Spiller & Burr ready to be a trotline weight!

Guys,

I've had this S&B that my father built from a kit back in '75. He did a good job, but the hand was cut way too short and would not even rotate the cylinder. I got a new hand and spring. Of course its long, as it should be being a replacement part. But, I am a Colt man at heart, and although parts are parts, this S&B is like a mixture of Colt and Remington and the hand is giving me fits! I know how to do Colts in my sleep, but Remington, and it's clones, are just strange to me and I'm thinking that I'll likely cut this too short like my oldman did back years ago. :banghead:

Ok, first off I can't post pictures as I have no idea how to do that stuff. I'm not a computer whiz. So at this point the hand (unalterted) protrudes from the recoil shield a bit, and when fully assembled, it is locked up tighter than a drum. It will not advance the cylinder at all and the action is tied up tight. Now never seeing a S&B that was in "working order", I have no idea where to begin to take the metal off the hand to fit this piece. From the top? The front where it contacts the cylinder? I have no clue.......

Hope that some folks can throw me a bone here as I an not a Remington (Spiller and Burr) guy, but would like it to be functional and shoot it some.
If this cannot be corrected, then I think I'll just use it for a trotline weight!

Wade

Yeah, my dad built this thing when he was in Ga. and got the kit from DGW back then. There was no paperwork with it and he just assembled it in his little shop. My oldman was really a rifleman at heart and this was jus a little fun project to keep him busy. When he died in '82 I ended up with it and that weapon sat in my case until a month ago when I figured I'd bring it back to life.

Funny thing is that I do Colts real well, but the Remington style, and those that share that kinda of parts, just drive me crazy! The hand on this weapon is shaped so different from a Colt and I guess I just have a mindblock or something!! I'm not used to the different ratchet system and such and I'm worried that I'll do just like the oldman did and take too much off!

Well, I'll just go REAL SLOW and see what happens.....if not, there's a lake nearby!!

Wade

Well I know about the going slow part. Was in the business for 30 years. Just never had a weapon like this with a different ratcheting system. I'm used to the exposed style on a Colt. The recessed part on the Remingtion style cylinder is what was throwing me. The angle that the hand must enter the recoil shield is similar but how it engages with the rear of the cylinder in order to advance the cylinder was the question. A Colt is quite different than this. I was trying to find out if it was a matter of height or depth that controls this method with this hand. The hand spring will force the hand forward, but I was wanting to know just how the height difference would come into play here really. Trimming from the top v.s. the front. I'm quite sure that if too much comes off the front then the hand, no matter how tall it is, will not engage the cylinder notches in the rear and the cylinder will not rotate at all. Then I'd be back to square one again. I was just hoping that someone had some input on WHERE to trim. Top or front. Test Drive has the most info as to going from the top. I'll try that first and see where it leads. If I blow it, there's always the lake! But I'll tackle this later, as I'm busy with my Christmas/Birthday gift from me to me. A near mint 1981 production Browning B92 in .44Mag...Now that is SWEET!!!

Thanks guys, Wade

Joe, as to getting only one replacement hand, well, I made a tracing of it and measured as well to build a replacement if I trashed the one I bought. I may have been accused of being crazy, but never stupid! I've put this pest on the back burner for now. That Browning is too much fun. There was a 30 min. break in the rain yesterday and with just a fine mist falling......you guessed it, off to the range I went!

Weather is supposed to clear soon and the weekend is looking like 62 degrees and sun and some clouds....Shooting time!!

Wade

Won't hurt my feelings at all. However, there are a few S&B fans that might get their feathers ruffled a might But I suppose that's why there are so many different weapons out there. Everyone has a favorite. That's what makes this so much fun for us all. Really, if one thinks about it, if there was just one rifle. One Pistol. And one shotgun, life would be pretty boring! So if I can make this puppy act right, great. If not......I got my Colts!

H H,

It is the hand. The bolt functions perfect. The hand is advancing the cylinder far beyond proper index and will not come into battery as it should under the nipple. My father had cut the original hand far too short and that was what caused him to put the thing up years ago. And as I said, I just wanted to get it up and running just for grins. I was in the business for over 30 years, and my graduation project from my three year apprentiship was to build a .44Spl SSA from a box of mixed parts and a block of wood. The old master gunsmith I was working for gave me two days. I got busy! I blued. Timed. Cut stock & finish. Cut, set and threaded barrel from raw stock. Drilled, tapped and set ejector housing. The whole nine yards. I finished it under the time limit and he test fired it and if it didn't print under 3" I failed......after he shot it, he turned to me and simply said "You passed. Oh, and this is your gun now." then he walked away from the line and we drove back to the shop. So I am not a parts changer, but had a fully functional shop and held class 1 and 6 license and was certified police armorer for decades as well. I say this as so many are telling me stuff that, no offense intended here, kinda gets me a little frustrated, as I am no rookie. That said, I am not a Remington fan, and the hand as it engages the pawls on the cylinder ARE different from the raised system on a Colt. I know Colts, the reason I asked about this model in the first place is that I am not familiar with it to the point that I felt comfortable. There are guns out there that some gunsmiths can fix in a heartbeat. Other guns will throw them for a loop as they are unfamiliar with them and never seen one or worked on one before. This one is my "loop" I guess. Sorry that I got all long winded and all, but I'm now an oldman and can be a might grouchy at times It's not going to make me or break me if I don't fix this thing anyway. So I will just take my time and see if I can get this beast to index properly and if not....Well it won't go int the lake. ( the drought we've had has turned them into mud puddles anyway! ) I'll stick it up on the wall and say, "My oldman built that and it kicked my hindquarters."

Wade

H H,

You're not going to believe this!! Well I was half right....it was hand related, but not to the hand itself! I went and dug that thing out and studied it like I had not seen it before. I went back to the old school method. As I was pondering how much to remove off the top, it dawned on me. Looking carefully at the rear of the cylinder, I studied the Recessed Pawls of the Cylinder. That damned rear of the cylinder was milled 30 degrees out of alignment!!! That's why the thing threw my oldman and it threw me too!!!!

So it is not going to be repaired but go up on the wall as I know what it is, but I'm not going to shell out the cash for a new cylinder. Not having anything to compare it to, I just had to think this stupid thing out and now I do know what the problem was! It was right in front of me, but being unfamiliar with the Remington style stuff, I had no guidelines......I just want to go to bed now and forget this mess.;......

Guys, I'm sorry I don't know how to do pictures on this thing or someone might have caught this earlier if they'd seen what I was up against......

Good night all.....

Wade