1851 Question

G

gasmandave

New member
I have a 1851 Colt Clone. The cylinder locks up in battery before the hammer gets to half cock. It worked fine when I first got it (very, very used). The cylinder locked up with a spent cap. I disassembled it cleaned it out and put it together now just before the hammer get lock in half cock the cylinder locks. This pistol was beat up pretty good when I got it and I didn't pay much for it. The wedge spring was missing and it looked like someone used a hammer to remove it...more than once.
 
Possible timing issues (having to do with the hand and ratchets) and or a problem with the cylinder stop being worn out and it's releasing and becoming engaged with the same notch it had left as you started cocking the hammer and so the cylinder locks up and the hand can't rotate it at all. I had a smith and Wesson do it once and it needed a new cylinder stop fitted. Either way look at the hand, ratchets and cylinder stop after full disassemble and see if they are buggered up in any way. Bent, burrs, rough spots etc. I'm no gunsmith but that's my first thought having tinkered with this sort of thing before.
 
If you could post pictures of the parts and or the positions of the cylinder stop as you cock the hammer that could help anyone here tell you what could be wrong with it.
 
It sounds like the cylinder stop is not engaging with the hammer cam. Probably either the cylinder stop spring is broken or maybe in assembling the gun you got the spring in upside down.

Jim
 
I'm wondering if the wing/arm of the bolt is slipping off the hammer cam prematurely. Maybe it needs a little bending to snug it up against the cam. Otherwise you may have a worn cam and need a new hammer. Just my guess.
 
I'll have to take a look at it. I've been trying to find a picture of the parts brake down but havent quite come up with one yet.
I figured I assembled it wrong or bent a spring. It was a very used pistol and had more than one spent cap piece in the workings.
 
If someone has a picture of the parts you are all referring to I would appreciate it. I usually just call them "thinga ma bobs" "do hickies" and "whatchamacallits".
 
1851%20View.jpg


Steve
 
Here's a link to a closeup picture of a cylinder stop AKA bolt stop. The photo is not the one in a Colt but looks similar. The two flat parts that extend from the bolt are variously called "legs", wings, or arms. Somewhere there is the explanation of proper terminology so real gunsmiths can talk to each other like surgeons using "doctor talk".


http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Products/1409830.htm
 
Thanks. As soon as I can unload the pistol I'll take it apart again and see what I can figure out. I usually pull the cylinder and charge all 6 chambers and use a press to seat all six balls at once. Capping it after I reassembled it.
 
If the problem has existed for more than a coupla dozen rounds

And also if the problem is the bolt dropping early, you might notice some minor damage to the cylinder notches.
 
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