How much play between a revolver's barrel and cylinder is acceptable?

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

The Pietta Colt 1860 Army I have can be wiggled around just a bit to be noticeable to the point where I am wondering if it is indeed 'normal' or if I need to find a way to tighten it down. The cylinder is fine and is locked when the hammer is cocked or rested, but the barrel has a little bit of wiggle room. Is this normal?

 

[mykeal]

It depends on just what's 'wiggling' around.

If the barrel assembly is indeed the loose part, then that's not normal nor is it a good thing. The barrel assembly needs to fit tight in two places: on the cylinder base pin (also called arbor or cylinder pin), held by the wedge through the slot in the barrel and the base pin, and on the two locating pins at the front of the frame below the barrel assembly. If there is a gap between the barrel assembly and the frame at those pins, and you can move the barrel assembly at that location, you have a problem that needs to be fixed.

On the other hand, if the looseness you are describing is cylinder end play, that is fore and aft movement of the cylinder (NOT the barrel assembly) on the pin then whether there is a problem depends on how much movement there is; a small amount is considered normal and acceptable.

 

[scrat]

At half cock the cylinder should wiggle just a hair. but not the Barrel. Question how far is the wedge into the groove. if its not that far in you need to hit it in some more to get a tighter fit. if its all the way in i would get a new wedge. sounds like the problem to me.

 

[StrawHat]

Here's a test to see if it is the barrel.

Remove the cylinder, reassemble the revolver without the cylinder.

If the barrel is loose, you will notice it now.

Another cause of the barrel being loose, beside the wedge not being tight, is the cylinder arbor may be loose in the frame.

I just repaired a Pietta with this problem.

Good luck.

 

[Redd Flynt]

"How much play between a revolver's barrel and cylinder is acceptable?"


Assuming you do the other checks as suggested and all is well, get out your feeler gauges. On the Colt type guns I look for something around .008 inch. Some folks with expensive modern sixguns might think that much gap is too much. At .002 it's too tight and at more than .012 it's a bit much.

Too little gap and the cylinder can stick on the fouling and too much gap causes excess blowby. Pick your poison. A Swiss Watch action we ain't lookin at here.

Enjoy