[Kaylee]

okay, I replaced the bolt -- finally the action cycles right!

well....rmm.. except for one problem. The bolt doesn't retract far enough into the frame to allow the cylinder to turn. I'm presuming that stoning down the top surface isn't the right answer.. so what do I do? Clip the spring underneath, so it won't protrude up so far? Or fit something on the other end of the rocker?

I have Kuhnhausen's book here, but I'm afraid I can't quite figure it out yet... any ideas?

Thanks!

-K

[dfariswheel]

Sorry, but because of the nature of the Colt action, trying to diagnose something like this is near impossible without seeing the gun.

I assume you started off with a new part, not a used one? If you have a used part, it may not be possible to fit it to your gun.

My best advice is to take a longer look at the Kuhnhausen book. Take the fitting of the bolt and rebound one step at a time. It's easy to get lost in all the inter-related functions of these two parts.

Start off with the fit of the bolt to the cylinder and it's lock notches.
Check the profile of the bolt head to insure it matches the profile of the ramps on the cylinder surface. It should be a close match to the profile, and lightly chamfered per the book.

Check the bolt head height to insure that it's not so high that the cylinder lock lugs aren't actually pushing the bolt down slightly when the bolt is in the lock notch. This would mean the bolt head is too high.

Next, check the fit of the bolt's "tail" to the rebound lever, and it's tiny triangular operating surface.
Check the "tail" of the bolt to insure it's not dropping off the rebound lever too soon, and to insure it's impossible for the hammer to move AT ALL, without the bolt starting to drop. In other words, the INSTANT the hammer starts to move back, the bolt MUST start to drop.

Best advice: DO NOT start cutting the rebound, and bend it ONLY if you're 100% CERTAIN that's what needs to be done.
In any event, don't alter anything else in the gun unless you're absolutely certain about it. With the old Colt's, it's easy to alter something that doesn't need altering, and this makes it MUCH harder to get it all straightened out.

If worse comes to worse, don't be afraid to send it in to Colt for a fit.

[Jim K]

I agree with dfariswheel that the most common cause of this is the bolt slipping off the rebound lever prematurely. If this is not the cause, and it appears that the rebound lever is not moving the bolt enough, it may be possible to peen either the bolt tail or the rebound lever. I have done the latter using a center punch on the surface just under the cam (never on the top of the cam) to move the cam up. It only takes a tiny bit.

I used to know the name of the guy who invented that action, but I cussed him so much that I guess the good Lord took the name out of my memory.

Jim

[Clark]

What helps me, when my pea brain gets stuck, is to have another gun just like it that works. I keep looking back and forthe until I see what doesn't work.
If that doesn't work, then I start swapping parts.

[Standing Wolf]

If it needs professional gunsmithing, I'd send a Police Positive to http://www.cylinder-slide.com before Colt: they do good work, and they're consistent.