1851 brasser cylinder lock-up problem

[noelf2]

Help me remember the best fix for when a cylinder locks up, and won't cycle, when caps are on the nipples. The cylinder cycles fine without caps on it, so the caps are impeding a full reset and bolt drop unless I let the hammer pop the caps. I used a dowel to hard seat the caps, but didn't help. File down the hammer face? Shorten the nipples and use shorter caps? Shorten the bolt leg?

 

[45 Dragoon]

The bolt doesn't have enough room for reset when the caps are in place. The easiest fix is to remove material from the hammer face. This will rotate the cam a little further and allow the bolt arm to reset. I usually set the reset to occur when the hammer face is even with the recoil shield or just after it breaks the plane.

You may also need to remove material from the forward curve of the hammer (after cleaning up the frame/arbor area in the hammer slot) to regain nipple/hammer contact which will pretty much guarantee ignition.

The more "professional" way would be to clearance the "reset cut" in the bolt arm. A check of the cam would be in order as well. Since yours functions "normally" uncapped, it's very minor "adjustments" that are needed and either method would be correct on this revolver.

Mike

 

[noelf2]

Thanks Mike!