Examining my Python. Here's what I find (longish).

K

Kayser

New member
Its only been to the range once, with 200 rounds through it. 100 357 and 100 38.

Decided to get real serious about knowing the ins-and-outs of the gun. So I ran across the "what to check when buying a revolver post" and decide to go over it, in addition to doing timing checks. Here's my results, and I was wondering if anyone had any comments :

- examined the outside of the cylinder. I bought this gun NIB, via gunbroker. Anyway, there are what appear to be "tracks" on the cylinder right on the path where the locking notch travels. In between the recessed regions the track gets extremely thin - almost looks like a machining mark. Its there between all the notches. The recessed regions themselves have larger scuff on them which look more like the drag marks you might see from the lug. Having hardly fired the gun, I find myself wondering just where these scuffs and tracks could have come from. If the gun's new, what gives?

- timing checks. Locking lug retracts cleanly and completely before cylinder rotation on all 6 cylinders. For all 6, it drops just before reaching the next notch (about its own width before the notch). This seems to jive with good timing, but I'm still wondering where the other scuffing came from if the timing is this tight at the moment?

- cylinder rotation. At full lockup, the cylinder is completely tight both rotationally and forward/backward. All good.

- cylinder gap. At full lockup, gap appears small. Passes the credit card check by a wide margin. Still all good.

- cylinder alignment check - at full lockup, shining a light into the end of the cylinder while looking down the barrel. From what I gather, the alignment should be "precise" but I'm not sure exactly what this means. If I stare hard enough, I can swear that I can see a little bit of a edge on one side of the cylinder - the same side for each cylinder. The real kicker is that if I move my head towards one side of the barrel, I have to move so far as to practically not see down the length of the barrel at all before the edge is apparent. Whereas in the other direction, I don't really have to move at all to see the edge grow. But at the same time, just looking down the barrel, its easy to just say "that appears aligned".

So I dunno. The gun did appear to be shooting to the right on the first trip, especially with the .357's. I bought it from a guy who had excellent reviews on gunbroker, and it was bought as new. So why these inconsistencies? Am I just imagining things? My primary concern is safety. I do tend to be paranoid about new firearms I haven't come to trust yet, but...

I guess I should probably just drop it off at the smith next time I'm at the range and let him figure things out.
 
Well, I'd say it's safe to shoot...but, it don't sound "new". Not sure, but it looks like somebody ran enough through it so it needed re-timing to get back to the current level.

A gunsmith should know. And a range rod should show what's really going on with cylinder bore position in relation to the barrel at full lockup.

Are the groups OK?

Is the windage off so far that your adjustable rear sight can't take up the slack?
 
Looking down the bore can reveal a lot, but it can be really hard to tell if the chambers are perfectly aligned. The marks on the cylinder are normal. A properly timed Colt will drop the bolt in the trough leading to the locking notch. It should not drop the bolt on the smooth part of the cylinder. Colts are the only double action revolvers that do not drop the bolt on the smooth part. Marring of the smooth portion can occury during loading and unloading; especially loading. If the cylinder is pushed shut and the bolt is resting on the smooth portion, then it is going to drag across that section and wear the finish.

It actually sounds like you have a good Python. One more thing, look at the recoil plate around the firing pin hole. If the bluing is worn off and you can see where the case heads have impacted the plate, then chances are that the gun has seen a fair amount of use. This is true off all revolvers.
 
There have been arguments about what is "new." To me, if it has left the box the factory put it in, it may be unfired, but it is not "new." Handling marks will always result from... well, handling. There are also storage marks from the gun sliding and banging around inside its box. Also note that if the gun was made in the past 20 years the quality control at Colt is not what it used to be and I have seen many "new" pistols with obvious flaws in the finish. I have a 4" nickeled Python with two spots on the crane that were obviously not fully polished before plating.
 
The marks around the cylinder are drag marks left by the cylinder locking bolt, in the bottom of the frame window. This is entirely normal, and if even a brand new gun is handled much, these marks will be present. If your gun has been displayed and handled much those marks will be there. That's why smart dealers either don't allow people to handle their Colt's, or they put a plastic wire tie on it so it can't be opened or cocked.

The bolt will leave the scuff marks in the ramps (leade) of the cylinder, since that's where the bolt is supposed to drop. Again, this is completely normal.

Timing sounds good, except I'd like the bolt dropping just a bit earlier. The bolt should drop into the middle 1/3 of the ramp, or leade in front of the actual locking recess. If the bolt drops too late (closer to the lock recess) the revolver can "throw by" or rotate PAST the lock recess, when shooting DA. I'd say yours is at the limit. As you shoot it, it may wear in and correct itself.

