thumber, and aka SASS #363 (I think). :)

http://www.jamesguns.com/

 

Yes, he is a friend of mine, but he is widely recognized as one of the leading Colt experts and works on a lot of very high-end Colts.

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