Colt SAA cyclinder scratches...normal or needs adjustment?

[Leaky Waders]

Hi,

I just took my new 45 colt SAA out shooting last weekend - we put about 100 rounds through it - mild CAS spec reloads. It shot great.

When I cleaned my little pony thoroughly tonight (I sprayed her down and wiped her off after shooting) I noticed a fine line maybe 1/8 inch long above every notch in the cyclinder.

In other words it would be like -HD.

Where H would be the rectangular groove in the cylinder and D would be the recessed portion of the cylinder and - would be the line.

It is on every chamber and too light to even photograph - the gun is antiqued nickel.

Quite frankly I don't mind the scratches, I just want to make sure they are normal wear or should I get it smithed? There seems to be plenty of frame clearance when cycling the action and placing it on half cock and revolving the cylinder.

Thanks,

L.W.

 

[Old Fuff]

If I understand what you are saying, the mark or scratches are normal, and unavoidable. The ball on the cylinder bolt (the little nub that sticks up into the frame's cylinder window and engages the notches in the cylinder to lock the chambers in line with the barrel), must pop up a little early to insure the ball is in place to move upward into the notch ("H" in your description) and is under spring tension. So over time it will leave the mark you are concerned about. The cylinder notch leed ("D" in your description) is designed to reduce the scratch effect.

 

[rcmodel]

Proper handling of a traditional SAA will prevent much of the cylinder ring from developing.

Remember to NEVER let the hammer down from half cock.

Any time the hammer comes back to half cock to load it, finish cocking it and then let it down.

If you lower the hammer from half cock, the bolt cam on the hammer has to force itself past the bolt spring arm, and that pushes the bolt up tight against the cylinder no matter where it is in rotation.

Rest assured it will never be in the right place though, unless you fully cock it and then let it down on the empty chamber.

Remember load one, skip one, load four.
Then fully cock it, and let the hammer down.
It will be on the empty chamber.

And it won't sctatch the cylinder.

rc

 

[Old Fuff]

I fully agree with all of rcmodel's observations and advise, but in the present case it would appear that the "scratches" are only 1/8" long, and located in the leed up to the notch. If that's the case the methods described in the above post will prevent the cylinder from being scored between the notches, but not in the leed itself.

All of this presumes that the bolt is correctly timed, and the top of the cylinder bolt's ball is highly polished.

 

[rmfnla]

"...the top of the cylinder bolt's ball is highly polished. "


Great way to reduce scratching!

 

[Jim K]

From Leaky's description, it sounds like the line is on the opposite side of the notch from the lead, and that is not good at all. A properly timed SA will drop the bolt into the lead (leed or leede), but some will hit just ahead of it. But behind the notch indicates that the bolt is leaving the notch but then dragging, not a normal situation.

In the OP's terms -CH is not perfect, but OK. -HD is not.

Jim

 

[Leaky Waders]

Thanks for the feedback - yeah I always pull the hammer all the way back before letting it return...I didn't know why (until now - thanks RC) - just hickok45 said to do it in one of his videos so I do.

I also load one and skip one and load 4...because that's how John Wayne did it.

OK, so when I hold the gun in front of a lamp...and I work the action I see.

click 1 - bolt moves slightly and trigger moves slightly - the bolt is still in the cylinder groove,

click 2 - bolt moves all the way down and trigger moves slightly, cylinder can spin - no side to side play in the cylinder, cyclinder can move forward and backward just slightly enough to feel...but can't be seen to move. Like I don't think I have a feeler gauge small enough to even measure the play.

click 3 - the cylinder turns, trigger moves and the bolt drops in the D area right before the main cylinder groove.

click 4 - the cylinder turns a little, trigger moves and the bolt moves and locks into the groove of the cylinder.

I don't see anything dragging where the very light marks are...maybe they are just handling marks from replacing the cylinder? It's weird that they are so symmetrical though.

I looked at some youtube videos of some well cared for colts and they had some significant cylinder rings on them.

I'm not a gunsmith and may not be using the correct terms...

I would take a picture but it doesn't show up...the line is so faint and the gun so glossy.

 

[Old Fuff]

It sounds to me like your Colt is perfectly timed. The bolt is released in the leed (you call it "D"), and rubs for about 1/8" before it comes up into the notch (you call it "H"). The bolt should release a bit early to insure it won't skip the notch if the revolver is cocked quickly - which is Jim's concern. As I said before, a short mark in the leed is normal and unavoidable if you use the gun.

If you see this as something else a gunsmith that's knowledgeable when it comes to Single Actions should check it over.