You really can't tell much about cylinder alignment by looking. The only way to be sure is to have each chamber tested with a "range rod" measuring device. My Python's are very near in perfect alignment, and if I look down the barrel it looks like they don't align properly.

Barrel/cylinder gap is very, very, rarely out of spec on Colt's. the only way to be sure, is to use a set of hardware store feeler gages. I'd be very surprised if it wasn't well within spec.

In total: sounds like you got a typical Colt Python. Which means you have the finest production revolver ever made. Enjoy.
 
That's good to hear. In the "throwing past" the notch case, are we talking catastrophic problems, or just "doesn't fire"? How much defacing should I expect to see in the forcing cone? Looking in there with a flashlight reveals a good amount of "mess". Barrel is totally cherry though.
 
Python Olympic grip by Fitz

The python takes a 358 diameter bullet and squeezes it down to spit it out accurately in a .356 diameter barrel. I have several International Shooting Union "ISU" and Olympic competition style grips left for it.

When using it you feel like your hand is in an "Iron Glove" and you can forget your hand and just concentrate on your sight picture and trigger squeeze and your Bullseye scores will definitely omprove with these grips. Right handed only.

I am selling out my 23 year stored remaining inventory and only have therr of these left. One for Colt MK1&2 and two for the Colt MK 3 model. Check the enclosed attachment pic of one on my new 5 screw K-38 Masterpiece. Respond to Paul "Fitz" Jones retired 1979 and loving it.
 
Python Olympic grip by Fitz

The python takes a 358 diameter bullet and squeezes it down to spit it out accurately in a .356 diameter barrel. I have several International Shooting Union "ISU" and Olympic competition style grips left for it.

When using it you feel like your hand is in an "Iron Glove" and you can forget your hand and just concentrate on your sight picture and trigger squeeze and your Bullseye scores will definitely improve with these grips. Right handed only.

I am selling out my 23 year stored remaining inventory and only have three of these left. One for Colt MK1&2 and two for the Colt MK 3 model. Check the enclosed attachment pic of one on my new 5 screw K-38 Masterpiece. Respond to Paul "Fitz" Jones retired 1979 and loving it.
 

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"Throw by" can result in off-center primer hits, failures to fire, and spitting lead. As I said, I don't think you will have a problem. Usually you get throw by when either trying to "stage" the trigger, by giving it a jerk to get the cylinder to rotate all the way to lock, or by hesitating as you pull the trigger. Just give the trigger a steady pull, and there should be no problem.

There shouldn't be any actual "defacing" in the forcing cone. It's probably just fouling. The only real forcing cone problems are brought about by extensive firing, usually with jacketed magnum rounds. You've got a good amount of shooting before you will have any of those problems.

If you're going to shoot lead bullets, buy a Lewis Lead Remover kit. This will clean the lead out of both the barrel and the forcing cone. Pythons are noted for super accuracy, so be careful what you stick down the bore and chambers. Stick to bronze bore and chamber brushes, and the Lewis Kit.

For best results with the Python, shoot and enjoy....repeat as necessary.
 
:)

Took 'er out to the range today. Smith took a quick look at it and said "just looking at the carbon rings on the front of the cylinder, I can tell there's no problem. Everything's nice and even".

A 100 rounds and few sighting tweaks later, it was shooting like a champ. Dare I say it - tighter than my Kimber =o Dang ejector rod keeps unscrewing after every 6 rounds though, grrr...

Did notice some flecks of lead on my left forearm during the drive home (not sure what "spitting lead" really implies). Did quite a bit of shooting with other guns during the day, too, so I'm sure it was nothing.
 
I looked at all of the revolvers in my collection (includes two Pythons) and, at least visually, none index perfectly. That being said, they all shoot very well. Some have seen thousands of rounds, some have seen just a couple hundred, no problems, all very accurate.

Now, about those flecks. Are you positive they were lead? Could it have been carbon and unburned powder? I always come away from range sessions with little black flecks on me.
 
kayser - the carbon rings are a quick way of checking barrel/chamber alignment. if the rings are concentric around the mouth of the chamber, your alignment should be good. it is much like looking at the carbon at the crown of a pistol.

if you are so inclined, you can polish up the forcing cone at the rear of your barrel. you do have to be very careful as the forcing cone is what aligns your bullet to the rifling.

my python just has a propensity for punching holes on top of each other until my eyes/alignment start blurring at 50yds. the snake just "sings" in my hands.
 
Yeah, they were definitely lead. Little, flattish gray flecks. Just a couple though. The .38's I was shooting were lead, and the 357's had flat lead noses on copper jacketing. My impression is that when someone talks about spitting lead they mean in a very obvious fashion.

Since the sucker shot some _really_ tight groups with the .38s (tighter than I'd normally expect with my 1911) I have to assume its all good. Now I just need to get my muzzle flip under control with those .357's :)
 
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