Colt Dragoon Light Hammer Strike?

[wiscoaster]

I got my new Dragoon all cleaned up and polished, inside and out, to my satisfaction, and decided not to wait for my Slixshot nipples to come for its first live fire. Shot two cylinders, testing function, group and sight picture (three shots at 25 yds pic at end of post).

My question is: I had two instances of caps that failed to ignite. Two in sequence in adjacent chambers. They both finally ignited on the third hammer strike. But before that I looked at them closely, to make sure they were seated well (yes) and whether they'd been struck (yes). But the first strike just made a dent on the right side of the cap face, not even covering half of the face. Probably the most intelligent resolution is to just wait for the Slixshots and see how she shoots with those. But, supposing I wanted to remedy that anyway, would it be appropriate to presume the hammer face isn't quite square to the cylinder and to fix that by filing it flat?

 

[pacanis]

You could always put a thin layer of lipstick on either the nipple or the hammer face and see how they interface with each other.

 

[LST-1185]

With Uberti revolvers the first thing I do before shooting is replace the nipples with aftermarket ones, correct the short arbor and if required install a wedge shim. After test firing if this problem continues I would check the cylinder timing. If you believe the problem is a light hammer strike you can remove the main spring mount it in an vice about a 1/4" above the screw hole and very slowly slightly bend the spring backwards. This will increase the tension on the hammer. Hope this helps you and have fun with the dragoon.

 

[wiscoaster]

You could always put a thin layer of lipstick on either the nipple or the hammer face and see how they interface with each other.

Huh?!?! You think I'm joking? Sorry, not funny and certainly not helpful.

 

[wiscoaster]

....I would check the cylinder timing. ....

Timing is good.

..... If you believe the problem is a light hammer strike you can remove the main spring mount it in an vice about a 1/4" above the screw hole and very slowly slightly bend the spring backwards. This will increase the tension on the hammer....

Thanks!!! I was wondering if I could do that. Now that's an actually helpful answer.

 

[user 922]

Huh?!?! You think I'm joking? Sorry, not funny and certainly not helpful.

I don't think he was joking. Putting something on the face of the cap and/or the face of the hammer will leave a mark (or remove a mark) when you fire the gun. This will tell you how the hammer is striking so, if you decide to file, you don't make things worse. That's how I interpret his comment, anyway.

 

[grimmpaul1]

Huh?!?! You think I'm joking? Sorry, not funny and certainly not helpful.

What's the joke ? I have used many different things to mark a pattern to see if it's aligned well. It is very useful to see a misalignment.

 

[hawkeye2]

Huh?!?! You think I'm joking? Sorry, not funny and certainly not helpful.

He was quite serious and trying to be helpful. No joke intended and a helpful suggestion. A stick of cheap lipstick is a very useful addition to your tool box. Suggestion: get the same color your girlfriend uses; it'll save you a lot of trouble.

I would not advise filing on the hammer and I have never seen an issue with the hammer face not being square but even at my age I haven't seen everything yet, still working on it.

 

[pacanis]

I don't think he was joking. Putting something on the face of the cap and/or the face of the hammer will leave a mark (or remove a mark) when you fire the gun. This will tell you how the hammer is striking so, if you decide to file, you don't make things worse. That's how I interpret his comment, anyway.

What's the joke ? I have used many different things to mark a pattern to see if it's aligned well. It is very useful to see a misalignment.

He was quite serious and trying to be helpful. No joke intended and a helpful suggestion. A stick of cheap lipstick is a very useful addition to your tool box. Suggestion: get the same color your girlfriend uses; it'll save you a lot of trouble.

I would not advise filing on the hammer and I have never seen an issue with the hammer face not being square but even at my age I haven't seen everything yet, still working on it.

Thank you gentlemen.
You try to be helpful and this is what you get
Not even a, "What do you mean? How is it used?"

I just pulled my lipstick out the other day to see where a barrel was hitting the wood on the used TC I picked up.
Handy stuff to have on the bench for sure.

