Correcting the gap between cylinder and forcing cone on '51?

In my opinion

....Original internal parts (by "original" I mean the original parts in some of the replica revolvers) were less than perfectly heat treated.

In fact some of the builders of kits from the seventies recommended that kit builders get smart about heat treating.

Parts for ASM and ASP are hard to get and so repairs and replacements are done with Pietta parts or Uberti Parts or other parts which are not specifically designed for the replica in question. They need to be fitted and most often this is done by filing on the replacement part and so even if the part was heat treated, that hardened metal may be removed during the fitting process.

So the problems are:

1) Properly fitting parts are not easy to find and many times you don't know until you get the parts.

2) Parts which don't fit need to be worked to get the pistol functioning properly.

3) The working of the parts MAY or MIGHT reduce their hardness and consequently their reliability in the application.
 
Doc Hoy
Thanks for that picture of the mill for adjusting cylinder gap.
It solved my problem.

I recently picked up an almost new Dance by Pietta with about a .030 gap.
Last night, using my mini-mill, I whacked .025 off the front of the frame (the front surface looked like it was finished by scraping it on the concrete driveway).
Today when it warms up I need to take a few thou off the forcing cone to square it up and give me about 8 thou of gap.

Funny thing is the arbor and wedge fit is perfect now.
 
Halfslow

Try this trick for taking A TINY BIT off of the forcing cone.

Take the wedge out and turn the barrel on the arbor. You will likely need to hold the frame in a vise.

Cone2.jpg


Sorry for using a junk pistol for these photos. But you get the idea.

Then put a thin file between the cylinder and the forcing cone. Put some sandpaper over the file. The purpose of the file is to give you a hard flat surface. (A file also does a good job of holding the sandpaper in one place.)

Cone1.jpg


Then slowly work the barrel back and forth pressing down ever so lightly so as to remove metal from the forcing cone. Take the barrel off frequently and inspect the cone to make sure the process is doing what you want it to do.
 
That looks like a great way to sneak up on the proper gap and leave a smooth finish.
Right now, the gap is 6 thou on the left and 4 on the right, and kinda crooked from top to bottom.
I figure the mill, using about 2 thou passes, will straighten it out.
Then I can use the wet-or-dry to leave a surface that will be easy to clean.
 
Fingers....

....You are too kind.

I have a pair of Remingtons which will come before this G&G. With my new position I am running into a time bind.

But these Remingtons are an interesting pair. Both .44 and both brass. One is Richland Arms and the other is a Garret Arms from (of all places) Norfolk, VA which is right down the street. I bought the things for 75.00 each at a gun show in, you guessed it.... Norfolk, VA. They are similar enough that a person might think they came from the same factory.

These pistols work fine but are cosmetically terrible. Machine marks. Poor finish on the brass. Bluing looks like A1 Steak Sause smeared on with a paint brush. Just terrible.

I think they will make up into a nice pair.
 
Last edited:
I hate it when people don't follow up and post the results.
So here are (is?) my results.

I was able to set up a small vise in the mini-mill, indexed to the table, and with it face off the front of the frame, the barrel forcing cone, the front of the arbor and the bottom lug where the barrel meets the frame.
They were all slightly out of square.
The gap is now 6 thou on one side of the cylinder and 5 thou on the other.

I will let the parts wear in a bit before touching it any more.
It came with such a slick action, that I feel it was worth the effort.

Thanks again to Doc Hoy for the suggestions.
 
Its a good point you make Master Haggen

This is something I never tried:

Have you ever chronied a revolver that had a wide gap, then tighten it up and chrony it again?
 
Now I have read to measure with the hammer forward and with it at half-cock. Which is correct????

My 1862 Pietta .36 Police is about .010" with the cylinder pulled rearward and the hammer at half-cock.

It is super close with the hammer forward...
 
@ Hawg,

My cone/cylinder gap looks to be around .010" with the cylinder pulled all the way back on my new '62 Police
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top