Uneven Gap on Colt Revolver

[Inverness11]

So I've seen gaps that are uneven or pie-shaped when viewed from the side. I just picked up an ASM 1862 Police and the gap is pie-shaped when viewed from the top! The gap looks wide on the left side and tight on the right side. Weird.

What's causing this and how can I fix it? I'm thinking maybe the arbor is canted to one side and just needs to be tapped straight???

 

[Smokin'Joe]

The first place to check is the forcing cone. Stand barrel straight up on a flat surface with forcing cone at the bottom. I have an ASM that looked like the leaning tower of Pisa when this was done. The forcing cone needs to be square to have a straight gap.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

To tell you the truth, I wouldn't worry about it.

I have an old S&W Double Action 44 revolver, chambered for 44 Russian, made in 1881. I still shoot it with Black Powder loads. The gap is most definitely uneven, wider at the top than at the bottom. Clearly, the butt end of the barrel at the forcing cone has worn unevenly over the years, causing the gap to be wider at the top. I just shoot it as it is. The gun is plenty accurate for me.

You have to remember, if you even up the gap by filing down the rear end of the barrel, you will also be opening up the gap.

In my experience, despite what a lot of folks feel, the wider the gap, the more fouling gets blasted onto the cylinder face and down onto the arbor, causing the cylinder to bind up more quickly.

It may not look nice, but if the gun shoots OK I would just leave it alone.

 

[Inverness11]

Smokin Joe: Thanks, I think the face of the forcing cone is the culprit!

Driftwood Johnson: Thank you for the great advice. So many times I make so many more problems for myself by "fixing" things that would have been just fine if left alone. :banghead:

In this case, wouldn't truing up the forcing cone and then tapping the wedge in sufficiently give me an even, tight gap? This is my first Colt so I don't know them too well, but it seems to me that the deeper the wedge, the tighter the gap.

 

[tinman080]

the slot the wedge goes in is only so wide, the slot may not be wide enough for the wedge to move the barrel back far enough to close up the gap....

 

[Smokin'Joe]

The wedge is designed to hold the barrel & frame together not to adjust the gap.

 

[robhof]

But on many of the Italian Colt clones, the wedge definitely affects the gap, on my Walker, if tapped in too far, the wedge pushes the back of the barrel against the cylinder.

 

[junkman_01]

That's because so many of the replicas are not fitted properly!

 

[tinman080]

Yes the wedge isn't designed for the adjustment of the barrel but on many of the clones the wedge fit is not too good, leading to barrel movement, as already stated by the guys above.

 

[Noz]

Ubertis are noted for having a short arbor. In this case you can force a fit by tapping the wedge in further. I also causes the barrel to tip up and gives you the uneven gap.


Mr. Pettifogger has written very informative pieces on how to tune and correct these problems.