Need help identifying this old "brasser", it's a Griswold and Gunnison in .44. Think it started as a kit or some parts thrown together, the bolt was not shaped a all, the iron finish shows machining marks, the grips are proud of the frame.
So far I have removed the cylinder impression from the recoil shield, closed the cylinder/barrel gap,fit the bolt, added a bolt block to take up for the oversize window in the water table and pivot slop,and shimmed the for short arbor.
Still have to add a cap guard (there were a couple squashed caps in the works) and fit the hammer/nipples due to the change in the recoil shield.
I can understand how that can happen to a brass frame with heavy/somewhat heavy loads, but I am a bit uneducated as to how you accomplished this. If this is what is referred to as a "stretched frame", I would term it as a recessed recoil shield/cylinder contact (just my vernacular).
Smokin' Joe over on the firing line (not sure if he's over here) made a shim that fit onto the back of the frame so the recoil of the cylinder would hit the steel shim and prevent frame stretching.
I am assuming that the steel shim fits over the diameter of the arbor/cylinder pin and is seated against the base of the recoil shield at the arbor base/attachment area.
If so, at what point in the life of the pistol is this accomplished: when it is new (reducing the barrel/cylinder clearance); when it exhibits signs of "stretching" after firing a number of rounds (when barrel/cylinder clearance exceeds the norm); or when the barrel/cylinder clearances are at a maximum and this is the only remedy?
Since a brass/bronze frame (pick your alloy, and there are many) is softer than a steel frame, I still do not see how the steel shim could be more than a stopgap measure as the same forces are still being exerted upon the frame, be it steel or brass.
I still think much more of it has to do with arbor-to-barrel fit, and wedge fit.
I ain't no expert, but I have learned a bunch from Goon and several others here and on other forums.
Correct me if I am wrong and I will humbly apologize.
BTW, nice resurrection, Dave!
Jim
