Colt 2nd generation questions

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Tomahawk674

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Hello guys, I was thinking about getting a 2nd generation 1861 navy while I try to get my Uberti back to shape.

I've done enough reading to understand what 2nd gens are, but I had questions from the perspective of people who shoot them regularly. How have they held up for you? can you comment on parts breakage frequency like handsprings, mainsprings, etc?

Can anyone comment on how well timed they came out of the box?
 
I have a 2nd Gen 1861 Navy that I picked up this year. It shoots good, timing is right on. I did have to wrap a little washer in tinfoil to compensate for the short arbor. I also have 6 or7 other 2nd Gens that are pretty much the same except for the ones that I sent to Mike for Goonerization. Those are exceptional in every way.
 
Tomahawk674 said:
Can anyone comment on how well timed they came out of the box?
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To answer this specific question, I found the timing out of the box to be okay. The timing of the unfired 2nd generation Dragoon I bought was just right.

But based on my unfortunate experiences with both 2nd and 3rd generation Colt percussion revolvers, I'd expect a high probability of issues out the box with any of them, especially the 2nd-generation ones. My 2nd-generation Dragoon had an uncorrectable problem much greater than any timing issue would have been. The barrel had manufacturing flaws from one end to the other, inside and out -- an irregular depression in the face of the muzzle, a forcing cone cut both sloppily and too short, and jagged cutting errors in the rifling.

For far less money, any Italian Colt Navy replica would be a better gun than a 2nd-generation Colt, in my opinion. I'd go with Pietta.
 
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Tomahawk674 said:
Hello guys, I was thinking about getting a 2nd generation 1861 navy while I try to get my Uberti back to shape.

I've done enough reading to understand what 2nd gens are, but I had questions from the perspective of people who shoot them regularly. How have they held up for you? can you comment on parts breakage frequency like handsprings, mainsprings, etc?

Can anyone comment on how well timed they came out of the box?
Click to expand...

I’ve owned at least ten of them over the years. I’m the luckiest person I know because the examples I’ve owned were very good compared to similar vintage Ubertis and much better than Piettas of that era.

Two of them I never fired because they’re actual collectors items (cased sets) and one I bought had been “worked on” by some shade tree gunsmith and had a cylinder gap over .020” which wasn’t obvious in the photos on Gunbroker. Charlie Hahn looked it over, suggested a repair which would have worked but the gun wasn’t worth as much as the repair and my purchase price. I put it in a display box and sold it at a local antique store as a non shooting but genuine Colts revolver. The Outlaw Kid replaced the mainspring in a Second Generation Navy for me, it was way too strong. I don’t know if it was a stock spring but he polished everything while he had it apart and my wife shoots it a lot.

The others are keepers and I shoot them regularly. Especially a couple of 5.5” 1 of 500 Butterfield commemoratives. They’re among my favorite revolvers and they’re bone stock.
 
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