 

[wiscoaster]

I don't think he was joking. Putting something on the face of the cap and/or the face of the hammer will leave a mark (or remove a mark) when you fire the gun. This will tell you how the hammer is striking so, if you decide to file, you don't make things worse. That's how I interpret his comment, anyway.

OK, I understand now. Sorry I misinterpreted. Not the substance I'd ever think of for marking, but I suppose it makes sense. There is no lipstick anywhere around here so it never occured to me it might have other uses. Apologies extended. A more detailed explanation might have better enlightened an obvious newbie and avoided the misunderstanding.

 

[Tyler L]

If you don't have lipstick, Sharpie marker or marking dye (Dykem) will work. Hi-spot blue (Prussian blue) would work too but it's messy.

Fun fact: a single layer of Sharpie ink is about 0.00014" thick.

 

[borne2fly]

It might be worth pulling the cylinder and checking the overall distance from each nipple to the front of the cylinder with a micrometer. Especially if the same one or two cylinders keep misfiring. With modern CNC machining I would expect them all to measure the same, but I’ve seen a few exceptions.

 

[45D]

Too much endshake (cylinder "out of range" for hammer face to contact nipple)? I set .003" as a max.
Check it with hammer down on a nipple, rock cylinder back and forth. With thumb pushing forward on hammer and pushing cyl to the rear with the other hand you should be able to detect hammer/nipple contact. If no contact, you can sand the front curve of the hammer that rests in the hammer slot. That will extend the nose of hammer.

Mike

 

[wiscoaster]

Too much endshake (cylinder "out of range" for hammer face to contact nipple)? ...

There's absolutely none (with single washer in the arbor hole). Barrel and cylinder both rock solid.

...Check it with hammer down on a nipple, rock cylinder back and forth.

Again, absolutely no movement of cylinder, either hammer down (and pushing), or at full cock. At half cock, I can get a little "click" out of the cylinder with fore and aft pressure, but movement too small to measure.

 

[borne2fly]

Again, absolutely no movement of cylinder, either hammer down (and pushing), or at full cock. At half cock, I can get a little "click" out of the cylinder with fore and aft pressure, but movement too small to measure.

I have a dragoon that has similar characteristics. But it had one cylinder that often misfired. Turns out the nipple pocket in that cylinder had been milled a few thousandths too deep and the hammer wasn’t striking that nipple properly. After adding a precision spacer under that nipple, all six cylinders behaved properly.

 

[wiscoaster]

I have a dragoon that has similar characteristics. But it had one cylinder that often misfired. Turns out the nipple pocket in that cylinder had been milled a few thousandths too deep and the hammer wasn’t striking that nipple properly. After adding a precision spacer under that nipple, all six cylinders behaved properly.

Thanks. That confirms it - I'll just wait until I have my Slixshots installed before I shoot it again.

 

[45D]

Thanks. That confirms it - I'll just wait until I have my Slixshots installed before I shoot it again.

Well, I know they sell or use to sell 2 different lengths for ROA's. If the new ones are the same cone length as your factory's, your best (easiest) fix will be to dress the curve. If "reset" is so close that it sometimes "hangs up, this "fix" will give you a little earlier reset ( without any other adjustments! Which is a good thing.)

Mike

 

[wiscoaster]

Well, I know they sell or use to sell 2 different lengths for ROA's.

Mike

Yes, their New Army and Dragoon nipples are not the same. A guy on YouTube measured the Slixshot vs the Uberti nipples and the Slixshots were longer, if I recall, but I think he did that for only one pistol, and don't remember which. Slixsprings' nipples for the Dragoon, New Army and Police are all different and must be ordered separately.

 

[Sam squanch]

Is the hammer rubbing on one side of the frame? I had one that did that. It would slow the hammer down when enough residue built up.

 

[wiscoaster]

Is the hammer rubbing on one side of the frame? I had one that did that. It would slow the hammer down when enough residue built up.

It was, and I took care of it.