Colt Cylinder Lock Up

[fourdollarbill]

Nothing more than a conversation... A little research has me believing the Colt cylinders lock up far better than most other revolvers. Also I found they're the least robust when it comes to cylinder timing. I have read articles explaining the lock up and timing mechanisms are superior but do not hold up for as long and need more maintenance and tune ups than most other revolvers.

Is Colt the fancy mantle clock you must send out for an expert tune up?

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, like a mantle clock.

Very few gunsmiths are well versed in tuning or repairing Colt DA revolvers anymore.

As for it being a superior lock-up?
It depends on what you consider superior.

Colts lock only on the bolt and back of the cylinder from the thin hand pushing against the cylinder ratchet. The center-pin enters the recoil shield at the rear to align the cylinder with the bore.

S&W locks at the bolt notch with no interferance from the hand, with the front and rear of the cylinder held in alignment by the cylinder pin at the rear and a spring loaded plunger at the front of the ejector rod.

That allows slight movement as opposed to the Colt.
But it also allows slight cylinder self-alignment at the moment of firing as the bullet enters the forcing cone.

You would be hard pressed to prove which method is better.
Both brands have won a lot of gold over the years in bullseye matches.
But I would guess the majority of it was won with S&W K-38 Masterpieces with "loose" lock-up.

rc

 

[Blue Brick]

Good luck trying finding a Ruger out of time….they almost NEVER go out of time.

 

[Old Fuff]

But I would guess the majority of it was won with S&W K-38 Masterpieces with "loose" lock-up.

Actually no, the Colt Officers Model series were more popular, especially among the top winners. Part of the reason was that the Colt's had a tapered bore and .356" groove diameter, combined with a 1 x 16 twist - which grouped 148-grain mid-range wadcutters better at 50 yards. Smith & Wesson's had a larger bore (.358") and a 1 x 18.75" twist.

The Colt "bank door lockup" was (and is) only advantageous if the chamber and bore ended up being concentric - which the company made sure was the case on target revolvers. Given the number of rounds usually fired through target guns I don't think they went out of time too quickly, unless they were abused.

Smith & Wesson didn't get really serious until after World War Two when they introduced the K-22/K-32/K38 Masterpiece series of revolvers, but by the early 1960's bullseye target shooters were changing from revolvers to pistols.

A clear case of too little, too late.

But for the record, at the time the Old Fuff was a competitor who used a S&W K-38 Masterpiece. The gun could easily shoot better groups then its owner could.