Safety Notch

[tembotusk]

How would one go about milling an extra cylinder notch halfway between the normal notches on a Colt cylinder?

I want to load all cylinders and rest the hammer between the chambers and have the bolt lock the cylinder in place.

 

[rodwha]

Why not use the safety pins? Are they not present?

 

[tembotusk]

No, I'm using a Kirst Konverter cylinder. No pins present.

 

[rodwha]

Might it be easier to drill a similar sized hole and cut the bit to length to create a safety pin? There most certainly would be room for that, right?

 

[tembotusk]

Rodwha,

The bottom cylinder is the C&B and the top is the Kirst.

The Kirst has a stationary back plate that the hammer hits, so the hammer cannot lock the cylinder with a pin.

 

[rodwha]

I don't see how anything could be done with the back plate being stationary. Maybe someone more clever can figure something out.

 

[tembotusk]

Me neither!!

That's why I want to figure out how to mill a notch on the cylinder so the bolt can do the work of securing the cylinder out of battery.

To better explain what I'm looking for, see the picture below. I want to mill a notch between two existing cylinder notches.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Hey!,
There should be a hole between the chambers that the firing pin enters. If not, you can put one there. I have removed material from between two chambers on a '51 with a gated Kirst 38 spl. (since the hole wasn't present and just enough room for the firing pin) so the firing pin is between the rims and it almost reaches the cylinder. Every bit as safe as the one on my '60 45 Colt with the holes.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com


In the pic you posted, do I not see the hole between the chambers?

 

[tembotusk]

Mike,

I will look closer at the firing pin location. That would be a lot easier to do.
(I think Rodwha was trying to tell me the same thing, but I was not seeing it!)



Mike, I have been trying to get a hold of you. check your PMs. Thanks!

 

[tembotusk]

I took a look at the Kirst cylinder and it does have the holes between the chambers, however, it is not very secure. A little bit twisting action and the pin will jump out of the hole.

I still think the milling between the cylinders with the bolt holding the cylinder out of battery is the most secure.

 

[rodwha]

Is there enough meat there? It looks a bit too close to the thinnest portion of the chamber wall. Not sure that would be safe. Could it be slightly closer to an original bolt hole but just far enough to ensure no chance of the hammer hitting the pin? Maybe even make the bolt hole a bit shallow?

 

[tembotusk]

I agree, it needs to be shallow or move it closer to the other notch. The pictured cylinder example is a 32cal R&D cylinder.

I don't want to do it freehand, I'm sure there is a tool or bit out there that will help.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Actually, I can make more tension on the hammer at rest to help them stay in the various "safeties" without adding to the hammer draw. This came to me after lightening the main spring of my Remie so much that at rest , it had almost no tension to speak of. Now, I do it on all revolvers .

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com

 

[tembotusk]

Mike,

You will be the next person to see the pistol, so I will wait until it gets back to me.

 

[45 Dragoon]

And, if it's a 5 shot, it would be too thin.
Best to put one right by a notch. My 45 acp cyl for my El Patron has that.

Mike
www,goonsgunworks.com

 

[45 Dragoon]

The firing pin may not able to stay in far enough if the cylinder can move forward very much. The .002 clearance will take care of that.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks, com

 

[Smokin'Joe]

After marking the location on the cylinder with a dental pick



I used common hand tools to cut a notch



The finished project works great

 

[tembotusk]

Nice Smokin'Joe, that turned great!

 

[45 Dragoon]

Yap, nice !!!

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com

 

[Smokin'Joe]

Thanks guys. I only cut one safety notch in the cylinder so I added a brass insert as a visual indicator positioned 180 degrees from the notch. A quick glance is all that is needed to see that the revolver is in a safe state.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Nice! I like things like that.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com

 

[tembotusk]

Now that looks too cool for words!

 

[rcmodel]

A quick glance is all that is needed to see that the revolver is in a safe state.

But, it's not safe with caps on the nipples.

There is nothing keeping the cylinder from turning and brushing a cap across the hammer, setting it off.

You need pins between the nipples for the hammer to rest on to lock the cylinder in place against accidental rotation.

rc

 

[tembotusk]

RC:

Go up to post #17. The cylinder has an extra notch for the bolt to hold the cylinder out of battery. It will not turn unless the hammer is pulled back. The brass plug only indicates that the cylinder is in the proper orientation and locked.

 

[Fingers McGee]

I've had a couple L&Rs modified to 12 bolt stop cylinders, replicating the Augusta Model Rigdon and Ansley's.