Hi folks,
I picked up a brass frame, Italian made baby dragoon at a local pawn shop the other day. Didn't have to drop too much money since the action was seized up.
In taking it apart, it was dirty as all get out, bur not rusty. The culprit to the seized action was a broken hammer screw it seems. It had broken off right where it connected with the right side of the frame, where the actual threading started.
After finally getting the threaded part of the broken screw out it turns out that it's an 8/36 screw. I suspect the reason that it broke is because the hole on the hammer it passes through is appreciably bigger than a size 8 screw's diameter.
The gun is one of those cryptic FIE imports. No maker's mark other than a stylized PR on the frame of the butt of the grips, where it also says Italy.
From what I understand, FIE guns were never seen as anywhere near top shelf reproductions. The giun is somewhere on the neighborhood of 50 years old.
So I guess my question is, if this unknown Italian company is making inexpensive repros, why would they bother to uses American threading for their screws?
Oh, and also.being new to the Colt world, the hammer screw should rest more snuggly passing through the hamme6e itself, correct?
Thanks for your time. If I've been unvlyear or left anything important our, please let me know so I can paint as good a picture as possible.
Cheers,
Ken
I picked up a brass frame, Italian made baby dragoon at a local pawn shop the other day. Didn't have to drop too much money since the action was seized up.
In taking it apart, it was dirty as all get out, bur not rusty. The culprit to the seized action was a broken hammer screw it seems. It had broken off right where it connected with the right side of the frame, where the actual threading started.
After finally getting the threaded part of the broken screw out it turns out that it's an 8/36 screw. I suspect the reason that it broke is because the hole on the hammer it passes through is appreciably bigger than a size 8 screw's diameter.
The gun is one of those cryptic FIE imports. No maker's mark other than a stylized PR on the frame of the butt of the grips, where it also says Italy.
From what I understand, FIE guns were never seen as anywhere near top shelf reproductions. The giun is somewhere on the neighborhood of 50 years old.
So I guess my question is, if this unknown Italian company is making inexpensive repros, why would they bother to uses American threading for their screws?
Oh, and also.being new to the Colt world, the hammer screw should rest more snuggly passing through the hamme6e itself, correct?
Thanks for your time. If I've been unvlyear or left anything important our, please let me know so I can paint as good a picture as possible.
Cheers,
Ken