I have been having problems with my cylinder on an authentic 1848 Baby Dragoon that was made in 1847. Longitudinal scuff marks have been showing up, one before the location of each chamber. I do think this implies an irregular shape to the cylinder. So please bear with me here.
I, along with others, have given this allot of thought. The possibilities went from metalurgy to forming methods to just happenstance of scuff marks showing up in those places due to its contact with something that it has been repeatedly set on. I have come up with an explaination that I want those here to consider.
I have found the metal used for the cylinder to be very malleable. I think the scuff marks have been showing up with its contact on surfaces like a table top when it rolled right across it. The question is why the pentagonal geometry of the scuff marks. In other words, given this strongly implied irregular shape, what has given it the cylinder its pentagonal shape. We are not talking about anything obvious here, just something very subtle.
Here is what I think. I suspect the chambers were first drilled into a milled or ground round bar stock. The metal is compressible, so this could very well of distorted the metal just a bit. If drilled before its final forming, the grinder or lathe did not entirely remove its irregular shape. If drilled afterwards, then what I am seeing is the direct result of that. After all, the chambers are drilled very close to the cylinder wall.
Since a 1849 Pocket I have does not have this problem, something had changed. I believe it was the grade of the iron. For example, as documented in the book "Fighting Iron" by Art Dobson, crucible steel was used for later 1849 Pockets and the 1851 Navy. Furthermore, Colts silver spring steel, an improvement, was used by the manufacture of the 1860 Army. In addition to this, the malleability of the wrought iron that was originally used could vary from batch to batch. BTW the quality of wrought iron reached a peak that by todays standards is considered low carbon steel.
So what do you guys think? Does this make sense to you?
Bob
I, along with others, have given this allot of thought. The possibilities went from metalurgy to forming methods to just happenstance of scuff marks showing up in those places due to its contact with something that it has been repeatedly set on. I have come up with an explaination that I want those here to consider.
I have found the metal used for the cylinder to be very malleable. I think the scuff marks have been showing up with its contact on surfaces like a table top when it rolled right across it. The question is why the pentagonal geometry of the scuff marks. In other words, given this strongly implied irregular shape, what has given it the cylinder its pentagonal shape. We are not talking about anything obvious here, just something very subtle.
Here is what I think. I suspect the chambers were first drilled into a milled or ground round bar stock. The metal is compressible, so this could very well of distorted the metal just a bit. If drilled before its final forming, the grinder or lathe did not entirely remove its irregular shape. If drilled afterwards, then what I am seeing is the direct result of that. After all, the chambers are drilled very close to the cylinder wall.
Since a 1849 Pocket I have does not have this problem, something had changed. I believe it was the grade of the iron. For example, as documented in the book "Fighting Iron" by Art Dobson, crucible steel was used for later 1849 Pockets and the 1851 Navy. Furthermore, Colts silver spring steel, an improvement, was used by the manufacture of the 1860 Army. In addition to this, the malleability of the wrought iron that was originally used could vary from batch to batch. BTW the quality of wrought iron reached a peak that by todays standards is considered low carbon steel.
So what do you guys think? Does this make sense to you?
Bob
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