Range Report
I took the pistols out for a range day a week or so ago to run them through a few cylinders full to check cocking, trigger pull, fouling, loading, and other attributes as well as where they were grouping. Found that they were both printing about 6 inches high and a little left at 15 yards off hand. Actions were pretty good with the 2007 pistol being a little smoother - although extended firing proved otherwise later on. Had a couple instances of the rammer pulling the ball out of the chamber on the 1977 model; but once they got fouled a little it went away. I was using .380 cast balls that were generally cutting a good ring when seating, so it may have just been a couple undersized balls. The rear sight notches are almost nonexistent on both revolvers, so they needed to be enlarged; which I did after the session.
The 1977 model had a nipple problem after the conversion. The Treso nipples that were put on it were way too long and just barely missed rubbing the frame. In fact, you couldn't cap them. I tried some other nipples I had in my spare parts bin to see if they'd work. Some stock Pietta nipples fit the threads; but were also too long. You could cap the cylinder; but the caps rubbed the frame. Fortunately, I had some Uncle Mikes SS nipples that I had bought 15 or 20 years ago that just happened to fit, could be capped, and the caps did not rub the frame. Unfortunately, a couple of the chambers would not go off. The hammer was hitting the frame before it popped the cap. I filed the burrs off of the arbor stakes in the hammer slot and got ignition on all the nipples; but it wasn't consistent. I had changed the hammer spring over to a lighter one; so I replaced it with one that was a little heavier; but not as stiff as the original one, and got good reliable ignition.
Used the Rigdons in their first SASS match this past weekend; twelve stages at the Missouri Boatride. I thought that the 1977 model would be the one that would give me some trouble during the match. That proved to be incorrect. Both pistols worked great the first day - 6 stages - with the exception of a couple of caps on the Treso nippled 2007 model coming off and causing them to have to be dug out on the clock. After the first day, I wiped the pistols down with a rag, and put them in their gun rugs for the night.
Second day's stages were a different matter all to gether. The 1977 model function as well as on the first six stages. Had no trouble with caps coming off, cylinder spun free, action was smooth. The 2007 model was another story. After the second stage, it started getting harder to cock. The cylinder was starting to drag across the face of the barrel. Fouling was starting to make it harder to use. It was also starting to have problems with caps. That was probably more coincidence that the fault of the gun though.
All in all, both guns shot pretty well at the match, even with the 07 model dragging towards the end. Neither revolver tried to pull the balls out of the chamber, so it was probably just undersized balls when it happened at the earlier range session. I only had a couple misses; and they were my fault for trying to go too fast. But I did find out that the sight notches needed to be opened up more. I was having some trouble seeing the front sight in the notch.
Cleaned both of them yesterday. Bent the hand spring on the 2007 model so it wasn't as tight. Eyeballed the B/C gap on each of them and saw that the 1977 model was quite a bit larger than the 2007 model. Don't have any gauges to measure it so don't know exactly what it is. Barrel face on the 07 model was pretty rough, and was not square to the cyl - go figure - so I broke out the handy dandy file & squared it off, then polished it with a stone. Eyeballing it now, it looks even and about the same size as the 77 model.
Have another 2 day match next weekend - MO state Championships - so we'll see how they work then.
