tpelle
Member
Here's my new Cimarron Model P that I picked up from Bud's in Lexington KY on Friday:
This is the Cimarron model MP513. It's in .45 Colt and has the 5-1/2" barrel. Also it's the "old model", which means the original style frame (has a screw to retain the base pin instead of a spring-loaded latch) and bullseye ejector rod knob. The one-piece stock fits perfectly and has a nice grain.
Markings are very discrete - "CIMARRON FA Co. - FRDRBRG TEXAS / MANUFACTURED by A. UBERTI, ITALY" in very tiny letters on the top of the barrel just forward of the frame, a two-line set of patent dates on the left side of the frame (correct for the "black powder" frame), ".45 COLT" on the left side of the barrel, the full serial number on the bottom of the frame just ahead of the trigger guard, and the last four digits of the serial number on the side of the cylinder in line with one of the barrel flutes.
I haven't had an opportunity to shoot it yet - range report will follow, probably next week. But if it shoots as good as it looks it should be a keeper.
Yesterday morning I disassembled the action to clean and lube it. I noted that the inside of the frame was very smooth, without a lot of roughness and tooling marks. This bodes well for a very smooth action.
I was surprised to discover that it has a Ruger-style coil hand spring and plunger. That little retaining screw and spring looks like they might be a likely candidate to launch themselves across the room on reassembly. I'm thinking I might be needing to order a spare screw, spring, and plunger. The cylinder bushing slid out easily, but there was a little rusty discoloration on the bushing inside the cylinder. I wiped everything off and lubed everything with Ballistol, and reassembled it.
As an aside, I did buy a screwdriver set from Peacemaker Specialists as well. You get two screwdrivers, and they are ground perfectly to fit the screws on this handgun (all except for that pesky hand spring retaining screw). Keeps me from boogering up the screw heads. Much recommended.
It also has the two-position base pin "safety", which I am not real thrilled over. I find it to be difficult and sort of fussy to get it locked into the fire position, although the safe position is easy. There's no sort of detent or mark or anything to let you know when you have it at the right depth to set it in the fire position, and it seems like the lock screw doesn't want to turn in as far when in the fire position as opposed to the safe position. I'm predicting a Belt Mountain replacement base pin in this revolver's future, as soon as I mic this one to see which diameter to order.
When first taken from the box it has a base pin screw with a flat knob on the end, which makes the removal and replacement of the screw a job that can be accomplished without tools. However Cimarron includes an original-style slotted-head screw in a little plastic bag packed in the box. I immediately replaced mine with the original style, as I don't intend to use the safety.
The action is the traditional 4-click, with the "safety" notch coming first as you begin to draw the hammer back. Of course one should never trust the safety notch - I suspect that's where Chester from Gunsmoke got his limp!
At half-cock it indexes the cylinder so that the chamber lines up with the loading gate perfectly. But in .45, that cylinder wall sure looks thin!
So far so good. Of course the real test comes at the range!
This is the Cimarron model MP513. It's in .45 Colt and has the 5-1/2" barrel. Also it's the "old model", which means the original style frame (has a screw to retain the base pin instead of a spring-loaded latch) and bullseye ejector rod knob. The one-piece stock fits perfectly and has a nice grain.
Markings are very discrete - "CIMARRON FA Co. - FRDRBRG TEXAS / MANUFACTURED by A. UBERTI, ITALY" in very tiny letters on the top of the barrel just forward of the frame, a two-line set of patent dates on the left side of the frame (correct for the "black powder" frame), ".45 COLT" on the left side of the barrel, the full serial number on the bottom of the frame just ahead of the trigger guard, and the last four digits of the serial number on the side of the cylinder in line with one of the barrel flutes.
I haven't had an opportunity to shoot it yet - range report will follow, probably next week. But if it shoots as good as it looks it should be a keeper.
Yesterday morning I disassembled the action to clean and lube it. I noted that the inside of the frame was very smooth, without a lot of roughness and tooling marks. This bodes well for a very smooth action.
I was surprised to discover that it has a Ruger-style coil hand spring and plunger. That little retaining screw and spring looks like they might be a likely candidate to launch themselves across the room on reassembly. I'm thinking I might be needing to order a spare screw, spring, and plunger. The cylinder bushing slid out easily, but there was a little rusty discoloration on the bushing inside the cylinder. I wiped everything off and lubed everything with Ballistol, and reassembled it.
As an aside, I did buy a screwdriver set from Peacemaker Specialists as well. You get two screwdrivers, and they are ground perfectly to fit the screws on this handgun (all except for that pesky hand spring retaining screw). Keeps me from boogering up the screw heads. Much recommended.
It also has the two-position base pin "safety", which I am not real thrilled over. I find it to be difficult and sort of fussy to get it locked into the fire position, although the safe position is easy. There's no sort of detent or mark or anything to let you know when you have it at the right depth to set it in the fire position, and it seems like the lock screw doesn't want to turn in as far when in the fire position as opposed to the safe position. I'm predicting a Belt Mountain replacement base pin in this revolver's future, as soon as I mic this one to see which diameter to order.
When first taken from the box it has a base pin screw with a flat knob on the end, which makes the removal and replacement of the screw a job that can be accomplished without tools. However Cimarron includes an original-style slotted-head screw in a little plastic bag packed in the box. I immediately replaced mine with the original style, as I don't intend to use the safety.
The action is the traditional 4-click, with the "safety" notch coming first as you begin to draw the hammer back. Of course one should never trust the safety notch - I suspect that's where Chester from Gunsmoke got his limp!
At half-cock it indexes the cylinder so that the chamber lines up with the loading gate perfectly. But in .45, that cylinder wall sure looks thin!
So far so good. Of course the real test comes at the range!
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