Grant Cunningham

[Jim Watson]

He should'a stuck to working on guns instead of writing computer programs.

I was on Jerry Moran's Python waiting list for several years... until I learned he had changed over to working on Contenders and then dropped out of sight entirely. I sold the gun I had been holding for him to work on.

I have a Jungkind Python and it is good but not great. Fires all primers as my Tedford/Colt Custom Shop gun will not, though.

 

[Old Fuff]

I have a Jungkind Python and it is good but not great. Fires all primers as my Tedford/Colt Custom Shop gun will not, though.

The most likely cause is the mainspring - especially if it will fire when the hammer is cocked and released in the single-action mode. They often reform (bend) the mainspring to keep it from stacking, and if the temper is a bit soft and the modified spring takes a set you will get misfires.

A new mainspring is an easy and inexpensive solution.

 

[Jim Watson]

I am acquainted with the technique of "raftering" Colt V springs to reduce the load.

The BIG job in reducing or eliminating stacking was to curve the DA lifting surface on the top of the trigger and retime the action. This results in a slightly shorter hammer fall which when combined with the kinked spring gives misfires with anything but Federal primers.
When the Federal primers quit popping, it turned out to be that the firing pin spring was squashed and the floating firing pin was not held out enough to be hit fully by the hammer. Half the spring off the primer arm from a RCBS loading press was about the right diameter and tension for a replacement.
A friend's Colt lost enough mainspring tension to have to be replaced.

30 years ago, a well tuned Colt was the class act in DA revolvers. I think S&W mechanics have caught up and for a lot less money in gun and gunsmithing.

 

[orionengnr]

Very good thread. I had an M25 that had been worked over by Hamilton Bowen. It was too pretty to carry, so I sold it. The new owner does not share my compunction, and God bless him.

I have never seen a 6 lb double-action revolver trigger, but I'd sure like to try one. If the price tag were $250, I might just pay that. But which revolver would I send in?

Please continue to provide updates--once it becomes clear what the waiting period is going forward, I may have to get on the list. Let's see, not taking any more work for a year, then a "realistic" (?) waiting period of a year or two.

Yeah, I could probably make up my mind by then.
If anyone cares to pm me with names of anyone else who can do that kind of work on an S&W, I'd be grateful.

Subscribing.

 

[Jim Watson]

You want a fun gun or a fighting gun? If the former, see Apex Tactical:

LEVEL IV - Hi Performance Competition/Race Grade $275 (Models 627,625,686,520, and 620), Trigger pull is set between 4.5-5.0 lbs DA when used with Federal primers seated to depth of .010" below flush.

 

[Smokin Gator]

A couple of years ago I contacted Mr. Cunningham about doing action work on my new S&W 686SSR. I wanted to get it set up for ICORE competition. After talking to him he recommended Apex Tactical for a competition gun. Plus the amount of wait time that it would be to get the work done by him would be quite a while. I had the 686 work completed by Apex and it has been great, without fail. I was considering having a second revolver done by another popular competition gunsmith, but he is not set up to do any milling just very good action work. Apex has my 586 at this time. They can take a while but do great work. I thought it was great for Grant to recommend someone else for my purposes. Mark

 

[Wild Deuce]

It seems that Mr. Cunningham is back on track. I just got an email update. He plans on sending out quarterly updates to his waiting list. He sorted through and eliminated the computer issue that caused the problem and is moving forward with a simplified system. He said about 1/3 of his waiting list lost interest and moved on. According to his email update, I am in the top tier (waiting since 2007) of neglected customers still willing to wait so, hopefully I will hear from him soon.