cylinder pin ?

[Don]

Hey All,

A question for those cap n ball owners out there. I just got a steel framed 1851 colt repro and have a small concern. The cylinder post has a very slight side to side wiggle in it. I can't feel any up or down motion and I can't twist the post at all. If this was a brass frame I'd be a lot concerned. This being a steel framed gun how concerned should I be or is a slight wiggle normal?

Thanks

Don

 

[Rebel]

Don, is it an Armi San Marco made revolver? If so, and you can, i would send it back. I had 4 of them and had to send everyone back for some kind of problem. One was a loose cylinder pin like you describe. Another one the round balls, even though they shaved a ring of lead off when seating, would fall out of the chambers in the holster while walking around. They are a very poor quality gun. I have heard that they finally went out of business. Hope so, as their guns were junk. Take care.

 

[LRB]

With an off the shelf c+b revolver you probably will not have optimum accuracy anyway, but that would bother me a tad bit. You may want to try to make a replacement or bush the cylinder, if you have a way to do so yourself. To pay a machinist may not warrant the end result as accuracy may not be improved enough to notice. Unless you are a serious shooter, you may be better off to just enjoy it as is, or swap it off and try again. Now, if you are describing a wiggle when the cylinder and barrel is removed from the pin, this is not uncommon with repro's, and should do no real harm as things tighten and self align wnen everything is together and the wedge is set. With care the pin can be anchored in place with soft solder if it becomes too loose. It may be well to go ahead and do this, but the major problem with c+b repro's is that the chambers are most often undersize and need to be opened up to get good accuracy.

 

[Don]

Wick,

The pin wiggles when barrel and cylinder are off. You say this is common? My concern is that it will become very loose over time. Yes Rebel it is an ASM. Funny thing is I have the same gun in a brass frame and its very tight and shoots great. I think what I'll do is call the place I got it and discuss the issue. They have been good in the past about returns. Another thing I like about my brass frame ASM is that it didn't shoot high and after a little filing it shoots point of aim very well almost as well as my Remington. Thanks for the feedback.

Don