Cylinder rotation

[Mike Boettcher]

Okay...I just took apart my pietta, cleaned and reassembled. The hammer cocks oks but when I squeeze the trigger and lower the hammer with my thumb I see the cylinder turn the wrong direction, it's turning counter-clock wise.

What did I do wrong?

Thanks for your help.

 

[rafterob]

Probably nothing. As long as it turns the right direction when you cock it to full cock it's good to go.

 

[Mike Boettcher]

Well...I learned myself something...make sure the trigger spring screw is snug...I guess I put it in but didn't tighten it up enough. It helps to have that screw snug as it works to hold the cylinder stop in correctly.

 

[BowerR64]

What if the tension on the hand spring is so stiff that as it lowers back into the frame its pulling on the cylinder a little?

 

[Zonie]

As Mike noted, the trigger spring also actuates the cylinder stop (if the spring is tight) :grin:.

About the time the hammer reaches full cock the cylinder stop should pop up to engage the notch in the cylinder locking it in place.

Even if the cylinder hand that rotates the cylinder does try to drag the cylinder backwards as it retracts into the frame, the cylinder stop will keep the cylinder from moving.

 

[Toomuch51]

Zonie is right, check the cylinder stop bolt and trigger/bolt spring for defects. If the spring is cracked it will not force the bolt up to lock the cylinder in place to line up the chamber with the barrel. DO THIS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FIRE.

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[BowerR64]

little screw on the hammer that holds the hand on?

 

[Toomuch51]

little screw on the hammer that holds the hand on?

The hand spring is not the item to question here. The problem likely lies in the trigger/bolt spring (located on the underside of the frame inside the trigger guard).

Toomuch
............
Shoot Flint

 

[crockett]

I never really thought about it before but as the hammer is cocked the rotational movement starts the hand up its slot- we all know that so...when the hammer is lowered it pulls the hand back down and if there is a bur on the side of the hand or anything tight against the racket AND the bolt fit in the notch is sloppy MAYBE IT IS possible for the hand to slightly pull back the cylinder a little. As I said- I never thought about it before but if the cylinder IS moving the wrong way something has to be pulling on it. What else could it be but the hand? I'm not sure, just wondering on this one.
Maybe take a good look at the side of the hand and see if it is rough. A minor polishing might solve the problem.
The inter-relationship of all the internal parts in a revolver is IMHO VERY complicated. Change one small thing and it can effect everything else.
Example- a side by side modern shotgun that partially closes when the action is broken open and at the same time misfiring. Spring? Firing Pin? Firing pin spring? No, worn end on the sear. Probably 95% of the gunsmiths out there don't know that one.

 

[Toomuch51]

I never really thought about it before but as the hammer is cocked the rotational movement starts the hand up its slot- we all know that so...when the hammer is lowered it pulls the hand back down and if there is a bur on the side of the hand or anything tight against the racket AND the bolt fit in the notch is sloppy MAYBE IT IS possible for the hand to slightly pull back the cylinder a little. As I said- I never thought about it before but if the cylinder IS moving the wrong way something has to be pulling on it. What else could it be but the hand? I'm not sure, just wondering on this one.

A burr or roughness on the hand would of course need to be addressed as it would cause undue wear on the rear of the cylinder. It would not however cause the cylinder to rotate backwards if the bolt were properly pushed up to lock the cylinder in place. The only time the bolt is not engaged, with everything working properly, allowing the cylinder to turn, in either direction, is when the cock is resting fully in the halfcock notch.

Toomuch
.............
Shoot Flint

 

[crockett]

Yeah- as I said the bolt fit would have to be sloppy. The leade reduces the notch depth on the incoming(leade) side and if the milling isn't very good or the top of the bolt is rounded, etc. then maybe the thing can rotate the wrong way.
The other thing is to mark the nipples and do the test to see if it rotates the wrong way every time or on a particular chamber. If it is always the same chamber where the cylinder rotates backwards, then examine the tooth for that chamber- might be a bur, etc. and examine the milling on the leade for that chamber. I had a problem on a modern 1873 Peacemaker. On every chamber full of rounds the thing would jam- I couldn't figure it out. Recoil shield need polishing? Bushing on the cylinder pin too thick, heated metal expanding and jamming? This guy told me to mark each chamber and I realized it was always the same chamber and that tooth was beaten up bad. I touched it up with needle files and that solved the problem.
Any how, before jumping in with irreversible changes- think long and hard about the source of the trouble. I'm just thinking of some possibilities. Wait and see if you get more ideas and suggestions.

 

[crockett]

One more thing, if you are pulling the hammer back very slowly it may be engaging the sear BEFORE the bolt is in the notch. Most folks yank back the hammer as far as it will go and manufacturers don't always use close tolerances. By yanking back the hammer all the way the rotation is enough for the bolt to pop in place and the shooter never realizes that the timing is off and the hammer can actually cock before the bolt locks up.