Colt single action frontier scout cylinder question

N

newshooter1992

Inactive
So here's the story,

When I was a child I was told that I was to inherit a gun from my grandfather. I was given the opportunity to look at it recently and discovered that it was a colt single action frontier scout. I do not have the gun currently, I am to receive it next year when I turn twenty-one. It's in .22 magnum and in good shape. Not that I mind the .22 magnum, I just wanted to see if I could shoot .22lr from it. I did some brief research and quickly discovered that I need a separate cylinder in order to shoot .22lr.

My question is, if I buy a .22lr cylinder for it can I just switch out the magnum cylinder? Will the diameter of the barrel (because it is supposed to be .22 magnum) cause any safety or accuracy issues?

There was another post on this website, but I wasn't sure if it applied to my case:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=485142&highlight=colt+frontier+scout+cylinder

Thank you for any help, and I apologize if this is a repeat post.
 
The bore diameters are different, as are the cylinder diameters, which is why you need a cylinder for each cal. However, the same barrel works because the barrel is .224 whereas a 22 long rifle is .222. The gun will be safe and will be fairly accurate, but not like a High Standard or S&W K-22 because of the bore being slightly oversize. For plinking, you will be fine.
 
Oh yes and nice find !!!

My question is, if I buy a .22lr cylinder for it can I just switch out the magnum cylinder?
Click to expand...
Yes, it's likely that it originally came with both cylnders. Many or these models came with them. Now it possible that your didn't. Might want to do some digging or asking. .... ;)

I am not currentl on how colt responds to these models. I do know that Numrich Arms has listed some in the past. Kindly let us know how you make out as I have a personal interest. ... :)

www.gunpartscorp.com

Be Safe !!!
 
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It should work fine. You need to make sure it indexes correctly and has the correct cylinder gap with the new cylinder.
 
A call to Colt many, many years ago about acquiring a convertible cylinder revealed that there may have been two different barrel sizes made, which I find hard to believe. They told me if the barrel said ".22 caliber" that it was OK to shoot magnums, but if it said ".22 LR" or ".22 S L LR" or whatever, then it was incompatible with the larger diameter magnum round.
 
I've found cylinders on gunbroker before by using a very generic search term such as "22* cyl*". Often, someone puts a cylinder or a group of cylinders up for auction, but don't know what they are. If you know exactly what a particular cylinder looks like, it will turn up in a few weeks if you keep looking.
 
FWIW, since the gun already has only the .22 magnum cylinder, it was most likely originally a convertible (2-cylinder model) that's become separeted from it's fitted LR cylinder.

IIRC, only .22LR-only guns were issued with single cylinders, and there were never any .22WRM-only issued.

IF you buy a used cylinder, one that's a tad too long can be fitted, but one that's a tad too short cannot be shimmed w/o affecting either headspace or barrel/cylinder gap (depending upon the end shimmed).

If your family cannot locate, or never had, the LR cylinder, I would 1st try the Colt Service Dept about fitting proper cylinder, before buying one elsewhere.

.
 
A call to Colt many, many years ago about acquiring a convertible cylinder revealed that there may have been two different barrel sizes made, which I find hard to believe.
Click to expand...
It is absolutely true. I have a scout (k-series) that is 22LR marked barrel with no conversion cylinder. Once, at a show, I mistakenly purchased a k-series that only had the magnum cylinder, and the barrel was marked 22 caliber. I concluded that I could shoot 22lr from it, but that it wasn't worth the expense to find a nickeled 22lr cylinder, so I sold the gun.
 
Gun Parts Corp still list a .22LR blued cylinder.
Note that these may not be genuine factory cylinders, since Gun Parts sold a lot of replica cylinder in years past:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Products.aspx?catid=6639

Coltparts also list blued .22LR cylinders but you'll have to call to get availability. Their site has problems linking to the cylinders.

http://www.coltparts.com/index.html

Also, note the above info that these cylinders often don't just drop in. They may require some fitting and adjusting by a competent cylinder man.
Among other things to be checked/fitted are head space, barrel/cylinder gap. cylinder end shake, chamber/bore alignment, and timing.
 
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