Cylinder latch timing... Need help with the solution.

[Damnathius]

After posting the topic of cylinder latch (lock) timing for Ruger NM single actions on a couple of message boards, the answer to correct the "latch dragging" problem seems to be to add metal to the rear of the latch and contour it so that the latch pin on the hammer does not bind against it.

Now my question involves the tempering of the latch. Is this part tempered from the factory? It seems that it would be a relatively lightly loaded part, so I am wondering if it is tempered at all, or if it is simply mild steel.

I plan to use a wire welder, which uses an inert gas to displace "air" while feeding a thin wire into the weld area in an "arc welding" fashion. With this method I don't think re-tempering would be necessary, but I could be wrong.

Any thoughts, ideas or opinions?

Thanks,

Dave